Melbourne's Metro Tunnel Project hits major milestone with station handover, as project nears finish line.
The first three Metro Tunnel stations have been handed over from builders to rail operators. Premier Jacinta Allan and Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams visited Parkville Station to mark the significant transfer.
The handover includes Arden, Parkville and Anzac stations, allowing rail workers to begin station operations before the tunnel’s official opening later this year.
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Testing ramps up ahead of 2025 opening
This significant milestone follows impressive testing achievements for the Metro Tunnel Project. Test trains have now travelled more than 100,000km inside the tunnels – equivalent to circling Earth two-and-a-half times since testing began in mid-2023.
The testing program is entering its most complex phase with multiple disruptions planned across the network. Passengers should prepare for service changes on affected lines over three days next week – 14, 15 and 17 April – as testing continues on what will become a continuous line from Sunbury to Cranbourne and Pakenham.
Inside the tunnels and stations, everything from lifts, escalators, security systems, communications, lighting, plumbing, power and the platform screen doors are being progressively tested.
Metro Trains station staff are now based at the completed stations as they trial day-to-day operations, getting familiar with the new infrastructure ahead of opening day.
Five new stations transforming Melbourne’s rail network
The Metro Tunnel represents Melbourne’s most significant train network upgrade since the City Loop opened in 1981. The project features five new underground stations: Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac.
Construction teams continue working on the remaining two stations – Town Hall and State Library – which are being built directly beneath Melbourne’s CBD. These final two stations represent the most complex engineering challenge of the entire project.
Once complete, the Metro Tunnel will revolutionise how Melburnians navigate the city, providing direct train access to key locations like the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and University of Melbourne via Parkville Station, and the Shrine of Remembrance via Anzac Station.
New high-capacity trains boost passenger comfort
The Metro Tunnel will feature larger, more modern High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMT) that represent a significant upgrade to Victoria’s rail fleet. These trains were first introduced to the Pakenham Line in December 2020 – the first new trains since the X’Trapolis 100 launched in 2002.
HCMTs are longer than other Victorian metropolitan trains, with space for 20% more passengers, according to project information. Accessibility is a key feature of the HCMTs, with priority seating throughout the carriages and 14 allocated spaces at accessible boarding doors.
The trains provide real-time information through dynamic route maps and information displays, with heating and cooling systems specifically designed for Melbourne conditions.
Making public transport accessible for all Victorians
Accessibility has been a central consideration in the Metro Tunnel’s design. All public areas will have step-free access, with escalators and lifts making it easy for passengers of all abilities to reach station concourses and platforms.
Tactile ground surface indicators, tactile signage, audible announcements, hearing loops and clear signage will also help create a stress-free journey for all users.
Changing Places facilities will be located at all stations – both inside and outside the Myki ticketing gates – providing larger than standard accessible toilets with extra features to meet the needs of people with disability and their carers.
Revolutionary signalling system enhances network capacity
The Metro Tunnel will employ Victorian-first technology known as High Capacity Signalling (HCS). This automatic signalling system keeps trains at a safe distance from each other – similar to cruise control in a car – allowing trains to travel closer together and increasing overall network capacity.
The Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines will come out of the City Loop and instead travel via the Metro Tunnel, freeing up space in the City Loop for the Craigieburn and Upfield lines and allowing the Frankston Line to return to the Loop.
Connecting Melbourne’s transport future
The Metro Tunnel and the upcoming Suburban Rail Loop will fundamentally change how Melburnians and visitors navigate the city. The Metro Tunnel will create a direct route across Melbourne, minimising disruptions for commuters through a dedicated tunnel linking Kensington to South Yarra.
The project will enable passengers to interchange between the Metro Tunnel and City Loop services without having to touch off and on their Myki cards at two key CBD locations – between Flinders Street Station and Town Hall Station, and between Melbourne Central Station and State Library Station.
“The Metro Tunnel will cut congestion and get you to work, uni and home sooner – and it opens this year,” said Premier Jacinta Allan. “We’ve got the keys from the builders, now our rail workers can move in and start getting ready for passengers.”
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams added: “The Metro Tunnel will be a game-changer for our city, creating capacity for more services and connecting Victorians to jobs, education and hospitals. The Victorian Liberals abandoned the Metro Tunnel when they were in power, Peter Dutton sat around the Cabinet table and ripped money out of it – and they’d do it all again in the future. They don’t believe in public transport.”
Benefits beyond train passengers
Even non-train users will benefit from improvements including wider footpaths, safer crossings, better cycle lanes, more bike parking and upgraded parks in streets around the stations. Pedestrian underpasses beneath St Kilda Road and Royal Parade will allow people to cross safely without waiting for traffic or passing through ticket gates.
The project also includes installing lifts from the Degraves subway to existing platforms at Flinders Street Station, boosting accessibility for passengers across the network.
As Melbourne’s population continues to grow, the Metro Tunnel Project is positioned to support urban expansion and potentially help the city in its quest to reclaim the title of world’s most liveable city – a crown it held for seven consecutive years before being displaced in 2018.
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