Melbourne public transport - Significant service
changes/events
Also: Melbourne
public transport FAQ | Melbourne
city to airport by PT
This page lists significant service changes to Melbourne's
public transport since 1993. Any additions or corrections
welcome: contact me.
1993:
- Tram route 77 deleted. Route is covered by routes 70 and
78/79 and night route 99
- Tender of nine country rail lines, to be replaced with
private buses or privately operated trains
- Automatic ticket machines to be introduced, replacing
some railway station staff and tram conductors. Many tram
routes already made driver-only on weekends and evenings
- Customer Service Employees being introduced to help
passengers on trams and trains
- Many government bus routes taken over by National Bus
Company
- Some Public Transport Corporation depots and workshops to
be closed and/or privatised
- Tram routes 3, 57 and 82, formerly operated as buses on
Sundays, reverted to driver-only tram operation 1993
- July: East Burwood 75 tram extension opened
- All but 50 W-class trams to be phased out of regular
service. W-class trams to be run only on tourist routes
(8, 12, 16), including the City Circle. The "phased
out" trams will be kept in storage for special
events.
- All Frankston/Dandenong trains stop at South Yarra
- Fifty suburban stations to be converted to
"Premium" status, with increased security,
staffed from first until last train. Remaining stations
to have improved lighting, security cameras and intercoms
- Security on The Met taken over by Victoria Police
- Aug: City Circle train service deleted
w1994:
- Apr: Free City Circle tram route opened (Flinders St,
Spencer St, LaTrobe St-Victoria Pde, Spring St)
- No subsidy of special services to AFL Park Clayton for
football; private buses now run, not accepting Met
tickets
- Z3 class trams being converted to remove seated
conductors, in preparation for ticket machines, 1994-95
- Driver only trains introduced 1994-95, warning alarms
fitted to doors
1995:
- Dandenong to Cranbourne rail line opened
- Most through-routed tram services split into two routes.
Route 10 became routes 11/12. Route 15 became routes
16/22.
- Tram 79 frequency reduced to 30 minutes all day Sunday
- Bundoora tram 86 extended to RMIT Bundoora
- Tram 72 operated as bus beyond Glen Iris during
South-Eastern freeway work, 1995-6.
- Dec: the Government announced improved services on
Frankston, Dandenong, Ringwood, Sandringham rail lines,
and an integrated transport strategy (whatever that
means), to begin in February 1996.
- Limited after midnight services introduced for New Years
Eve
1996:
- Feb: More Ringwood/Belgrave/Lilydale/Alamein, Frankston,
Dandenong/Cranbourne/Pakenham trains (weekday off-peak
changed from every 20 to every 15 minutes, Sunday until
7pm from every 40 to every 30 minutes). Alamein Mon-Sat
evening trains upgraded from 60 to 30 mins. Sandringham
trains no longer through loop. No sign of the
"integrated transport strategy".
- Late 1996-1997: Ticket machines introduced on tram route
75, Glen Waverley and Alamein train lines, and Driver and
Ventura bus routes.
1997:
- Feb: City Loop to open on Sunday until 7pm (but Flagstaff
closed on weekends, Parliament closed on Sundays.) Glen
Waverley line Sunday daytime frequency improved from 40
to 30 minutes.
- Feb: Museum station renamed Melbourne Central
- Mar: Friday and Saturday NightLink trams trialled (route
99, City to Richmond, then via Chapel Street to St Kilda
Beach, then via light rail track to City, Collins Street,
then to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy)
- May: Upfield line closed between North Melbourne and
Flemington Bridge due to CityLink road works
- Mid-1997: Announcement of Princes Bridge (Flinders Street
platforms 14 to 16) to close
- Government announced all tram and train services to be
corporatised then privatised. Trains split into
"Hillside" (Clifton Hill and Burnley group) and
"Bayside" (Northern and Caulfield group)
services. Trams are Yarra Trams (CBD east-west routes)
and Swanston Trams (all others).
1998:
- Late-1998: Automated ticketing operating on all routes
except National Bus Company
1999:
- January: Fares up
- May 28: Route 70 stopped serving Batman Ave
- June 7: Route 70 commenced serving Exhibition Street and
Flinders Street
- July: Higher frequencies on Sunday afternoons on all tram
and train routes (to equal Saturday frequencies). City
Loop (Parliament and Melbourne Central) open Sundays
until 7pm. Cranbourne trains extended to midnight Monday
to Thursday. Ringwood to Belgrave and Lilydale on
Saturday upgraded from 40 to 20 minutes 10am to 7pm.
- August: Train and tram companies privatised. Bayside
Trains and Swanston Trams and V/Line Passenger owned by
National Express. Yarra Trams owned by Metrolink.
Hillside Trains owned by CGEA Transport.
- Christmas: Free services on Christmas Day and New Year's
Eve (all night tram/train services)
2000:
- Hillside trains renamed Connex Melbourne
- Connex starts introducing refurbished trains
- W class trams withdrawn from service because of brake
safety fears
- March: Tram 86 extended to Docklands
- April: Ringwood to Belgrave and Lilydale on Saturday
upgraded to 20 mins 7am to 7pm.
- July: fares up by 10% with introduction of GST
- November: Bayside lines Sunday night frequencies improved
to equal Saturday night frequencies. City Loop
(Parliament and Melbourne Central) opened until last
train.
- December: Some Swanston tram route weekday daytime
frequencies improve from every 15 to every 12 minutes
2001:
- March: Small number of roving conductors begin selling
Premium Daily tickets on trams (more expensive than from
machines)
- June: Toorak Rd dynamic fairway begins operation.
- August: First Citadis tram arrives in preparation for
service
- October: Bayside Trains to be renamed M>Train.
Swanston Trams to be renamed M>Tram.
2002:
- January: Fares up approx 2% on average
- January: Study concludes Airport rail link not viable for
at least 10 years
- January: Train extension St Albans to Sydenham (aka
Watergardens) opened
- May: First X'Trapolis train launched
- July: St Vincents Plaza tram interchange opened
- July: PTUA and CLCV release "Transport
Rights" brochure, prompting establishment of PT
Ombudsman. Government
press release.
- July 26: General Motors station closes
- August 5: Smartbus Springvale Rd (888/889) and Blackburn
Rd (703) upgraded, with longer operating hours, more
frequent services, and some electronic bus stop signs and
traffic priority
- September: Trams start selling daily tickets
- October: Spencer Street station upgrade commenced. During
construction there was sporadic interruption to train
services, including some trains not stopping at the
station, and some not running via the loop on
evenings/weekends
- October 13: Steam train collides with truck near Benalla.
Two crew and one passenger riding in the cab killed. ABC
report.
- December 19: First Siemens Combino 3-section trams begin
service
- December 23: National Express abandons M>Train and
M>Tram operations, placing them in government hands
(until April 2004) Age
report
2003:
- January: fares up approx 3.1% on average
- January: Doncaster Park+Ride facility opened
- January: City Circle tram extended into Docklands.
Frequency dropped to 12 minutes
- May: Tram extension Mont Albert to Box Hill (route 109)
opened
- June: Metlink established to market Melbourne's public
transport
- September: Upfield line peak hour services upgraded to
6-car trains
- November: Cranbourne Trainlink bus service launched,
meeting every train
- November 5: Melbourne Central Station direct Swanston
Street escalator connection closes for redevelopment. How
it looked before it closed.
- November 15: V/Line Sprinter train collides with a ute
left on the track between Ballan and Gordon, causing 60
injuries. Age
report.
- December: Epping to Mill Park Trainlink bus service
launched, meeting every train
- December: New Year's Eve services leave thousands behind
in city after finishing approx 1:30am.Ã Publicity by
PTUA prompts all night trains for future NYEs
2004:
- January: Metcard fares up 9.8% on average. Short Trip and
Rail+2 tickets abolished. City Saver and 5xDaily pack
introduced. Metcards made available online.
- March 4: First Siemens Combino 5-section tram begin
service
- April: Re-privatisation, with new train and tram
contracts taking effect. New contracts include all-night
trains on NYE, station host staff at 31 stations during
morning peak (plus some in afternoons), security staff on
80% of train kms after 9pm. Connex running all suburban
trains; Yarra Trams running all suburban trams. V/Line
continues in public ownership.
- July: Public
Transport Ombudsman starts
- July: W-Class trams commence on route 78/79
- September: Ventura Bus buys National Bus Company from
National Express.
- November 25: Metropolitan
Transport Plan released
- December: Comprehensive New Year's Eve all-night
train/tram services, free for use, sponsored by ING
2005:
- January: Ticket increase. Weekly, 5xDaily, 10x2 hour
fares now matching. Concessions expanded to all Health
Care cards. Tertiary Concession cards dropped to $8 per
year.
- January: Tram extension Docklands New Quay (route 48)
opened
- April: Yarra Trams control centre opened
- April: Sunday Saver tickets made available from staffed
outlets
- June: Smartbus Warrigal Rd (700) services upgraded (Route
766 established for part of old 700 route)
- July: Tram extension East Burwood to Vermont South (route
75) opened, along with co-ordinated bus link (route 732)
to Knox City
- December: Spencer Street Station renamed as Southern
Cross Station
2006:
- January: V/Line open-ended returns discontinued. Viclink
announcement.
- January: Fares increase
- March: Commonwealth Games extra services: trains every 20
mins 7pm-12:30am; trams every 10-15 mins 7pm-12:30am;
tram routes 3 and 5 replaced by 53 and 55 (through-routed
to West Coburg via William St); 10 city bus routes
extended hours; 51 suburban routes extended hours on
weeknights to meet trains. Nightriders every 60 mins
Sun-Thu; every 30 mins Fri/Sat. Skybus every 10 mins at
peak times. Metlink
information.
- April 17: Sunday Saver ticket introduced - $2.50 all day,
all zones (only sold by station staff and Metcard retail
outlets, not ticket machines).
- April 22: V/Line tickets valid in Metcard zone of
origin/destination, and on country town buses. Viclink
announcement.
- April 28: V/Line V/Locity train collides with truck on
level crossing, killing two passengers. Report: ABC.
- May: Government "Meeting Our Transport
Challenges" plan launched. Government
announcement.
- September: V/Line commences new timetables on Ballarat,
Bendigo, Geelong and Seymour lines, as a result of the
Fast Rail upgrades. New Traralgon timetable to commence
on October 15.
- September 15: Yarra Trams commences after-midnight
services on Friday and Saturday nights until approx 1am;
all routes except 82.
- September-October: Some bus routes commence additional
services, running 6am to 9pm weekdays, 8am to 9pm
Saturdays, 9am to 9pm Sundays (hourly in most cases)
- October: Connex commences after-midnight services on
Friday and Saturday nights until approx 1am; all lines
except Alamein, Williamstown, Stony Point
- October 16: Smartbus 900 (Caulfield to Rowville)
commences services.
- Late 2006: Spencer Street (Southern Cross) station
upgrade completed
2007:
- January price rise deferred until March (to happen with
other revisions) and then until June (as a result of
pressure on government over poor train performance)
- Jan-Feb: Problems with Siemens trains see dozens of
services cancelled daily.
- March 2: Nightrider buses begin accepting and selling
Metcards
- March 4: Fares and ticketing revised: Zone
3 abolished. Some V/Line stations pegged to zone 2
fares. Other V/Line fares cut by 20%. Reservations
compulsory on all V/Line long-distance
services.Ã National Bus section tickets
removed. Fares as above, but zone 3 included in zone 2.
- March 4: New V/Line timetables began. PM Long-distance
trains leaving Melbourne moved to after 6pm (so they are
off-peak).
- March: Melbourne suburban bus route reviews commence with
public workshops, initially for the Moonee
Valley/Hobson's Bay area
- June 3: Fares increase
- June 5: A truck collides with a V/Line train near Kerang,
killingà 10 train passengers. (Reports: BBC
Age
Herald-Sun
ABC)
- September 30: Craigieburn electrification opened. New
timetable begins.
- November: Connex starts running 6-car trains on weekends
until 7pm on all lines, except Upfield, Williamstown,
Alamein, Stony Point
2008:
- January: Fares increase
- January: Ban on bicycles on peak direction trains: V/Line
before 9am and 4pm-6pm, Connex 7am-9am and 4pm-7pm. ( Link
to PTUA information and media coverage)
- Feb 15: Bike ban withdrawn. (Media
report)
- Mar 24: Smartbus 901 (Ringwood to
Frankston),Ã commences operation, absorbing
route 665.
- April: New metro train timetable, and new operating plan
(for November) announced.
- Novà 9: New metro train timetable. Clifton
Hill trains to run clockwise around the loop all day on
weekdays, anti-clockwise on weekends. Werribee trains to
run direct to Flinders Street during peak periods. Extra
evening trains to Ringwood. More non-PSR and
repositioning trips added into the public timetable, and
extra services and minor changes on some
lines.Ã List
of extra services.
- Dec 8: Victorian
Transport Plan released
2009:
- Jan 1: Fares increase
- Jan 31: Tram 3 altered to run as tram 3a via St Kilda
Beach on weekends
- Jan-Feb: Heat and industrial action contributed to large
numbers of cancellations on the rail network (both Connex
and V/Line)
- Mar 2: Myki smartcard ticketing begins full operation in
Geelong. This was followed by Seymour (23rd Mar),
Ballarat (9th Apr), Bendigo (27th Apr) and Latrobe Valley
(18th May)
- May 5: Government announces funding for extra trains,
Epping to South Morang rail, Sydenham to Sunbury
electrification, Nunawading grade separation, Doncaster
Area Rapid Transit bus upgrade, and other upgrades (govt
press release)
- May 18: Announcement of Federal/State joint funding of
Regional Rail Link project (govt
press release)
- Apr 20: Smartbus 903 begins operation, absorbing Smartbus
700 and route 291.
- Jun 25: Government announces Metro Trains Melbourne and
Keolis Downer EDI are preferred tenderers to run
Melbourne's trains and trams, from Nov 30. (Govt press
releases: Trains,
Trams,
video)
- Jul 20: New train timetables. Werribee line upgraded to 6
trains per hour inter-peak weekdays (govt
press release). Some other lines got a small number
of extra services.
- Nov 1: Some changes to zone boundaries for bus routes, in
preparation for Myki ticketing system (Govt
press release)
- Dec 1: Metro Trains Melbourne (trading as Metro Trains)
takes over from Connex. KDR (trading as Yarra Trams)
takes over from Transdev TSL.
- Dec 29: Myki ticketing system starts
onà trains only, including V/Line trains
within zone 1/2. Metcards remain in use.
- Dec 30: First of new 38 trains (X'Trapolis) goes into
service, but only for a handful of trips. (Age
report)
2010:
- Jan 1: Usual annual fare increase deferred
- Jan 18: Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky resigns
from Parliament citing family health issues
- Jan 20: Martin Pakula is appointed Public Transport
Minister
- Mar 29: Metro deploys platform staff with flags and
whistles during evening peak 3pm-7pm at Flinders Street
Station, later to include Parliament and Flagstaff. (Herald
Sun report)
- Apr 5: Green Orbital Smartbus 902 starts (Chelsea to
Airport West, absorbing 888/889, part of 281, 560) (Govt
press release)
- May 4: State budget includes funding for 50 new trams;
upgrade to Preston tram depot; stations at Williams
Landing, Caroline Springs, Pakenham Cardinia Road,
Lynbrook; 20 stations to be upgraded to Premium status. (Govt
press release)
- Jun 6: New train timetables, providing some new services,
and opening of Coolaroo station. Stopping patterns
rationalised on Cranbourne/Pakenham/Frankston lines. Most
Frankston express trains no longer run via City Loop in
peak hours. Interpeak Cran/Pak trains now run express
South Yarra to Malvern; Frankston trains stop. All trains
stop all stations between Malvern and South Yarra on
weekends. Some extra evening trains on Hurstbridge line.
(Metro
article)
- Jun 6: Regular fulltime staffing of station gates
commences, including Caulfield centre platforms, and
Glenferrie.
- Jul 25: Myki becomes valid on Melbourne trams and buses (Govt
press release, Age
story and Channel 10 report). Tram route zone 2
sections become part of zone 1+2 overlap, to allow no
touch-off for Myki users on trams. City Saver zone
removed from Myki.
- Sep 26: Smartbus 901 (Yellow Orbital) extended from
Ringwood via Doncaster, Greensborough, South Morang,
Epping, Roxburgh Park, Broadmeadows to Melbourne Airport.
(Govt
press release)
- Oct 4: DART (Doncaster Area Rapid Transit) Smartbus
services 905, 906, 907, 908 (replacing 301, 304, 307,
319/308) start. (Govt
press release)
- Oct 10: New Metro train timetables. First two Laverton to
City services introduced. Frankston line to run every 10
minutes weekdays 9am to 4:30pm (up from 15 mins), and
every 20 minutes 7pm-10pm (up from 30 mins). Some extra
services on Craigieburn, Sydenham lines. Weekend evening
Burnley trains to run as 6 cars. (Govt
press release)
- Oct 25: Geelong/Bellarine Peninsula "stage 2"
of bus reforms take effect. (Govt
press release)
- Oct: Some extra tram services on routes 19, 31, 55, 57,
59, 82. (Yarra
Trams)
- Nov 27: State election. Labor lost to Coalition. New
minister for public transport: Terry Mulder
- Dec: Commuter Club switches to Myki. Myki rollout to
retailers commences
2011:
- Mar 12: Fare rise to take effect
- May 4: new Metro timetables. Werribee direct express
trains to run every 11 mins peak, 20 mins interpeak.
Laverton to City every 22 mins peak. Laverton to Newport
shuttles every 20 mins interpeak. Williamstown to City
every 22 mins peak, 20 mins interpeak. Frankston to city
every 10 mins interpeak, all direct to Flinders St. Glen
Waverley direct to Flinders St before midday; via loop
after midday. Alamein/Blackburn/Ringwood stopping trains
via loop before midday; direct from Flinders St after
midday.
- August 28: Yarra Trams begins phasing out minor
"phantom" route numbers, in favour of
"a" (altered) or "d" (depot)
suffixes. (Yarra
Trams)
- October: some Sunday morning tram services improved from
every 30 to every 20 minutes before 10am. (Yarra
Trams)
- Nov 28: Epping timetable changes for opening of new
Epping station and duplication from Keon Park to Epping
- Dec: First of the new Swanston St (at Latrobe St) tram
superstops opens
2012
- Jan 1: Fare rise 8.6% (CPI 3.6% plus 5%) in effect
- April 2: Public Transport Development Authority
(trading as Public Transport Victoria, a merger of Department of
Transport's Public Transport Division, Metlink and some other staff) took
over responsibility for planning, coordination.
- April 22? - rail extension to South Morang opened; also new stations at
Lynbrook and Cardinia Road. Weekend (10am-7pm) 10-minute services start
between CBD and Dandenong, Ringwood and Frankston. Bus network changes in
South Morang area including removal of Trainlink 571.
Expected changes:
- late-2012: Sunbury electrification to open
- Jan 2013: Labor proposed a second fare rise of 5% above
CPI, to raise funds for infrastructure. Unclear if this
will occur under the Coalition government.
- Tram route 96 "premium service" to be introduced: trams at least every
10 minutes during all service hours; traffic light priority; platform stops.
- 2012-2017: First of 50 new trams to be delivered late 2012. Rollout from
2012-2017.
- Metcard due to be phased-out by end of December 2012.
- Myki to be introduced on V/Line commuter routes during 2013
- 2016? Regional Rail Link: Geelong trains to run via Tarneit and Wyndham
Vale
Corrections and suggestions: danielbowen at gmail.com