Metro Tunnel update for Melbourne commuters
Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel project will open to passengers on 30 November 2025, offering faster trips across the city and a major upgrade to the public transport network. The project is led by Victoria’s transport authorities, and it introduces new rail tunnels, modern stations and improved travel times. It connects the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines through new underground infrastructure, which will ease congestion across the city. The Metro Tunnel keyword appears here to support search visibility.
The system features twin nine-kilometre tunnels running beneath the CBD. Five new underground stations, Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac, make up the new section. Each station includes updated pedestrian links that connect directly to Flinders Street and Melbourne Central. As a result, passengers will have simpler access to the City Loop. Anzac Station also includes Melbourne’s first combined train and tram interchange.
Testing and driver training are complete, and new technology such as high-capacity signalling and platform screen doors has been installed. The opening date arrives one year ahead of the original schedule, which shows the pace and scope of the work.
Metro Tunnel route and early operating period
From 30 November, trains will travel through the tunnel as a direct corridor between Sunbury and the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines. The route will provide faster journeys across the CBD, fewer bottlenecks and a separate pathway that takes pressure off the City Loop. Commuters will travel through the new underground stations before reconnecting with existing tracks to the east and west.
During the first weeks, the network will run a Summer Start timetable. This soft launch will allow operators to monitor performance and resolve any early issues. On weekdays, services will run every 20 minutes from 10am to 3pm between Westall and West Footscray. On weekends, trains will run every 20 minutes from 10am to 7pm between Westall and West Footscray. In addition, services will run every 40 minutes from East Pakenham and every 60 minutes from Sunbury.
The early rollout includes 240 new services across the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines. Trains will stop at all five new stations during this period. Other lines will continue using the City Loop under the existing timetable.
Full network integration in 2026
A major shift will take place on 1 February 2026 when the tunnel becomes fully embedded in the wider network. The new timetable will bring more than 1,000 additional weekly services across trains, trams, buses and regional routes. After this change, the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines will operate exclusively through the tunnel. The Frankston line will return to the City Loop under a separate pathway that frees up space and improves reliability.
Once integrated, trains will run at higher frequencies with travel speeds reaching up to 80 kilometres per hour in the new tunnel section. These changes are designed to reduce delays, spread passenger loads and offer more consistent cross-city travel.
Future network expansion and long-term plans
The Metro Tunnel forms the base of a longer-term plan to reshape rail travel across Victoria. Over the next decade, the tunnel will support the new Airport Rail connection. The route will link Melbourne Airport to the CBD through the tunnel and out towards the southeast. As a result, the western suburbs, central city and southeast growth areas will share a single, high-frequency corridor.
The main tunnel will be available to passengers from late 2025. The broader network vision, which includes Airport Rail, is scheduled to roll out progressively through to the end of the decade.
