Victorian public transport changes were announced over the past two days. They combine temporary fare relief with funding for new trains and extra services. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Victoria keeps free public transport, funds 25 trains
Photo: Leonid Andronov/stock.adobe.com, Victoria keeps free public transport, funds 25 trains

Victorian public transport changes: fares and trains

Free public transport will remain in place until the end of May. After that, half-price public transport fares will apply for the rest of the year.

The Government also said the Victorian Budget 2026/2027 includes funding for new trains. That includes $637.6 million for 25 new X’Trapolis 2.0 trains.

“These new trains are bigger and better, more comfortable and more efficient – carrying around 1,225 passengers,” the government said in a statement.

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In total, the Allan Labor Government has funded 50 X’Trapolis 2.0 trains. That allocation covers 25 of them. The first 25 are set to roll out in the coming months. They will run on the Cragieburn, Upfield and Frankston lines.

Separately, the budget provides $77.5 million for extra train services across the rail network.

Extra train services across the network

The Shepparton line will have nine return services each weekday. On weekday evenings, Belgrave and Lilydale trains will run every 20 minutes on average. That applies to the end of the line. They currently run every 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, services on the Ringwood corridor will run every 10 minutes on weekday evenings. They currently run every 15 minutes.

On the Glen Waverley and Alamein lines, weekday evening frequencies will improve. Trains will run every 20 minutes. They now run every 30 minutes.

At the same time, weekend services on the Mernda and Hurstbridge lines will increase. Trains will run every 20 minutes to Mernda and Eltham all weekend. They now run every 30 minutes in the evening. On Sunday morning, they run every 40 minutes.

Between the city and Clifton Hill, services will run every 10 minutes. That is up from every 15 minutes on weekend evenings. It is also up from every 20 minutes on Sunday mornings into the city.

More service changes in the coming months

More service changes are due in the coming months, including:

  • Werribee line: two additional trains per hour in the mornings and afternoons
  • Sandringham line: trains every 10 minutes between peak periods
  • Craigieburn line: trains at least every 20 minutes, including late at night and on weekends
  • Upfield line: trains at least every 20 minutes, including late at night and on weekends
  • Seymour line: trains every hour between 8:00am and 9pm on weekends
  • Shepparton line: five return services on Saturday and Sunday

Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams said: “We’re putting our expanded network to work – delivering more services, more often across the network.”

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