The Metro Tunnel Project is preparing to undertake a full day of trial operations on Melbourne’s rail network.
On Saturday, 21 June, the Metro Tunnel team will test all the new systems and infrastructure for an extended period.
Trains running on the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines will be travelling through the Metro Tunnel – so passengers will need to interchange at Footscray and Caulfield to complete their journey, as crews continue works in the two new CBD stations.
The new High-Capacity Metro Trains have already travelled more than 140,000 kilometres inside the tunnels.
From Friday, 29 August to Friday, 5 September, buses will replace trains on the Cranbourne, Pakenham, Traralgon and Bairnsdale lines as Suburban Rail Loop crews continue work at Clayton Station to prepare for tunnelling to begin next year.
Two more level crossings will be removed in the states north west and testing of the locally built X’Trapolis 2.0 trains will continue, with buses to replace trains on sections of the Sunbury, Cranbourne, Pakenham, Frankston and Werribee lines.
As tunnelling continues to forge ahead on North East Link, drivers will move onto new Bulleen Road lanes, and the first completed section of a major new interchange on the Eastern Freeway in July.
In late August, two new walking and cycling bridges will take shape at Estelle Street and Heyington Avenue.
In July, crews will continue work to extend a rail tunnel to connect the North East Link tunnels with the M80 Ring Road, with buses replacing trains on sections of the Hurstbridge line.
Crews on the Clyde Road Upgrade in Berwick will close the Princes Freeway citybound exit ramp onto Clyde Road from mid-June to November and the Clyde Road entry ramp onto the Princes Freeway Warragul-bound from July until October.
