The Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, has announced that the Melbourne Metro Tunnel will open in early December — one year ahead of schedule — providing passengers with hundreds of additional weekly services.
The exact opening date will be confirmed once all the necessary testing, staff training, and safety preparations for this new section of the rail network are complete.
“The Metro Tunnel will transform Melbourne, cut congestion, and get you to work, uni, and home sooner – and it opens in early December, a year ahead of schedule,” said Premier Jacinta Allan.
On 7 October, Premier Allan and Minister for Transport Infrastructure Gabrielle Williams also announced the Summer Start programme for the tunnel’s opening in December, to be followed by the Big Switch – a full timetable integration – on 1 February 2026.
Initially, trains will run every 20 minutes during the “Summer Start” period, delivering more than 240 extra services per week. From February, the network will offer turn-up-and-go services. On 1 February, the Metro Tunnel will be fully integrated into the wider transport network, delivering over 1,000 new weekly train services.
The 9 km twin rail tunnels beneath Melbourne’s CBD include five new underground stations, running from Arden station (connecting to the Sunbury Line) to Anzac station (providing access to the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines).
Passengers will be able to experience the new Metro Tunnel and its five stations, with additional services running during off-peak periods and weekends on the Cranbourne, Pakenham, and Sunbury lines.
With the completion of the two CBD stations — Town Hall and State Library — announced on 6 October, all five new Metro Tunnel stations are now finished. These are the first new city train stations built in over 40 years, and the last of the Metro Tunnel’s stations to be completed.
“It’s no coincidence that the two city stations were the last to be completed. Their CBD location and depth always meant a longer and more complex build, compared to Arden, Parkville and Anzac stations.
With all five stations now complete, we’re preparing for the Metro Tunnel’s opening later this year,” said the Government of Victoria.
The Metro Tunnel’s opening will mark the biggest transformation of Melbourne’s rail network since the City Loop, more than four decades ago. A new timetable and broader network changes will be introduced in early 2026.
Until then, 240 additional weekly services will operate through the tunnel between West Footscray and Westall, with some end-to-end services on weekends. These will run alongside the existing timetable, allowing passengers on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines to choose between current services and those operating through the Metro Tunnel.
Once the Metro Tunnel opens, services through it will run primarily between West Footscray (on the Sunbury Line) and Westall (on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines), with some extended services.
From early 2026, trains on the Cranbourne, Pakenham, and Sunbury lines will be removed from the City Loop and will instead run exclusively through the Metro Tunnel.5 new train stations delivering better connections.
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