The Melbourne Metro Tunnel has been opened to passengers this morning despite some minor hiccups. The project costed $15 billion and has been hampered by delays and setbacks over the years. Moreover, it has added five new stations with the first trains hitting the rails just after 9 am. Melburnians have flocked to try out the extension with massive crowds at all stations. However, there were delays of up to 15 minutes after a fire alarm went off near Anzac station. This forced trains to remain idle though those delays are clearing according to the Metro’s official website.
There has also been escalator outages at Parkville Station and State Library Station. The other new stations opening today are Town Hall and Arden, with the new line running for almost 100 kilometers. It represents the biggest upgrade to Melbourne’s rail in 40 years, doubling the size of the city’s underground rail network. Furthermore, it will ease congestion on the city loop. Australia has made major advancements in its road projects with WestConnex, Australia’s largest road project demonstrating this commitment.
Project Factsheet
Significance:
- $15B rail mega-project and biggest upgrade in 40 years.
- Adds five new underground stations.
- Doubles Melbourne’s underground network and eases City Loop congestion.
Key Infrastructure:
- Two 9 km twin tunnels, up to 40 m deep.
- Nearly 100 km of new through-running rail.
- Modern platforms and high-capacity signaling.
Current Status:
- Opened after nearly 10 years of construction.
- Minor launch issues: fire alarm delays and escalator outages.
- Soft launch continues despite union concerns over radio faults.
Service Plan:
- Weekdays: 10am–3pm, every 20 minutes (Westall–West Footscray).
- Weekends: 10am–7pm, every 20 minutes; extended services every 40–60 minutes.
State of Affairs Regarding the Melbourne Metro Tunnel
The Melbourne Metro tunnel will a project that has been years in the making, with tunneling beginning in 2019. Boring machines were digging as deep as 40 meters underneath Melbourne to create the tunnels. It is the most striking of which are two twin tunnels that run for nine kilometers. However, the opening is not without controversy. Firefighters union wanting to delay it due to claims about dangerous radio faults within the new network.
The tunnel is expected to provide more frequent services on the lines, while freeing up City Loop capacity. During the soft launch, or what the government has dubbed the “summer start”, Metro Tunnel trains will operate between 10am and 3pm on weekdays. The services will run every 20 minutes between Westall, on the Cranbourne-Pakenham line, and West Footscray on the Sunbury line. At weekends they will run every 20 minutes from 10am to 7pm, and extend to East Pakenham every 40 minutes and Sunbury every 60 minutes.
