The countdown is on for Melbourne's game-changing Metro Tunnel, with hundreds of drivers now trained and raring to go. More than 250 drivers have now completed their specialised training – over half of the 400 needed to launch the new underground rail line later this year.
Each driver is putting in around 150 hours of extra training to master the tunnel's cutting-edge systems and tech, ensuring everything runs smoothly. And the training won't stop once the first passengers step on board – eventually, over 1,000 metro train drivers will be tunnel-ready.
But it's not just the drivers getting prepped. More than 200 station staff are being trained to keep things running seamlessly across the five shiny new stations – Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall, and Anzac. Over the coming months, they'll learn the ins and outs of operating Victoria's newest transport network. Meanwhile, test trains will continue racking up kilometres inside the tunnel, fine-tuning the systems before the grand opening.
But if you're still trying to get to grips with what the Metro Tunnel exactly is, fear not; you're not alone. In a nutshell, it is a major underground rapid transit project that has involved constructing twin nine-kilometre rail tunnels between South Kensington and South Yarra, with five new underground stations. The project will create a new end-to-end rail line from Sunbury in Melbourne's west to Cranbourne/Pakenham in the south-east.
The new Metro Tunnel will transform Melbourne's rail network by allowing more trains to run more frequently and bypassing the City Loop and Flinders Street station to create a new cross-city metro line. And we simply can't wait.
Want to know more about the Metro Tunnel? The official YouTube channel has handy video explainers, or visit the website here.
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