As we near the end of 2024, we have completed another massive year of work on the Metro Tunnel Project. This work does not stop over the summer months as we remain on track to open 5 new stations in 2025 – the biggest upgrade to Melbourne’s rail network since the City Loop opened in the 1980’s.
To ensure that everything runs smoothly when the Metro Tunnel opens, practice is key. Commuters and train fans will soon notice trial operations happening on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines.
Trial operations are a ‘dress rehearsal’ for the project that involves station staff, operators, maintenance staff and drivers rehearsing the operation of the Metro Tunnel and its stations.
This will include running High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMTs) from Hawksburn through the new twin 9 kilometre tunnels to West Footscray, using the new systems.
The team will run through more than 100 exercises to demonstrate the project’s complex systems and technology are working as designed. Everything is rehearsed, from opening and closing each of the 5 new underground stations, to major incidents so staff are prepared for every possible scenario.
Trail operations and ongoing Metro Tunnel construction will cause some disruptions to normal train services and the road network. To see if you’re affected and to plan ahead, visit Victoria’s Big Build website.
Want to learn more? Watch Director, Network Coordination and Operational Readiness Shannon Rollinson explain why this phase of the project is so important.
