More than half the drivers needed for Melbourne’s new Metro Tunnel have now been trained, in another step towards opening the tunnel and stations to passengers later in the year.
The project has trained 250 drivers, with more than 400 drivers needed for the start of passenger services in the tunnel.
Each Metro Tunnel driver is undertaking around 150 hours of extra training on the “cutting-edge systems and technology” that will be used on Victoria’s newest train line.
Eventually this number will rise to more than 1,000 drivers trained – the majority of drivers on the metropolitan network.
More drivers are set to be trained inside the tunnel over the coming months, as trains run for hundreds of kilometres back and forth to stress test the new systems and technology that will run services.
While driver training ramps up as part of the project’s trial operations phase, station staff are also being trained in the many processes and procedures that will be needed to operate the new stations safely.
More than 200 station staff will work across the Metro Tunnel’s five new stations – Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac.
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