Metro Trains Melbourne

This article is about the private operator of metropolitan rail services in Melbourne. For an overview and history of the Melbourne rail network, including stations and infrastructure, see Railways in Melbourne. For the rail project formerly known as Melbourne Metro, see Metro Tunnel.

Metro Trains Melbourne
A High Capacity Metro Train departing Carnegie railway station in June 2021
Overview
Fleet size226 six-carriage trains
Stations operated221
Parent company
Dates of operation30 November 2009–
PredecessorConnex Melbourne
Technical
Track gauge1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Victorian broad gauge
Electrification1,500 V DC from overhead catenary (except unelectrified Stony Point)
Length430 km (270 mi)
Track length998 km (620 mi)
Other
Websitemetrotrains.com.au
Melbourne rail network
Network map
Metropolitan lines

Alamein Belgrave Glen Waverley Lilydale

Cranbourne Pakenham

Hurstbridge Mernda

Craigieburn Sunbury Upfield Flemington Racecourse

Frankston Werribee Williamstown

Sandringham
Non-electrified metropolitan lines
Stony Point  Deer Park–West Werribee 
Under construction
Metro Tunnel Suburban Rail Loop Melbourne Airport Level Crossing Removal Project
Other
City Loop • List of stations • List of closed stations • Freight railways • Proposed extensions

Metro Trains Melbourne, often known simply as Metro, is the operator and brand name of train services on the electrified metropolitan rail network serving the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is the largest urban rail network in Australia, with 17 lines and 221 stations across 405 km (252 mi) of railways, and the second busiest network in Australia, with a patronage of 99.5 million as of 2021–2022.[1][2]

The network is owned by Public Transport Victoria who sublet the infrastructure and rolling stock to Metro Trains Melbourne, a joint venture between Hong Kong-based MTR Corporation (60%), John Holland Group (20%) and UGL Rail (20%).[3] The three constituent companies are also partners in the Metro Trains Sydney joint venture, which has operated the Sydney Metro network since 2019.[4] Metro Trains Melbourne took over as operator from Connex in 2009.

Metro Trains Melbourne operates a fleet of 220 six-car train sets on 965 kilometres (600 mi) of track. There are sixteen regular service rail lines and one special events railway line. Metro Trains Melbourne is also responsible for 219 railway stations and employs a workforce of 3,500 including train drivers, mechanical and electrical engineers, network operations specialists and station officers.[5]

The railway track, infrastructure and rolling stock is owned by VicTrack on behalf of the State Government, and is leased to Public Transport Victoria which then sub-leases them to Metro Trains Melbourne. The State Government now also owns the name 'Metro,' and it will likely stay even if there is a change of operators.[6] Metro Trains has faced criticism in the past and was voted the worst rail system in Australia in 2011.[7] However, the operation, punctuality and consistency of the network has greatly improved since 2014 with level crossing removals, target benchmarks for trains and more frequent trains.

  1. ^ "Melbourne Trains". Melbourne Map Central. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  2. ^ "New to Metro?". www.metrotrains.com.au. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Who we are". Metro Trains Melbourne. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  4. ^ "Sydney Metro North West". MTR Corporation. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  5. ^ "Who we are". Metro Trains Melbourne. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Ten things about London Underground, and lessons for Melbourne – Daniel Bowen dot com". www.danielbowen.com. 7 March 2018. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  7. ^ "Metro Trains rated Australia's worst". The Age. 15 June 2011. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2015.