Victoria State Premier Jacinta Allan and Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams officially opened the Melbourne Metro, known as the Metro Tunnel, with an iconic journey that also marked the first train to enter the 2026 metropolitan train timetable.
The first train departed on November 30, crossing the tunnel from Sunbury, a city in the Melbourne metropolitan area, through East Pakenham, to the center of the Australian state capital.
The system includes two 9 km tunnels, with five underground stations, significantly reducing travel time between Melbourne’s city center and its metropolitan area.
“Thousands of Victorians will use the Metro Tunnel and experience the biggest change to our rail network in 40 years. This project is about fairness. It means getting to work, college, or home faster—saving time, no matter where you live,” said the premier.
The high-capacity signaling system, the installation of CBTC technology by Alstom, makes it possible to cross the tunnel and continue the journey on the 97 km line, which consists of the metro line and the adaptation of an existing line to the technological standard of the metro system. The signaling system allows for frequent services with increased capacity on the Cranbourne, Pakenham, and Sunbury lines, which are now part of the Melbourne metro network.
Since work on the project began 10 years ago, over 1.8 million cubic meters have been excavated, tunnels have been built, and 40 km of Australian-made rail has been installed.
With the official launch, the Melbourne metro is doubling its transport capacity. The new train schedule introduces over 240 extra services on the Cranbourne, Pakenham, and Sunbury lines, with trains stopping at five underground stations (Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall, and Anzac).
Travel is free every weekend from November 30 to February 1, 2026.
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