EastLink

What EastLink does

EastLink is a 39-kilometre toll road operator in Melbourne, Australia, operated by privately held ConnectEast Pty Ltd under a state concession that connects the Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Peninsula Link freeways and bypasses approximately 45 traffic lights. The asset comprises twin tunnels (Melba and Mullum Mullum), 13 toll gantries with electronic sensors, tag readers and cameras for automatic vehicle detection and classification, and an average operating speed of ~94 km/h across trips. ConnectEast Group, the parent holding structure, was established when the freeway opened in 2008 and has since recorded over one billion trips.

The company monetizes usage-based tolling through four primary products: a pre-paid Tag Account (cheapest rates, $40 opening balance, auto top-up, works on all Australian toll roads), a Non-Tag Account (Victorian only, with image processing fees per trip), single-direction Trip Passes (fixed price, 6-month validity), and Post-Paid Business Accounts (credit-checked, monthly invoiced for fleet operators). Pricing is structured across four vehicle classes (Car, LCV, HCV, Motorcycle), with toll caps per trip, a 20% weekend discount for cars, and a single-section discount for short trips. Prices have changed only for inflation since 2008 and are adjusted annually on July 1.

EastLink serves individual vehicle owners as its primary segment and fleet operators plus rental-vehicle toll programs as secondary segments, with an end-customer base of approximately 250,000 vehicles per day (~200,000 cars, ~50,000 commercial vehicles). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the website, phone support (7am–6pm weekdays), and a Ringwood customer centre, with distribution reinforced by community sponsorships (Frankston Arts Centre, Parkrun Mullum Mullum, Shine a Light on Road Safety) and a digital out-of-home advertising partnership with oOh!Media. Emergency vehicles are toll-exempt, and the company supports hardship assistance and an independent Customer Advocate that reports directly to the Managing Director.

Name

EastLink

Legal name

ConnectEast Pty Ltd

Website

https://eastlink.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

EastLink is a Melbourne-based, privately held operator of a 39km toll road connecting four major eastern freeways, serving approximately 250,000 vehicles daily through tag accounts, trip passes and post-paid business accounts under a state concession.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Toll Road Operations

NAICS

Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310), Taxi and Ridesharing Services (48531), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (4921), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (492110), Local Messengers and Local Delivery (4922), Local Messengers and Local Delivery (49221)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLAJABAA

Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) & Transponder/Tag Systems (RFID/DSRC)

Transportation & Logistics/Transportation Infrastructure & Operations (Roads, Rail Networks, Traffic Management)/Road Tolling, Congestion Charging & Road User Charging Systems

SECONDARYTLAJABAB

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) / Video Tolling & Enforcement

Transportation & Logistics/Transportation Infrastructure & Operations (Roads, Rail Networks, Traffic Management)/Road Tolling, Congestion Charging & Road User Charging Systems

SECONDARYTLAJABAC

Back-Office Toll Transaction Processing, Billing & Customer Account Management

Transportation & Logistics/Transportation Infrastructure & Operations (Roads, Rail Networks, Traffic Management)/Road Tolling, Congestion Charging & Road User Charging Systems

SECONDARYTLAJABAG

Toll Violation Management, Collections & Dispute Resolution

Transportation & Logistics/Transportation Infrastructure & Operations (Roads, Rail Networks, Traffic Management)/Road Tolling, Congestion Charging & Road User Charging Systems

SECONDARYTLAJABAF

Interoperability & Clearinghouse Services (Multi-Agency Toll Settlement)

Transportation & Logistics/Transportation Infrastructure & Operations (Roads, Rail Networks, Traffic Management)/Road Tolling, Congestion Charging & Road User Charging Systems

Keywords

• Toll road operations
• Electronic tolling
• Highway infrastructure
• Toll collection services
• Vehicle classification systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Ringwood

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Toll Revenue: Charges based on vehicle class (Car, LCV, HCV, Motorcycle) and distance traveled on EastLink. Toll cap applies to limit maximum charges per trip. Cheapest tolls in Australia according to company claims.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EastLink operates a 39km toll road in Melbourne's east, providing a delay-free freeway connecting the Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Peninsula Link freeways with 13 toll gantries and twin tunnels. Its core offering is electronic toll collection, charging drivers based on vehicle class (Car, LCV, HCV, Motorcycle) and distance traveled, supported by a unified tolling ecosystem of pre-paid tag accounts, non-tag accounts, post-paid business accounts and single trip passes. The toll road has carried over 1 billion trips since opening in 2008, with approximately 250,000 vehicles per day.

Product overview

EastLink is a 39km toll road operator in Melbourne, Australia, managed by ConnectEast Group. The company offers a unified tolling ecosystem comprising three main payment methods: pre-paid and post-paid tag accounts, single-trip passes, and toll invoices. Tag accounts work across all Australian toll roads, while non-tag accounts are limited to EastLink, CityLink, and West Gate Tunnel. The digital platform provides account management, trip pass purchasing, toll invoice settlement, and a toll calculator through the website. Additional services include hardship assistance and an independent customer advocate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Breeze: Registered trademark of ConnectEast Pty Ltd.

Products and services

• EastLink Toll Road 39km toll road in Melbourne's east connecting Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Peninsula Link freeways, operating 13 toll points and twin tunnels with average speeds of approximately 94km/hr. Used by individual drivers and commercial fleets traveling across Melbourne's east.
• Pre-paid Tag Account Pre-paid tolling account requiring a $40 opening balance that provides the cheapest toll rates and works on all toll roads in Australia. Includes automatic top-up functionality when the balance drops below minimum. For individual drivers seeking lowest toll pricing and interstate interoperability.
• Non-Tag Account
• Post-paid Business Account
• EastLink Trip Pass
• Toll Invoice

Quantifiable outcome

• Average speed on EastLink approximately 94km/hr across all trips
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• oOh!MediacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributoroOh!Media manages EastLink advertising signs along the tollway corridor. With 13 large advertising signs in relatively uncluttered environment, the partnership provides outdoor advertising visibility for brands targeting commuters.
• VentiacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVentia operates the EastLink Safety Induction and Work Authority Permit programs on behalf of ConnectEast. Administers contractor compliance through Permitted online system for all workers on EastLink.
• ParkrunminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEastLink has agreement with Parkrun to allow Parkrun Mullum Mullum 5km running event on section of EastLink Trail every Saturday morning at 8am.
• Amber CommunitycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEastLink sponsors Shine a Light on Road Safety campaign hosted by Amber Community (formerly Road Trauma Support Services Victoria). Supports road safety education and community awareness initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• AirportlinkM7 (Brisbane): AirportlinkM7 is a Brisbane toll road with electronic toll collection interoperable with EastLink accounts. It provides regional peer comparability on the same tag-account settlement network and concession-based tolling model.
• E-way (Sydney): E-way and other NSW tollways participate in the same Australian tag-interoperability network that EastLink leverages for cross-border travel. While serving a different geography, it operates the same ETC business model and competes for the same tag-account customer wallet.

Broad incumbents

• Atlas Arteria: Atlas Arteria is a global toll road operator with significant Australian tolling exposure (including a stake in the M2/M5 in Sydney via toll road investment vehicles). As a publicly listed toll road investor, it is comparable to EastLink in concession economics and serves as a benchmark for institutional investor appetite.
• Transurban: Transurban is Australia's largest toll road operator, managing CityLink in Melbourne, toll roads in Sydney, Brisbane, and North America. It is a broad incumbent in the same industry as EastLink (ConnectEast), with overlapping ETC operations, tag-account interoperability, and concession-based business model. CityLink is EastLink's most direct competitor for Melbourne toll trips.
• NorthConnex (Transurban): NorthConnex is a Sydney motorway tunnel operated by Transurban using electronic tolling similar to EastLink's twin tunnel (Mullum Mullum/Melba) operations. Both are tunnel-based toll assets under long-term concession deeds, providing structural and operational comparability.

Others

• Kapsch TrafficCom: Kapsch TrafficCom is a global provider of electronic toll collection technology, RFID transponders, ANPR camera systems, and back-office toll processing. Comparable to EastLink's in-house ETC platform as a technology vendor and operator of similar tolling infrastructure worldwide.
• CPB Contractors / Ventia (operations peers): Ventia is listed in EastLink's partnerships as the operator of EastLink's Safety Induction and Work Authority Permit programs. As a road infrastructure operations and maintenance provider, Ventia is comparable as an enabling partner delivering the operational backbone of toll road concessions.
• ConnectEast Group: ConnectEast Group is the parent company and concession holder that operates EastLink. Listed here as an internal/corporate peer for completeness, given that ConnectEast is the legal entity that holds the EastLink concession deed referenced throughout the data.

Direct peers

• Linkt (Transurban retail brand): Linkt is the retail tolling brand of Transurban, offering tag accounts, trip passes, and post-paid invoicing across Australian toll roads. It directly competes with EastLink's tag account and trip pass products and shares the same interoperability infrastructure noted in EastLink's integrations.
• West Gate Tunnel (Transurban): West Gate Tunnel is a new Melbourne toll road operated by Transurban that competes with EastLink for cross-city vehicle traffic. Non-tag EastLink accounts explicitly include West Gate Tunnel compatibility, indicating overlapping service territory and direct competitive overlap for Melbourne commuters.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/connecteast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connecteast

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EastLink