The Victorian government has expanded the free tram zone in Melbourne to include Australia's most famous footy ground.
Melbourne’s free tram zone has been extended; from today (Wednesday 24 September) routes 48, 70 and 75 now run fare-free all the way to the MCG, which means you can jump on in the city and ride straight to the gates without touching your myki card.
This timing isn’t exactly a coincidence. With the AFL Grand Final and Melbourne Royal Show both on in the next couple of weeks, transport bosses are throwing everything they’ve got at moving massive crowds around the city. The Melbourne free tram extension has kicked in, just in time for the Footy Festival at Yarra Park and all the Grand Final festivities.
Melbourne free tram zone expansion
- What: Extended free tram zone to MCG and extra public transport services
- When: Wednesday 24 September onwards for free trams, various dates for extra services
- Where: Melbourne CBD to MCG via tram routes 48, 70 and 75
- Grand Final Day: Saturday 28 September with 60 extra train services
- Melbourne Royal Show: Thursday 25 September to Sunday 6 October
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
Friday’s Grand Final Parade is getting the full treatment with all public transport running to a Saturday timetable plus 47 extra train services across the network. Extra trams will be running on the key routes, so you shouldn’t be stuck waiting around in the early spring chill.
Saturday’s Grand Final takes things up another notch with 60 extra train services across metropolitan Melbourne. Eighteen will run before the first bounce to get everyone there on time, with 42 more scheduled after the final siren when half the city will be either celebrating or consoling themselves. Dedicated tram shuttles will bounce back and forth between Flinders Street Station and the MCG, while 11 additional V/Line services help regional fans travel from Geelong and Ballarat.
But footy isn’t the only show in town. The Melbourne Royal Show expects more than 450,000 visitors when it opens on Thursday (25 September), so transport planners are running more than 100 extra train services daily from Flinders Street. Trains will depart every 10 to 15 minutes from platforms 8, 9 and 10 starting at 9:10am, with the last service back from the Showgrounds at 10:40pm on weekdays and 10:30pm on weekends.
Route 57 trams running between Elizabeth Street and the Showgrounds will also beef up their services throughout the show period, because nobody wants to be stuck at Flemington after a big day of showbags and dagwood dogs.
For more information, head here.
