{"id":360716,"date":"2026-02-02T14:18:46","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T04:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=360716"},"modified":"2026-02-04T10:47:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T00:47:25","slug":"how-the-melbourne-metro-tunnel-fared-on-its-first-monday-morning-peak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=360716","title":{"rendered":"How the Melbourne Metro Tunnel fared on its first Monday morning peak"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There were early winners and losers as commuters navigated the first morning peak on the Metro Tunnel timetable, adjusting on the go to new commuting patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most services ran on time, Metro Trains reported, although a train door fault forced one service to leave Arden station without stopping.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Commuters file out of Town Hall station on the first Monday morning for the new Metro Tunnel timetable.ADAM CAREY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One traveller bound for Parkville from her home in Caulfield told The Age<\/em> the more direct journey would shave 15 minutes off her commute, while others were less fortunate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One harried commuter, heading for Collingwood from his home in Cranbourne, now faces a three-train journey, which adds an estimated 25 minutes to his morning travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Caulfield station on Monday morning, there was plenty of congestion and confusion as passengers darted between platforms, but a strong contingent of station staff provided guidance for commuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The crush at the platform gates caused a number of frustrated passengers to miss their trains, but the time penalty was modest, as city-bound trains<\/a> pulled up with metronomic frequency every three to four minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n

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There was a two-way rush for the myki gates at Caulfield station, causing some city-bound travellers to miss a train. ADAM CAREY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The launch of a full timetable through the Metro Tunnel this week has changed travel patterns that have been baked in for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passengers on the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines no longer travel through the City Loop<\/a>, nor to busy inner-city stations Richmond, North Melbourne and South Yarra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Announced in 2016 at a cost of $10.9 billion, building the Metro Tunnel<\/a> and its five underground stations ultimately cost more than $15 billion, and the project marks the biggest upgrade to Melbourne\u2019s public transport system since the City Loop was opened in 1981.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Metro Tunnel opened to passengers<\/a> in November, with some trains travelling through the new tunnels<\/a>, but on a reduced timetable.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Andreas Groell navigating a new commute on Monday morning.ADAM CAREY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Trains on three lines will now travel through the nine-kilometre twin tunnel instead of the Loop, and will have to interchange to reach Loop stations Southern Cross, Parliament and Flagstaff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among those adapting to the change was Andreas Groell, who stepped off at Caulfield, trying to find his way to South Yarra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have to change trains. I wasn\u2019t really aware of that, but I just realised that I have to get out and go over to the other platform,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groell estimated the transfer would add five minutes to his morning trip, but said he was unfazed.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Cranbourne resident Manoj Mathew estimates his commute will be 25 minutes longer.ADAM CAREY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI was under the impression I\u2019m not actually affected by it. That\u2019s all good,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But flustered traveller Manoj Mathew had just discovered he would pay a much heavier time penalty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Age<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Passengers on the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines no longer travel\u00a0through the City Loop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":271587,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,9770,1168,47],"tags":[993,8],"class_list":["post-360716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-metro-trains-melbourne","category-metro-tunnel","category-rail-news","tag-melbourne","tag-victoria"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t