Five Melbourne lines would have trains running at least every 10 minutes until 7pm every day under a Labor plan that seeks to maximise the benefits of the Metro Tunnel.
On Friday, Premier Ben Carroll will promise that the Mernda, Hurstbridge, Belgrave, Lilydale and Glen Waverley lines will have turn-up-and-go services – meaning trains come every 10 minutes, and more regularly in peak periods – if he remains in power after the November 28 state election.
Details of the $100 million commitment have been provided to this masthead before the announcement. The new timetables will apply from 7am to 7pm on weekdays, and from 9.30am to 7pm on weekends.
The changes represent a significant boost in services for most lines. Trains currently run up to every 20 minutes for Mernda and Hurstbridge passengers, and every 15 minutes on the Glen Waverley line.
The only exception to the turn-up-and-go pledge will come for commuters who use the railway stations after Ringwood on the Lilydale and Belgrave lines. Trains run every half an hour on this section of the network, which would come down to every 20 minutes. From Ringwood to the CBD, services will be every 10 minutes.
“A turn-up-and-go service is what Victorians deserve, and only Labor will deliver it,” Carroll said in a statement.
“Under Labor, you’ll wait less time for a train and pay less to catch it.”
Since the Andrews government first announced it would build the Metro Tunnel, Labor has long promised it would deliver a major boost across the entire network because of the capacity it would unlock in the City Loop.
The lines that run through the Metro Tunnel – Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham – already have 10-minute services after the “big switch” timetable was launched in February.
In August, an extra 115 weekly services were added to the Craigieburn line and 77 weekly services added to the Upfield line.
Weekday services were also boosted to every 10 minutes on the new cross-city service from Sandringham to Werribee.
Labor’s fresh announcement, if delivered, would be the biggest uplift to the eastern and north-eastern lines since the tunnel opened.
On Thursday, Carroll committed $420 million to add 550 V/Line services to outer suburban and regional communities during off-peak hours. Commuters along the Melton and Wyndham Vale lines will be the main beneficiaries.
The Coalition has pledged to boost services in Melbourne’s west with hybrid trains that can use V/Line tracks to deliver a commuter service equivalent to metropolitan services. This would allow for more frequent services to be delivered sooner until the lines are electrified.
Labor has also promised a weekly public transport fare cap of $30 if re-elected, to replace half-price fares that will expire on January 1. The Coalition has not matched this commitment but has promised a $50 weekly cap on road tolls, which Labor then matched and sought to top by promising a $30 limit.
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