An extra 280 Metro services each week will give passengers more options on their journey and provide more space for physical distancing.

Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll announced that the new services will be added to the network from 31 January 2021.

The new timetable will deliver greater frequency around the peak in metropolitan Melbourne, with more trains running during busy morning and afternoon periods to encourage passengers to stagger their weekday travel.

To make it easier for Metro passengers to travel during quieter times and physically distance, off-peak fares will be discounted for three months. From 31 January 2021, anyone using myki money between 9.30am and 4pm, or after 7pm on weekdays, will receive a 30 per cent discount.

The new services will increase capacity on the Cranbourne, Pakenham, Frankston, Werribee, Williamstown, Upfield, Craigieburn and Sunbury lines during the busiest times each day to prepare the network for the opening of the Metro Tunnel.

Cranbourne and Pakenham line passengers will benefit from 90 new services each week. Trains on both lines will travel in an anti-clockwise direction through the City Loop all day to pave the way for Melbourne’s bigger, more modern trains.

Frankston Line trains will no longer run via the City Loop until the Metro Tunnel is open in 2025, with passengers instead travelling directly to Flinders Street and Southern Cross, and then on to Werribee. An additional 45 services will be added to the Frankston Line each week.

Werribee and Sandringham line weekend services will also leave the City Loop for more consistent services through the week.

Extra weekday services on the Craigieburn, Sunbury and Werribee lines will provide passengers with a train at least every 10 minutes for more than three hours in the morning and afternoon peaks – while Williamstown services will extend to Flinders Street on weekends, so people no longer have to change trains at Newport.

Separating some of Melbourne’s busiest rail lines enables more services to run and ensures delays on one line don’t spread across the network.

To keep passengers safe,  extensive cleaning of all trains, stations and myki facilities will continue across the network, while hand sanitiser units will remain at key stations.

Victorians are reminded to always wear a mask when on public transport, never travel when unwell, practise good hygiene and social distancing where possible.