Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel opening reshapes city travel

Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel opening marks a major public transport milestone for the city, with the new line now carrying passengers and officially becoming part of the rail network.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

What Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel opening means for passengers?

The project delivers twin nine-kilometre rail tunnels and five new stations – Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac – adding a new set of Metro Tunnel stations in Melbourne and changing how people move to and through the CBD. These new connections are already being showcased by Victoria’s Big Build.

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On the Metro Tunnel’s first day of operations, the first regular services on the line left East Pakenham at 9.03am and Sunbury at 9.28am on Sunday November 30. The two trains reached Town Hall Station in the CBD just one minute apart before continuing along their routes on the wider network.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allen said more than 70,000 people came out to ride the Metro Tunnel on its first day in service, a figure that underlines how much interest there is in the new connection.

Summer Start services and free weekend travel in Victoria

During the “Summer Start” period, extra and extended services are running alongside the existing Metro Trains timetable. Passengers using the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines can either stay on their usual services or choose a train that runs through the Metro Tunnel, which gives these busy corridors more options.

From yesterday, public transport is free for everyone across the state of Victoria on Saturdays and Sundays, and this free public transport on weekends in Victoria will continue until the end of January.

Big Switch timetable and long-term impact on Melbourne’s underground rail network

A more permanent change arrives on 1 February 2026, when the “Big Switch” brings in a new timetable for buses, trams, and both regional and metropolitan trains. Under this timetable, the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines will be connected with all services that run through the Metro Tunnel, so that Melbourne Metro Tunnel opening benefits are embedded into everyday journeys. With the tunnel in operation and five new stations open, the opening of the Metro Tunnel has doubled the size of Melbourne’s underground rail network, providing faster connections and new travel options for Victorians, as previously covered by Railway Supply.

Delivering the project required a substantial construction effort. Crews excavated 1.8 million cubic metres of rock and soil, built twin nine-kilometre tunnels, poured 754,000 cubic metres of concrete, used 157,000 tonnes of steel and laid 40 kilometres of Australian-made rail.

Since the Metro Tunnel was first announced in 2015, about 7000 jobs have been created, including hundreds for apprentices, cadets and trainees, as reported by Rail Express.

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