Melbourne's Metro Tunnel, a $15 billion project, is fully operational today with new timetables and over 1,200 additional weekly train services, marking 'the big switch' as the government calls it. The tunnel, first announced in 2015, opened last November with limited services through five new stations. However, from Sunday, the new timetables will utilize the Metro Tunnel, promising less congestion across the network.
Here's a breakdown of the changes:
Frankston Line: Trains will run through the City Loop, skipping Werribee and Williamstown. A new timetable will provide more reliable services, with an additional 12 weekly services post-level crossing removal later this year.
Cranbourne, Pakenham, and Sunbury Lines: These lines will connect through the Metro Tunnel with services every 10 minutes on weekdays. This includes 100 new weekly services, with trains as frequent as every four and a half minutes during peak hours. Services won't stop at Armadale, Toorak, Hawksburn, South Yarra, Richmond, or the City Loop.
Werribee and Williamstown Lines: These lines will start and end at Flinders Street Station, with no services to Frankston. A new timetable will be in place, and they will connect with the Sandringham line later this year. A temporary timetable is active until late April due to ongoing level crossing removal works.
Sunbury Line: A new timetable will connect Cranbourne, Pakenham, and Sunbury lines through the Metro Tunnel. This will result in 1,000 new weekly services, with trains as frequent as every 5–10 minutes during peak hours. The Sunbury Line will no longer stop at North Melbourne, requiring passengers to change at Footscray.
V/Line and Buses: New timetables will be introduced for coaches and buses in regional Victoria, aiming to reduce wait times and improve journey smoothness. Over 270 bus and coach timetables will be updated to align with new train services. Additional services will be available on Traralgon, Seymour, and Echuca lines.
Craigieburn and Upfield Lines: A new timetable will be introduced in February to ensure consistent train frequencies. The lines will no longer share the City Loop with the Sunbury line, improving reliability and reducing delays.
Despite the significant increase in services for some lines, many commuters will experience minimal changes. The Transport Users Association's Daniel Bowen highlights the need for further upgrades to bring all train lines up to standard, particularly in Melbourne's east and north-eastern suburbs, where wait times can be as long as 30 minutes.
The development of the new timetables has been a decade-long process, involving extensive work behind the scenes. The Department of Transport's Stuart Johns mentions going through 'hundreds if not thousands of iterations' to get the timetables right, using modeling that predicts demand and population growth for the next few decades. The timetables have been humanized, with the first train on the timetable serving students on the Gippsland line.
The rollout of the new timetables on Sunday is a significant day for the team involved, marking years of effort and excitement.
