Major delays after police stop trains at Flinders Street

Some normality returned to Melbourne on Monday night in the form of major train delays during peak-hour. This is why the city’s busiest station was shut down on the first day of eased COVID-19 restrictions.

Major delays hit all train lines out of Melbourne CBD last night after police shut down Flinders Street Station for a “safety check”.

Victoria Police told Metro Trains to halt all trains coming and going from the city station at 5pm, sparking peak-hour chaos for city workers who had ventured back into the city for the first time since COVID-19 restrictions were eased and 75 per cent of workers were allowed in offices.

Metro Trains said services returned at 6pm but there were major delays as the backlog of trains through the city loop was cleared.

Armed police from the Critical Incident Response Team rushed to Flinders Street Station and ordered people off trains.

A video showed officers telling passengers “as we pass you move past us”.

Flinders St. closed. What are police up to? #vicpol#auspol@VictoriaPolice@3AW693@7NewsMelbourne@9NewsAUS@9NewsMelb@franks_chungpic.twitter.com/T89FAgcv2b

— Julian Kendall (@jkmccrann) March 1, 2021

Police confirmed officers were called to Flinders Street to “conduct a safety check”.

“Police have completed their checks at Flinders Street,” a spokesman said at 6pm.

“The area has been deemed safe.”
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