InfrastructureLindsay SaundersThu 13 Aug 26
More Trains Added as Melbourne’s West Continues to Grow
More than 400 extra weekly train services will be added to Melbourne’s rail network from August 23, including increased capacity for growth corridors in the city’s west.
The new timetable will introduce direct services between Newport and Sandringham via Flinders Street for the first time, linking Melbourne’s western suburbs with the bayside without requiring passengers to change trains.
The Werribee, Laverton, Williamstown and Sandringham lines will receive more than 180 additional weekly services, with trains running every 10 minutes between Newport and Sandringham on weekdays.
The changes will also increase capacity on the Wyndham Vale line, where more peak services will be upgraded to nine-car VLocity trains. The longer trains will increase capacity by 50 per cent on those services.
The timetable changes come as Melbourne’s western growth corridors continue to add housing and population, with transport capacity becoming an increasingly important part of infrastructure planning for areas such as Wyndham Vale and Tarneit.
Wyndham City Council said in May that the 2026–27 Victorian Budget included $77.5 million for additional train services, including two extra services an hour during morning and afternoon peaks on the Werribee Line, as well as $14.8 million to increase Wyndham Vale Line capacity through longer trains.
The state government has also confirmed the new West Tarneit Station will open on September 13, providing another rail connection for the growing western suburbs.
The additional services build on the expansion of Melbourne’s rail capacity following the opening of the Metro Tunnel, which has enabled more than 1000 additional weekly services across the network since the new timetable was introduced in February.
The latest changes will also add 115 weekly services to the Craigieburn Line and 77 to the Upfield Line, with both lines moving to trains every 20 minutes or better from morning until midnight, seven days a week.
Belgrave and Lilydale lines will receive additional Friday and Saturday night services to Ringwood, while the Mernda and Hurstbridge lines will each receive eight additional Sunday morning services.
Regional services will also increase, with 40 weekly Geelong services extended to Waurn Ponds, the Shepparton Line moving to nine return services each weekday and five return services each weekend, and the Seymour Line moving to hourly weekend services.
The government has also committed $673.6 million for 25 additional locally built X’Trapolis 2.0 trains.
The service expansion comes ahead of next year’s further timetable changes for the Hurstbridge, Mernda, Belgrave, Lilydale, Alamein and Glen Waverley lines.
The changes have also become part of the transport debate ahead of Victoria’s next state election, with the government accusing the opposition of planning to reduce services on the Melton and Wyndham Vale corridors.
The opposition has proposed removing VLocity train sets from western services, which the government says would reduce capacity. The Liberal Party has argued its broader savings program is needed to address the state’s budget position.
The new timetable is available now, ahead of the changes taking effect on August 23.
