2024 has been another massive year of work has been done on the Metro Tunnel Project.
We’ll keep working 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.
Practice is key when it comes to making sure everything runs smoothly for this opening. This is where the Metro Tunnel's next phase comes in - Trial Operations.
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.
Commuters and train fans will soon notice Trial Operations happening on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines, with High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMTs) running from Hawksburn through the new twin 9-kilometre tunnels to West Footscray, using the new systems.
The team will conduct 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 five new underground stations, to major incidents so staff are prepared for every possible scenario
For more information on how this work may affect your journey, visit Victoria's Big Build DIsruptions Map.
Keen to learn more about Trial Operations? Our expert Shannon Rollinson takes you through everything to happen in this critical phase.