Melbourne Metro Tunnel as it happened: First weekday passengers travel on new services; Firefighters’ union responds to trespassing claims

Thank you for following our live coverage of the second day of Metro Tunnel services, as they faced their first weekday test.

If you’re just joining us, here’s a look at what we’ve been covering.

• Day two of the Metro Tunnel was a success, with no major faults reported at the time of closing this blog. The first train departed from West Footscray station at 10.01am, with services running every 20 minutes from 10am to 3pm on weekdays during the tunnel’s soft “summer start”.
• Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan addressed the media at Anzac station this morning, revealing more than 70,000 people rode the Metro Tunnel during its first day of operations on Sunday.
• Rail enthusiasts were out again today, although passenger numbers weren’t as strong as they were over the weekend.
• The premier warned trespassing into a live rail zone is “potentially deadly” after firefighters reportedly entered the Metro Tunnel without permission on Sunday.
• Metro Trains confirmed they referred the trespassing matter to Fire Rescue Victoria and Victoria Police for further investigation. The train network’s boss said it took about 25 minutes for its systems to recover after the incident.
• The United Firefighters Union said on-duty firefighters conducted a vital building inspection in part of the tunnel on Sunday.
• Our readers wrote in to share their thoughts about the Metro Tunnel, and most had positive things to say. Brendan thought the project was “game-changing” for Melbourne, and Alice said, “I can’t wait to ride in it”. But some people weren’t as thrilled. Richard wrote: “$5 billion over budget and late – that’s what all Victorians should think of it.”
• Our reporters put the Allan government’s claim of estimated station transfer times to the test, and discovered they can take a maximum of about one minute more than advertised.

Thank you again for joining us. We’ll bring you more Metro Tunnel news tomorrow, and you can catch up with our story collection of the opening of Melbourne’s biggest rail project in 40 years.

This is Cassandra Morgan, signing off.

Over the course of the day, we’ve brought you our readers’ views on the Metro Tunnel. More readers have shared their thoughts. Here is what they had to say.

Rick: The Metro Tunnel is step one in transforming Melbourne’s transport network from an “in and out of the city in the morning or afternoon” to an “anywhere to anywhere, at any time” network.

The next step is activating it with more frequent services on all lines, so transferring between lines, or travelling by public transport outside of peak times is a pleasure, not a hassle. Then we need to fix our forgotten buses, so the half of Melbourne that doesn’t live near a train line or tram can access it, too. After that, connecting up new locations like the airport and the various universities, hospitals and shopping centres in the eastern suburbs, and better services to the growing western suburbs. There’s still a big journey ahead!

Boarding the train at Anzac station.Credit: Wayne Taylor

Stivette: I want to come over from Perth and ride it.

Tyler: It’s amazing. It was a big day for Melbourne and a big day for Metro as a gunzel (train enthusiast) who runs the account @comengfreak and was the very first passenger to step foot inside the first train to depart in East Pakenham [on Sunday] headed for the Metro Tunnel. It was an amazing and surreal experience and I love the whole infrastructure and how it’s been made. I can’t wait to see what the future leads to.

Paul: A world-class city needs a world-class train and tram system. Our country cousins are also benefiting from strong investment in the country train lines and extra services. It is a pity that [former premier Jeff] Kennett closed the Mildura railway line – hopefully the Labor government can see their way to reopen it. Ditto with trains down to the south-east of Melbourne (past Cranbourne down to Wonthaggi). The airport rail and Suburban Rail Loop are essential parts of the system that need completing. Ditto electrification to at least Bacchus Marsh and Geelong.

Juba: It is totally awesome. Feels like being in a fun, futuristic sci-fi film but for reals. I had the best time yesterday travelling to our five new subterranean Metro stations. Absolutely amazing. Well done, Victoria, Melbourne and everyone that worked on this incredible project. Thank you all so much.

Chris and Niki Holland are visiting their daughter Emily in Melbourne from England, and decided to use the Metro Tunnel to visit the State Library on Monday (the actual library that is, as well the new station that bears its name).

All three were impressed by how the station designs reflect Melbourne’s architectural heritage.

Chris, Emily and Niki Holland. Credit: Wayne Taylor

“I do love the architecture in Melbourne, and especially the art deco style. You look up in Melbourne and you always see beautiful buildings,” Emily said, pointing out the distinctive 1920s-style lights and other fittings above the platforms at State Library station.

As a visitor to the city, Niki agreed the new stations captured Melbourne’s style.

“It does reflect the sort of style that Melbourne has; the contemporary feel, the openness, the airiness,” she said.

Chris said the signage in the station was very clear – “especially compared to some of the rest of Melbourne”.

This morning, we brought you the news Metro Trains security staff removed trespassers – reportedly, firefighters – from the Metro Tunnel yesterday, on its opening day.

Premier Jacinta Allan this morning called the action “potentially deadly”, and warned anyone who put themselves in this dangerous situation would be quickly dealt with.

United Firefighters Union secretary Peter Marshall.Credit: Joe Armao

Metro Trains said the matter was referred to both Fire Rescue Victoria and Victoria Police for investigation. Fire Rescue Victoria said it could not comment while the matter was under investigation.

We’ve heard from the United Firefighters Union about the matter, which allegedly involved Fire Rescue Victoria members. The union said on-duty firefighters went into part of the Metro Tunnel to conduct a building inspection on Sunday.

This was an urgent half-hour operation, during which firefighters inspected a control room, potential hazards, high-voltage sub stations, battery energy storage and suppression systems, the union said.

The visit was vital for firefighters, the union said.

“Whatever political finger-pointing is happening, firefighters are still doing their job,” union secretary Peter Marshall said.

“Firefighters’ job is to make sure they know what to do if they ever need to rescue you.

“The Firefighters Union stands with firefighters.”

There are dedicated walkways between Town Hall and Flinders Street, as well as State Library and Melbourne Central.

Metro Tunnel precinct guides estimate the transfer times to be between four and five minutes.

The connecting tunnel between Town Hall and Flinders Street stations.Credit: Justin McManus

We put on our walking shoes and tested the two transfer times — platform to platform.

Starting from platform six at Flinders Street Station, all the way to the glass doors of Town Hall station, timed in at five minutes and 13 seconds. This is slightly longer than expected. And it could be even longer if you had to walk to a further platform or carriage.

Meanwhile, from State Library to Melbourne Central it took five minutes 55 seconds. That was starting at the furthest carriage from the escalators at State Library, and going to platform four at Melbourne Central – so, the furthest distance you would have to traverse.

That is about a minute longer than the four to five minutes advised by the state government. Not a big deal – unless you want to transfer between trains and don’t leave enough time.

The Metro Tunnel is a popular topic of discussion among our readers. Many have sent in their views. Here are some of the latest contributions:

Tim: Melbourne’s new Metro Tunnel may have been built with quality — and perhaps a touch of over‑expense — but it marks the city’s coming of age. It transforms Melbourne into an adult city, one with the kind of infrastructure that reshapes how people move and live. The benefits will ripple far beyond the tunnel itself: easing pressure on St Kilda Road trams, opening direct heavy‑rail access to Parkville and Carlton for the first time since the 1950s, and stitching together parts of the city that have long been disconnected. Now the challenge is to keep the momentum. The Suburban Rail Loop and other bold rail projects must follow if Melbourne is to truly stand among the world’s great cities.

Ono the escalators at State Library station.Credit: Justin McManus

Kui: Fantastic and impressive. I enjoyed the ride.

Derek: Brilliant! But don’t forget that without the level crossing removals, it would not bd as efficient so bravo to the Level-crossing removal project.

Sabastian: What about the commuters who travel to work on the Sunbury line through the old City Loop, who need to get off at Flagstaff and Parliament? I don’t find it convenient at all having to get off at Footscray, change platforms to the Werribee line for a train through the old loop. Some of us aren’t happy about that.

Brod: Take a cut lunch and thermos if entering via Town Hall to reach platforms and allow five-six minutes from top to platforms. Impressive addition to rail system. Town Hall station huge and connects well with Flinders Street. No pigeons or seagulls spotted at platforms. State opposition may whinge about cost and time blowouts, but successful projects sprout from an existing great project (1985 loop).

Teddy Nethersole has a pupil-free day at school and is touring the new Metro Tunnel stations today with grandma Martina Kooloos.

The eight-year-old was very optimistic about the timeline of a major public infrastructure project. He estimated the tunnel took about two months to build.

Teddy Nethersole at State Library station with grandmother Martina Kooloos.Credit: Justin McManus

“I explained that they started building it around the time he was born,” Kooloos says.

Teddy is a big fan of the orange arches at Town Hall station, as well as the glass doors on the platform.

“It’s so people don’t walk onto the tracks … they open automatically when trains come,” he explains.

The pair are meeting Teddy’s dad in the city for lunch, before hopping on the train and visiting the four other new stations.

More readers have written in with their views of the Metro Tunnel.
Here is what they think of Melbourne’s biggest rail upgrade in 40 years.

Richard: $5billion over budget and late – that’s what all Victorians should think of it. It’s our money.

Marg: It looks fantastic. I can’t wait to ride in it. I’d like to congratulate and thank Dan Andrews for his vision for Victoria and his determination to make it happen.

Brendan: The Metro Tunnel is a game-changing project for Melbourne, showing what is possible when governments invest in quality public transport.

On the way to catch the train at Anzac station.Credit: Wayne Taylor

Each station shows care about not only wayfaring, but also little details in the design; it was really cool to travel between Town Hall and Flinders Street stations in the underpass, avoiding all of the traffic and hubbub above ground, as well as between State Library and Melbourne Central stations.

I’m hoping that the success of the Metro Tunnel will spur the government to push on with much-needed projects such as Melton and Wyndham Vale electrification and Melbourne Metro 2 because our city sorely needs them.

Simon: The Metro Tunnel is fantastic and hugely needed for building capacity in the network. I’m sad that little is being done with Metro Tunnel 2, which would help connect the north-east with the south-west, but visiting the new stations yesterday I’m happy to see public infrastructure being improved.

Melbourne’s new Metro Tunnel has been called “the biggest transformation of our rail network in 40 years”, but don’t throw away your train timetable just yet.

The opening of the $15 billion underground train line on Sunday deserves celebration as the first piece of major public transport infrastructure the city has had in decades, but it won’t be a game changer without more frequent services and continued investment.

The opening of the Metro Tunnel attracted many excited passengers.Credit: Chris Hopkins, Simon Schluter, Gemma Grant, Getty Images

For Melburnians accustomed to our somewhat scruffy and worn-out train system, all this shiny newness is exhilarating.

However, Premier Jacinta Allan’s promise of a metro train system in which you can just “turn up and go” in a similar style to London’s Tube or Paris’ Metro seems a long way off.

Read the full story from Cara Waters here. 

As we reported earlier, Premier Jacinta Allan condemned Fire Rescue Victoria members for the “potentially deadly” act of trespassing into the live rail zone yesterday.

Fire Rescue Victoria later said it couldn’t comment as “the investigation into this incident is ongoing”, and Victoria Police directed this masthead’s questions back to Metro Trains.

Metro did not say it was Fire Rescue Victoria members who trespassed, but confirmed an alarm was triggered about 11.30am yesterday because of trespassers near Hawksburn station.

The train network’s security team removed the trespassers, and services resumed at 11.41am, Metro confirmed.

Metro said the matter was referred to Victoria Police and Fire Rescue Victoria for further investigation.