‘Soft launch’ for long-awaited $15 billion rail tunnel

A much-hyped underground obstruction work will unfastened with a soft-launch timetable earlier moving to turn-up-and-go trains.

Melbourne’s $15 cardinal Metro Tunnel will unfastened to the nationalist successful aboriginal December, with 240 other services to tally alongside the existing timetable for the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines.

Extra services successful the “summer start” play will tally each 20 minutes from 10am to 3pm betwixt Westall and West Footscray connected weekdays.

Weekend services will tally each 20 minutes from 10am to 7pm betwixt Westall and West Footscray, each 40 minutes from East Pakenham and 60 minutes from Sunbury.

Regular Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham services will proceed to tally done the City Loop until the afloat turn-up-and-go timetable takes effect connected Sunday, February 1.

Those lines will ripped retired of the loop astatine that point, with trains moving done the Metro Tunnel three-to-four minutes isolated during highest times.

Frankston services will instrumentality to the loop arsenic the full network’s timetable is overhauled. The state authorities has been tight-lipped connected the nonstop opening day for months, lone willing to accidental it would beryllium aboriginal successful 2025.

Addressing Labor faithful and media, Premier Jacinta Allan said the summertime start was cardinal to the tunnel opening safer, smoother and sooner.

“It’s been the honour of my beingness to spot this task through,” she said connected Tuesday.

The task features 5 caller underground stations and will link done twin 9 kilometre tunnels under the city.

The Metro Tunnel was primitively costed astatine $10.9 cardinal when it was archetypal announced successful the 2016 state budget, but respective escalations person pushed the terms tag for taxpayers to $13.48 billion.

But the total operation measure is beyond $15 cardinal aft factoring successful other payments from builders.

Another $727 cardinal was acceptable speech successful the May fund to operationalise the project.

Early works operation connected the mega task began successful April 2017, with tunnelling getting underway successful August 2019.

The last two completed stations astatine Town Hall and State Library were unveiled connected Sunday and Monday.

Major operation connected the Anzac, Parkville and Arden was completed successful 2024.Test trains person been moving done the tunnels since June 2023.

Drivers were stranded for hours successful September aft electromagnetic interference led to a shutdown.

Sydney Metro opened to overmuch fanfare successful August 2024 and the Allan Labor authorities will beryllium hoping for a akin boost earlier heading to the polls successful November 2026.

Source: AAP