Tuesday, 3 February 2026

 Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (20:20): Sunday saw the Metro Tunnel’s big switch, with all Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham trains running through the tunnel on a new and improved timetable. More frequent trains will benefit passengers along that whole corridor, which is welcome, but so far passengers on other lines have not been so lucky. The government has said for years that the Metro Tunnel would mean more trains on other lines too. This was part of the investment case, and Transport Victoria is still saying ‘Don’t worry, everyone benefits from the Metro Tunnel’ on social media. Unfortunately, this is not yet true. Taking Sunbury lines out of the city loop should have meant more trains on the Craigieburn and Upfield lines, particularly at peak hours, when the loop is full, but the big switch sees no upgrades on these lines. Some extra weekend and evening services are expected later in the year but nothing for those crowded peak periods. The Sandringham line, in my electorate, also expects some weekday upgrades in a few months, but there will still be big holes in the timetable, particularly on Sunday mornings, when you can wait for up to an hour to catch a train to the cafes and beaches along the line. There is plenty of capacity to run more trains, but the government so far chooses not to. The so-called big switch has so far been a missed opportunity to rewrite timetables from the ground up and fix longstanding problems. Melbourne’s rail network is a hugely valuable asset, and the Metro Tunnel is a welcome addition to it. It is time we got the most out of the rail network and the exciting new Metro Tunnel.