We’ve all been wondering what the Metro tunnel timetable would look like.
On Saturday 21st June they’ll be testing the tunnel, running trains through between Sunbury and Cranbourne/Pakenham, using a draft of the weekday timetable. (Passengers alas will need to change to other trains between Caulfield and Footscray.)
It’s a test of a weekday timetable, and it’s now on the PTV web site.
So, what can we see? And is it a sign of things to come?
The numbers below are train frequencies in minutes. I’ve generalised a bit to keep the comparison simple. Peak frequencies can be pretty uneven.
| Stations | Current weekday timetable | 21st June |
|---|---|---|
| Sunbury to Watergardens | Peak: 10-12 mins Interpeak: 40 mins Evening: 30 mins | Peak: 10-12 mins Interpeak: 20 mins Evening: 20 mins |
| Watergardens to City | Peak: 5-12 mins (some skipping Tottenham, West Footscray, Middle Footscray) Interpeak: 20 mins Evening: 30 mins | Peak: 4-7 mins (some skipping Tottenham, Middle Footscray) Interpeak: 10 mins Early evening (until 9pm): 10 mins Evening (from 9pm): 20 mins |
| Pakenham to Dandenong | Peak: 7-15 mins Interpeak: 20 mins Evening: 20 mins | Peak: 10 mins (mostly skipping Yarraman) Interpeak: 20 mins Evening: 20 mins |
| Cranbourne to Dandenong | Peak: 8-15 mins Interpeak: 20 mins Evening: 20 mins | Peak: 10 mins Interpeak: 20 mins Evening: 20 mins |
| Dandenong to City | Peak: 4-8 mins (with some originating at Westall) Interpeak: 10 mins Early evening (until 9pm): 10 mins Evening (from 9pm): 20 mins | Peak: 4-6 minutes (Pakenham trains skipping Yarraman) Interpeak: 10 mins Early evening (until 9pm): 10 mins Evening (from 9pm): 20 mins |
Once the Metro tunnel opens, the Frankston line will via the Loop… but they’re not doing that for the 21st.
They are running extra Frankston line services to cope with the Cran/Pak loads, though mostly not in the evening (which has caused crowding in the past), apart from some footy extras. The waits aren’t too bad – except evening inbound when it’ll be 17 minutes.
It’s even worse at the Footscray end. Daytime is bearable thanks to 10 minute frequencies, though inbound it’s a 0 minute wait (in other words, 10 minutes), outbound 7 minutes.
Outbound in the evening it’ll be a 16 minute wait for a connection towards Sunbury. Inbound it’s a 1 minute connection… which given it involves a platform change including exiting the station, actually means a 21 minute connection.
Really they could do better than this.
But hopefully the test goes well.
Preview?
Is this an indication of the level of service is likely through the tunnel once it opens? Probably not – there’s no trains originating/terminating at West Footscray, and only a few at Westall.
Ensuring the trains are empty as they continue into the tunnel will also take time for inbound trains at Footscray and Caulfield, limiting throughput.
I suspect all they’ve really done here is to provide a rough approximate of the current Cranbourne/Pakenham line weekday service, while having the Sunbury line match it. It does mean more services for Sunbury, particularly outside peak, which is good.
But for the actual timetable they’d need to do better than this. The tunnel section only every 10-20 minutes outside peak would be pretty underwhelming for a rail tunnel which is, in part, meant to help reduce crowding on the high frequency Swanston Street/St Kilda Road tram corridor.
For that to work, it needs high frequency at all times. Let’s hope that’s what’s coming.
12 replies on “Metro tunnel timetable during the 21st June test”
Hi Daniel,
What do we know, at this stage, about stopping patterns at Malvern Station specifically?
It appears the 21 June test trains will not stop at Malvern.
I believe in the final timetable, trains should always stop at Malvern. This would allow interchange to happen at both Caulfield & Malvern – as well as meaning passengers using Malvern would not have to backtrack to Caulfield to access Metro Tunnel stations.
The “skipping Tottenham and Middle Footscray” trains under the new timetable are just the existing express Sunshine-Footscray with a mandatory stop at West Footscray so the HCMTs can transition between the CBTC signalling used through the Metro Tunnel, and the conventional signalling used on the rest of the line. On the other side of the line Clayton is a compulsory stop for the same reason.
The timetable for Saturday 21st has less trains than current weekday peak on Dandenong line. So unless planned frequency cuts doubt this final TT
Ten minutes to offload at Footscray on Platform 1, exit the station, head over the concourse and down the steps/ramp/lift to Platform 5 and get on another train, might be about right!
Can you work out from the combination of timetables how long they are allowing to get the empty train to Caulfield? If you were actually heading from the Sunbury line to the Dandenong line could you jump back on the same train at Caulfield!
This morning at West Footscray the Platform 2 PID had ‘Listen for announcements’ rather than the more standard ‘No trains departing this platform’. Since they’ve removed the white barriers though, Platform 2 could see action of some sort in turning trains around – presumably this is the first of a number of tests like this so other variations are possible in future.
So off peak, it will be at ten minute service through the tunnel from Anzac Station to Town Hall and Museum. With a five minute brisk walk to Anzac Station, descending to the platform, arising from the city station, and a possible ten minute wait for the train, it disappoints me that St Kilda Road trams will serve me better.
Given it’s just a test, I’m not too worried. Once the tunnel is actually in revenue service, then we can really see how frequent it is, and how much frequency can be lifted even more.
@Steve Gelsi – I strongly doubt a Werribee train at Footscray headed through to Frankston will beat the test train going via the Metro Tunnel to Caulfield: the track on the “old” way is way slower, especially over the viaduct, you cop a driver change at Flinders Street, and then you have the extra station stops between South Yarra and Caulfield.
It would seem all trains will be stopping at Malvern. So interchange will be possible between lines at Caulfield and Malvern. Many may choose Malvern as it is an easier and quicker platform change.
So, how did the big day go?
@Bruce, that could the case. I checked out the test yesterday over on the Sunbury side of the tunnel, and it said “Express Anzac to Malvern”, so it looks like Malvern will be used for changes. But just remember that the timetable used yesterday was a draft, and there could be changes. But I would definately like to see Malven used as a changeover, especially as Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines won’t service South Yarra when the tunnel opens.
In addition, I got a flyer at Footscray yesterday stating that there will be more of these tests in the coming months, so do check these test services out in the lead up to the Metro Tunnel if you are on the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham. I might head to the other side of the city next time there are tests (yes, there is a good chance that there will be a next time according to the flyer).
yeah, I also would not assume the timetable seen on Saturday was going to be the final one. Possibly it was just based on the weekday stopping patterns – though one difference was the trains stopped at Malvern all day, not just interpeak. (Not sure about peak)
@Lachlan, from what I saw the morning and afternoon went okay, though setting the platform PIDs (screens) to hide the next train in favour of a generic message about running via the city caused some misunderstandings for passengers. And the PTV app showed zero information for the affected lines.
https://bsky.app/profile/danielbowen.au/post/3ls3aecm3ww23
In the evening a track fault near Sunshine caused some long delays, with big crowds of people waiting at Caulfield.
https://bsky.app/profile/danielbowen.au/post/3ls4kdujzga23
Looks like they did use Platform 2 at West Footscray – the PIDs showed a train departing (in about 140 minutes when I was there – I didn’t wait).
The PIDs incidentally showed the timetable through the new Metro tunnel which caused great confusion with intending passengers. Most of them were quite excited, and then disappointed when they learnt the truth. Every five minutes or so they’d play a announcement “Please ignore the platform displays…” which really wasn’t frequent enough.