Construction of Stage One of the Suburban Loop is to start in 2022.

MORE than 80 per cent of Melburnians will eventually experience reduced travel times thanks to the Suburban Rail Loop, the Victorian government says.

Suburban Rail Loop minister Jacinta Allan visited Clayton station recently to reveal new travel time savings modelling for the first stage of this city shaping project.

Commuters from Clayton will be able to travel in four different directions with direct access to key education, health and jobs precincts.

The project will transform the way people commute right across Melbourne with new destinations and connections.

Stage One between Cheltenham and Box Hill will be delivered first, and public transport users in Melbourne’s south east will experience much faster journeys on the underground line, saving up to an hour on a one-way trip.

Return trips to key destinations will be up to two hours faster.

Commuters from across Melbourne and Victoria will get faster connections to Deakin University in Burwood and Monash University in Clayton as they are connected to the train network for the first time.

The trains will take three to four minutes between stations, and a journey from Cheltenham to Box Hill will be just 22 minutes. Commuters from Cheltenham are expected to save between 40 minutes to an hour when travelling to either Monash, Glen Waverley or Burwood.

Travel times between Traralgon and Box Hill Hospital will be around 26 minutes faster – taking around two and a half hours instead of three and making train travel times comparable to a car trip.

A trip from Lilydale to Monash University will be between 20 and 40 minutes quicker with a seamless interchange at Box Hill and a trip from Cranbourne to Deakin University will be cut by 20-40 one way.

Encouraging more people to shift from their cars to public transport will also have a significant impact on traffic congestion with benefits for all road users, including freight services, trams and buses.

In the longer term as SRL is connected further north and west improved traffic flows on freeways and major arterial roads is projected to cut more than 5 minutes off a drive from Box Hill to the CBD in the morning peak.

Construction of Stage One will start in 2022 with the Initial and Early Works to create up to 800 direct early jobs. Planning and development, as well as community and stakeholder consultation is well underway.

“Whether you’re moving around Melbourne or to and from regional Victoria, Suburban Rail Loop will slash travel times and take more cars off our roads for faster, safer journeys,” minister Allan said.

“Suburban Rail Loop will open up Melbourne’s middle suburbs, making it easier, faster and more convenient for all Victorians to access our fastest growing employment, health, education and retail centres.”