Metro Tunnel: Peak hour trains every six minutes from Pakenham

Commuters travelling into Melbourne’s CBD on this popular line are being promised peak-hour trains every six minutes.

Commuters making their way into Melbourne’s CBD from the city’s southeast are being promised peak-hour trains every six minutes once the Metro Tunnel is built.

The $13.7 billion project is scheduled to open by 2025, and will deliver a turn-up-and-go service.

The six-minute services would mean 10 trains an hour would be launched along Melbourne’s busiest rail corridor.

The Pakenham Line will be free of level crossings by the time the Metro Tunnel is finished, with the final five sets of boom gates to be removed, including two crossings at Beaconsfield and one at Narre Warren.

Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said passengers travelling from Pakenham would have more reliability and access to more train services “along a level crossing free line”.

It’s hoped the change will ease capacity on the busy line. Picture: Tim Carrafa

“This is our busiest corridor – and the result of our integrated transport plan will be a train will leave Pakenham every 6 minutes in the peak – which is great news for this growing suburb,” she said.

By the end of the decade, Metro tunnel services will also run through to Melbourne Airport, where a new line will be under construction from next year, and will include a direct trip for passengers on the Pakenham Line.

The journey to the airport from Pakenham is expected to take about 100 minutes.

Nine new train stations will be built on the line by 2025, and include locations at Pakenham East, where the track will be extended by 2km between Deep Creek and the Princes Freeway.

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