The newest entrance to Town Hall Station has opened today as part of the Allan Labor Government's Metro Tunnel, ahead of the Big Switch on Sunday - the biggest transformation of Melbourne's rail network in more than 40 years.
The new Swanston Street entrance, located next to Young & Jackson, gives passengers another direct and accessible way into the state-of-the-art station in the heart of the city. The entrance can also be accessed via Cocker and Scott alleys off Flinders Lane, making it easier to move through Melbourne's busiest precinct.
Town Hall Station's main entrance at City Square opened on 30 November as part of the Metro Tunnel's Summer Start, with a third entrance at Federation Square set to open later this year.
Expected to be one of the busiest stations on the new network, Town Hall Station provides access to some of Melbourne's most popular destinations, including Federation Square, Birrarung Marr, Southbank, St Paul's Cathedral and Melbourne Town Hall.
The station includes a direct underground connection to Flinders Street Station, delivering seamless transfers between Metro Tunnel and City Loop services, and easy access to major tram routes along Swanston, Collins and Flinders streets.
Victorians have already embraced the Metro Tunnel, with more than 700,000 visits to Metro Tunnel stations over December and January as families, commuters and train fans explored the new stations during the school holidays.
The Metro Tunnel has doubled Melbourne's underground rail network, allowing passengers to travel across the city from Arden Station in North Melbourne to Anzac Station on St Kilda Road in just 12 minutes.
From Sunday's Big Switch, the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham line services will run exclusively through the new tunnel, unlocking more than 1,200 extra weekly services and delivering trains every three to four minutes in peak periods.
Never forget, the Liberals called the Metro Tunnel a "hoax". They consistently refused to fund it. Never in their wildest dreams did they think it would actually get built. It's now open and delivering more services for Victorians.
As stated by Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams
"Today we're opening a new front door to Town Hall Station, making it even easier for Victorians to get in and out of the Metro Tunnel right in the heart of the city."
"It's opening just in time for the Big Switch this Sunday, unlocking more than 1,000 extra weekly services and delivering turn up and go services along the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines."
