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Clayton Upgrades Transport Network With Station Improvements and Underground Rail
Elevated station improvements and planned underground rail work tackle road barriers and service gaps in patterns seen in other dense urban centres worldwide.
How we reported this
The new elevated Clayton Station opened with dedicated bus, bike and taxi interchanges plus 86 additional car parks after removal of the Centre Road and Clayton Road level crossings that previously caused peak-hour congestion.
These changes arrive as construction planning advances for the Suburban Rail Loop East project, which will add an underground station at the same location. The timing matters because residents already face busy arterial roads that limit walking and cycling options while bus services operate on indirect routes with limited shelter at stops.
Local Streets and Service Details
Clayton Road, Centre Road and North Road remain the main corridors carrying traffic through the area. Eight bus routes serve the suburb, including SmartBus 703, while train and tram services run from 5am to midnight Monday through Thursday, extend to about 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, and operate from 7am to 11pm on Sundays. Real-time traffic data recorded zero incidents in the Clayton 3166 postcode in the latest update.
These operational patterns show incremental efforts to improve connections without major new road capacity. Bus stops still lack seating and shelter in many locations, and separated cycling paths remain limited along the key arterials.
Planned Construction and Passenger Projections
The Suburban Rail Loop East underground station is projected to serve around 15,000 passengers daily by 2035. Clayton Road itself will close for up to 10 years during the work, requiring travellers to adjust routes while the new station is built. This scale of disruption echoes temporary access changes seen during major rail projects in other cities that later delivered higher daily ridership once complete.
Once open, the station will integrate with the existing elevated facility and its new interchange points. Operators will continue running the current eight bus routes alongside the upgraded rail services, maintaining the listed timetable hours.
Residents can monitor updates through official project channels for any short-term detours or service adjustments during the closure period.