Nightmare commute looms as Melbourne train lines down for Metro tunnel works

Calls are growing for train passengers to get free or discounted travel when their commute times double during widespread line shutdowns at the start of the AFL season and over Easter, as Metro Tunnel works ramp up. Here’s how you’ll be affected.

Train lines across Melbourne’s busy train network will be shut down for three weeks at the beginning of the AFL season and over Easter, as Metro Tunnel works ramp up.

Calls are growing for train passengers to get free or discounted travel when their commute times double during widespread line shutdowns in April.

More than 1.5 million passengers will have to catch buses instead of trains across Melbourne’s booming southeast corridor and the Geelong, Gippsland and Mernda lines.

The shutdowns vary from two days to three weeks between April 1-23, and will allow major construction on the Metro Rail Tunnel and signal upgrades for bigger trains.

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Frankston, Pakenham, Cranbourne, and Sandringham passengers will be the worst affected on the metropolitan network, with journey times into the CBD up by more than an hour on some routes.

Coinciding with that chaos will be a partial Richmond Station power down during the first three weeks of April, hampering footy fans flocking to the MCG from the southeast.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the disruption would be vast but only Gippsland commuters would get free travel.

“We are getting out there early to advise people there will be significant, indeed unprecedented disruption during April,” he said. “We are making very real progress but it does come with some pain.”

More than 600 buses will ferry people to Flinders Street Station and the CBD during the shutdowns and the government is considering freeway priorities for buses.

The Metro Rail Tunnel will see twin tunnels built between South Yarra and Kensington to ease congestion on the City Loop, and will open in 2025.

The Richmond Station partial shutdown will see the Belgrave, Lilydale and Glen Waverley lines continue to ­operate for most of April.

Footy fans can catch a train on one of those lines if coming from the north, west, or east of Melbourne during rounds 2-5 of the AFL, or catch a Mernda or Hurstbridge line train to Jolimont.

Services will be back by Easter Monday for the Hawthorn-Geelong blockbuster.

More train pain ahead, as Daniel Andrews announced this morning. Picture: Twitter

Richmond station will be out of action for many commuters during footy season. Picture: AAP

Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen and RACV general manager of public policy Bryce Prosser called for compensation to be considered for long-suffering commuters.

Mr Bowen said the co-ordination of buses was critical because the “worse the flow of buses, the more people are likely to jump in their cars”.

“They ought to be looking at whether some sort of compensation or free ride offers is appropriate,” he said.

Mr Prosser said the closures meant many people would have to consider working different hours or from home.

“Free travel should be considered,” he said.