Melburnians, rejoice! We can once again enjoy the novelty of strolling through an underground tunnel right in the middle of our city. The historic Campbell Arcade has finally reopened, reviving the beloved shortcut that runs underneath Flinders Street Station.
The retro arcade, which first opened back in 1955, was closed off in 2022 as part of works on the Metro Tunnel. It’s been given a refresh, with a new ceiling, updated lighting and careful restoration of the original 1950s heritage features. And yes, those salmon pink tiles that cover the walls are still going strong.
The retailers that once filled the arcade aren’t back yet, but will hopefully return soon – although it’s unclear whether all of the same beloved businesses will return. Personally, we’d love to see Wax Museum Records back in the arcade. Crate digging for vinyl gems underground was a unique experience.
The heritage passageway was shut off as part of works on the Metro Tunnel, as it now forms a connection to the new Town Hall Station. Once the Metro Tunnel is in action, the new pedestrian link will run from this brand new station, under Flinders Street and alongside Campbell Arcade, before joining up to Flinders Street Station. It also connects to the Degraves Street Subway, so if you want to go directly from the train to eating a delicious baguette in mere minutes, you can live that dream.
At this stage, it’s unclear when this will actually become a reality, with no official opening date for the Metro Tunnel yet – even though project officials assure it will be up and running in 2025. Did anyone tell them it’s already August? That being said, the whole new train line is set to undergo a full-scale test this weekend. So fingers crossed it’ll all be up and running very soon.
Regardless, we will absolutely be taking advantage of being able to take a cheeky shortcut under Flinders Street Station through Campbell Arcade. Even if it's just to see those salmon tiles once again.
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