Melbourne's Metro Tunnel is opening in early December, a full year ahead of schedule, with hundreds of new weekly services.
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams today announced the Summer Start program for the Metro Tunnel’s December opening, followed by the Big Switch network-wide timetable integration on 1 February.
When the Metro Tunnel opens in early December, it kicks off the Summer Start with more than 240 extra services a week running through all five new underground stations: Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac.
Metro Tunnel services will run seven days a week during the Summer Start. Monday to Friday sees services every 20 minutes from 10am until 3pm between Westall on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines and West Footscray on the Sunbury line. Weekend services run every 20 minutes from 10am until 7pm between Westall and West Footscray, every 40 minutes from East Pakenham, and every 60 minutes from Sunbury.
Metro Tunnel
- Opening: Early December (Summer Start), 1 February (Big Switch)
- Where: Five new underground stations – Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac
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Existing services on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines will continue as normal through the City Loop during the Summer Start, with passengers able to connect to the Metro Tunnel at interchange locations including Footscray and Caulfield stations. Timetables stay the same on every other line during this period, with passengers able to change to Metro Tunnel services at Flinders Street or Melbourne Central without tapping on or off.
Opening the tunnel first and making the big timetable switch afterwards follows international best practice, ensuring everything runs smoothly while also saving time. Instead of the tunnel sitting idle during the lead-in time for the new timetable, it opens immediately upon safety approval.
Summer Start gives passengers faster travel across the city through the new tunnel, around 12 minutes end-to-end on hundreds of new services a week, plus new direct access to Melbourne’s major hospitals, universities and St Kilda Road.
On Sunday, 1 February, the Big Switch overhauls Victoria’s entire train network. All services on the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines will travel exclusively through the new tunnel, launching 1,000 new weekly services and kicking off a turn-up-and-go network. Trains will run at least every 10 minutes between Watergardens and Dandenong stations between 6am and 9pm through the Metro Tunnel, with peak services arriving every three to four minutes on average.
Frankston line services also return to the City Loop on 1 February, improving CBD access for thousands of passengers on one of Melbourne’s busiest lines.
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