THE Frankston railway line is on track to travel through the city loop once again next month, with 12 extra weekly services set to be added to the timetable later this year.
The Metro Tunnel will begin full operation on 1 February, with changes set to be implemented across Victoria’s rail network. From the beginning of next month Frankston line services will return to the city loop, and a new temporary timetable will be put into effect.
Going forward Frankston line trains will run via Parliament, Melbourne Central, Flagstaff, Southern Cross, then Flinders Street all day. Services will not continue to Werribee or Williamstown.
After the completion of level crossing removal works in Mordialloc, scheduled for mid-2026, an extra 12 weekly services are expected to be added on the Frankston line.
The Metro Tunnel services the Cranbourne, Pakenham, and Sunbury lines – it opened on 30 November with a reduced schedule, with the “Big Switch” to full services set for 1 February.
To access Metro Tunnel services, Frankston line passengers can switch trains at Caulfield or Malvern. The tunnel avoids the city loop and runs through five new stations in Melbourne’s CBD.
The state government has celebrated the trial opening of the Metro Tunnel as a success, with 70,000 passengers using it on its opening day. In a media release the state government said “the Summer Start timetable is officially in full swing – delivering 240 extra services every week along the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury corridors. This will allow the new infrastructure and technology to be tested in real world conditions, so bugs can be ironed out without disrupting the rest of the train network before the Big Switch on 1 February fully integrates the Metro Tunnel into the network and delivers an additional 1000 weekly services.”
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said the project “will unlock capacity across the network so more trains can run, more often.”
“This project is about fairness. It means getting to work, uni and home faster – saving you time, wherever you live,” she said.
The Frankston rail line has not run through the city loop since 31 January, 2021. At that time, an extra 45 services a week were added to the Frankston Line (“Rail passengers kept out of the loop” The Times 7/12/2020).
For more information on changes to Frankston line services visit transport.vic.gov.au/news-and-resources/projects/metro-tunnel/more-ways-to-move/frankston
First published in the Frankston Times – 13 January 2026