Some observations:
Lots of people riding the new line, despite the weather. The stations are looking great.
Some hiccups with escalator faults and at one stage a disruption near Anzac station (apparently due to trespassers near Hawksburn).
No issues that I saw with the 7-car trains stopping at the front of the future-proofed 10-car length platforms. Clear signage and announcements helped.
The 20 minute frequency wasn’t really adequate for the crowds – nor did it show off the benefits of the tunnel. Some long waits (especially when the delays occurred) and crowded trains.
I can understand why it ended up like this – more services on the Dandenong line alongside regular trains every 10 minutes plus V/Line services every 40 would be difficult. Potentially also some complexity on the Sunbury side.
But first impressions are important. And Melbourne’s trains generally have a reputation for long waits at most times of day – it’s a significant barrier to more patronage. I hope the buzz around the new stations and the new line is enough to keep people coming back once the full timetable starts.
(By the way there’s still a 40 minute gap at the start of the summer weekend timetable for trains heading NW through the tunnel.)
There’s still work ongoing at Town Hall for the exits to Swanston Street and Federation Square, but those to Collins Street and the connection to Flinders Street Station were open.
I got to say hello to a few familiar faces, including many who’ve worked on the project or are involved in running the trains – all were looking justifiably chuffed, but also monitoring closely and taking feedback.
I’m told there’s ongoing test runs outside public service hours – right through December and January, to ensure any issues are ironed out and that the staff have plenty of practice at how everything runs before the full change in February.
Great to see the project completed (just about) and up and running.
And thanks to everyone who said hello – Metro and Tunnel project people, and others!
18 replies on “Metro tunnel opening day!”
My observation about 7 car trains. They really should put an ugly orange barrier or something where the 7 cars end to make it clear that the far end of the platform isnât being used. Maybe they could even make it something prettier and permanent seeing as 10 car trains are years awayâŚ
As someone who follows public transport in Melbourne I said to my partner âletâs walk down that end where itâs less crowdedâ before remembering that only 2/3 of the platform is in use.
Yes, I agree that having trains pulling up to the head of a longer platform is not the best outcome. Regulars will become accustomed to it, but visitors will be caught out. Sydney Metro centres its presently six-car trains on the platforms, with the spaces for the future two extra cars being evenly reserved at each end of the platform.
I had a look at all five stations today and they look very good. As I am on the Sunbury line, I will be getting used to the Metro Tunnel as we get taken out of the City Loop and moved exclusively into the Metro Tunnel on 1 February.
And on the HCMTs, yellow is no longer used for the Sunbury line, instead the light blue is used for stations from Sunbury to Footscray before the Metro Tunnel now (even the ones that goes via Southern Cross to East Pakenham uses light blue now).
Also today (1 December 2025), Jacinta Allen was at Anzac Station at the time I was there as well. Didn’t say hi to her though.
The positive surprise I got was the provision of a Traveller’s Aid office at Parkville (off the main concourse about half way to the hospitals). That’s a good idea.
I found Town Hall a rabbit warren with escallators doubling back on themselves and twisty passageways. It also felt deep underground. That might be because I was getting tired by that time & had low blood sugar. It was also very clearly still a construction site.
The not in use platform doors were clearly labelled in large letters that they were not in use, with arrows pointing in the direction you needed to go to reach the back of the train. I didn’t notice anyone confused, and yesterday would have been the day.
I was amused by which franchises got up and running by the opening. 7/11 (Anzac and Parkville) were open. A sushi place (Parkville) was open. McDonalds (Parkville) nowhere near ready yet. It looked like nothing at Arden St had even been let (not surprising if you know the area).
I thought yesterday was an excellent test of passenger carrying ability, that the Metro clearly passed. Most trains in the core bit (Town Hall – Parkville) we used were full and standing. Though Town Hall, in particular the connection to Flinders Street, felt cramped.
The longest escalator stopped just after I stepped on. I walked up, not realising it was so long. I stopped halfway for a breather and someone asked me if I was ok. I stopped again at the top and overheard that it was the third time it had stopped, and it was discussed whether it was a just an opening day glitch or a should a maintenance report be lodged.
There should be some kind of permanent barrier on the platforms where the platform doors aren’t used. Some have praised the effort to future proof the line for longer trains, but how many suburban platforms will have to be lengthened for ten carriage trains.
The station appearances did nothing for me, and I think Sydney’s are nicer, but I think our tunnel stations will all function very well. It was hard to tell on Sunday, but even today, I am not sure wayfinding is up to par. Today when using Town Hall, I struggled to understand where to go to get to Flinders Street Station, and later, to find toilets.
There are good exploded diagrams of the stations on the Big Build web site which show you exits, escalators, concourses, lifts etc. Hereâs the one for Town Hall:
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/use-metro-tunnel/stations/town-hall
Links for all the stations:
https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/use-metro-tunnel/stations
Is it possible for the doors to open automatically in sync with the platform doors? I see no reason not to have this happen, with most doors probably being used anyway, and no extreme weather to contend with for existing passengers.
Looking forward to the Fed Square entrance opening, but not the resumption of east-west car traffic along Flinders St. Trams between Fed Square and Town Hall already take long enough, often waiting for multiple seemingly un-synced traffic lights (no trouble between Bourke St Mall and Melbourne Central though…)
Yeah, I do have to agree that the current frequency is poor. It doesnât show off the Metro enough and itâs quite annoying having to wait so long when you want to get off and explore each of the stations
@Andrew C, they had a few escalator problems on Sunday.
@Nick, the doors open automatically at stations with the Platform Screen Doors. (It’s perhaps not obvious. I saw a few people pressing the buttons.)
I could have sworn “Crowded train on Metro Tunnel opening day” .jpg was just an interior shot of regular old 96 tram in Bourke St between 7PM and midnight where service levels are (still) junk. Apparently PTV recently upgraded the 86 and 96; could have fooled me, it looks completely unchanged with the same 20-30 minute evening waits at the tram stop.
@Nick: I seriously hope Flinders St between Swanston and Elizabeth remains closed to car traffic. Make the entire precinct car-free like the Bourke Street Mall and modernise the Elizabeth St tram terminus already, I miss the old terminus that was ripped down in the 1990s.
@Daniel
My experience at Town Hall was:
Train stops
Few seconds pass
Watch person standing next to me struggle to work out how to open the door as if it was their first time in that type of train
Door finally opens
Which lead me to believe it wasn’t automatic, but I stand corrected, I guess the doors were just taking their time…
@Daniel Bowen, I tried to do the same thing with the platform doors at the various Metro Tunnel stations while I looked at the Metro Tunnel (pressing the button on the platform doors), completely unaware of this until I read your comment. And because I am on the Sunbury line, I will have to get used to these platform doors (like whether I do extra work or attending public lectures in the city, or even head into the city on a weekend).
@Nick, @IndigoHex, from my observations there are a few seconds delay as the train doors line up (more or less) with the Platform Screen Doors, and unsurprisingly people are tempted to press the button.
(I was lucky enough to see it running the day before it opened, with no passengers, which is when it dawned on me that the doors were consistently opening by themselves.)
@Daniel Bowen – what we need is something like this, from Thameslink in London. The announcement is long, but they key part is at the end:
https://youtu.be/rZ31lx8VVmE?si=U9HNhRXcTqUDEjBP&t=4510
@Lachlan, a bunch of stuff in that announcement that would be useful, including the text line for reporting problems, and the advice about doors opening automatically.
I visited on opening day and the following weekend. It was wonderful seeing people enjoying the city and taking in the design of the new spaces.
However, interchanging from State Library to Melbourne Central was a shock to the system. It would be nice for some investment in a paint and some high-pressure hosing, at least every couple of years. the City Loop stations had their own impressive designs and a good scrub would help those designs shine a little again.
Revisited the stations again yesterday. On my first visit I thought the station signage as viewed from the train was weak. Initially I thought that was me being overwhelmed by the newness. Yesterday though I had the same experience and realised the station name is only on every third pillar. So 2 doors in the carriage don’t always have a direct view of the station name on the pillars. I feel the station name needs to be on every pillar and on both sides so it can be seen anywhere on either platform as the train arrives. That annoying advertising video screen at Town Hall detracts from the overall space and would be better removed or show connections rather than ads.
@Tommo, the more I think about it, the more I think you’re right. There seem to be far more station signs at the older aboveground stations.
Easy cheap fix to install more.