When you think of the most impressive transport systems in the world, you probably think of the ones in big cities like London, Paris and New York. But with the tech that's currently being installed in Melbourne's future Metro Tunnel, it could soon join the ranks as one of the best of the best metros across the globe. Ahead of its opening next year, the team behind the project have revealed some of the exciting features that mean Melburnians will get a major upgrade to how they get from A to B.
In case you're not yet fully across what the Metro Tunnel is exactly, here's a super quick explainer. It's a rapid transit network that will run beneath the CBD, with five new underground train stations. It'll run from Kensington to South Yarra, linking with the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines. The new tunnel will make getting through the city much quicker, and connect commuters to other major transport hubs. If you've been to the CBD and seen major construction near the Town Hall and Flinders Street Station, it's all for the Metro Tunnel. It's a big deal.
But aside from giving us some swish new train stations, what else makes it so special? Well, one of the most exciting features is that it will run on a 'turn-up-and-go' model, emulating rapid transit public transport systems in London, Singapore and Hong Kong. Trains running between the east and west could run as frequently as every two minutes, using a new high capacity signalling system. Testing so far has successfully sent 12 trains running back and forth over a 3 hour period, with up to 18 trains each hour. That's pretty speedy. Plus, information from the signalling systems will be fed to display screens on the platforms at each station, so waiting passengers can see where the trains are in real time.
Another new development in technology used in Melbourne's Metro Tunnel is the use of glass doors on the platforms, which are already used in other major cities around the world. Each of the five new stations will use them, improving passenger safety and boarding times. They're essentially a toughened glass wall running across the whole platform, just in front of the tracks, with 60 sliding doors in each station that only open when trains arrive. Passengers will know where the doors are located through clear markings that'll indicate where to enter.
The Metro Tunnel is all set to be up and running in 2025, and we're pretty excited to be whizzing around underneath the CBD soon. We'll be keeping an eye out for more details as they come.
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