Trains through Melbourne’s new Metro Tunnel project will be able to run as frequently as once every three minutes. In testing this month, 12 trains made 18 trips an hour between West Footscray and Hawksburn - the first use of high-frequency services on the $12 billion railway under the CBD. The state government initially promised a “turn up and go” service - without specifying precisely how often trains would run. The significant testing milestone was made possible by modern signalling technology that allows trains to communicate wirelessly with each other and the network and to adjust their speed and run closer together. The high-capacity signalling is now used on almost half of the services on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines. When completed, the Metro is expected to provide these passengers, and those on the Sunbury line, with trains so frequent they don’t have to look at a timetable. Public transport | Kieran Rooney | The Age April 7, 2024 - 5.00am | Melbourne, Australia * www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/ditch-the-timetable-metro-tunnel-trains-on-track-to-run-every-three-minutes-20240406-p5fhv4.html
Trains through Melbourne’s new Metro Tunnel project will be able to run as frequently as once every three minutes.
In testing this month, 12 trains made 18 trips an hour between West Footscray and Hawksburn - the first use of high-frequency services on the $12 billion railway under the CBD.
The state government initially promised a “turn up and go” service - without specifying precisely how often trains would run.
The significant testing milestone was made possible by modern signalling technology that allows trains to communicate wirelessly with each other and the network and to adjust their speed and run closer together.
The high-capacity signalling is now used on almost half of the services on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines.
When completed, the Metro is expected to provide these passengers, and those on the Sunbury line, with trains so frequent they don’t have to look at a timetable.
Public transport | Kieran Rooney | The Age April 7, 2024 - 5.00am | Melbourne, Australia
* www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/ditch-the-timetable-metro-tunnel-trains-on-track-to-run-every-three-minutes-20240406-p5fhv4.html