The City Loop Reconfiguration Explained

The city loop reconfiguration is a proposal to redesign the city loop to allow for more trains to operate around the Melbourne train network. So what does it involve?

[@intelinside5574]

Quadruplication to Camberwell, maybe Box Hill as well as triplication to Ringwood would be an absolute dream

[@Nick-kz6dg]

Seems like as soon as Metro Tunnel opens and the Sunshine-Dandenong trains are removed, could be a good time to start the project before reintroducing more trains into that newly freed capacity.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

yep that is the time I would pick to do it too.

[@Myrtone]

@@MetroManMelbourne Is there any possibility of lower frequency night services still terminating in the city centre where both day and night services currently do?

[@neddiecn6343]

My take on the City Loop Recon is to run the Sandringham line through the Caufield loop. If the Pakenham & Cranbourne lines will be taken out of the Caufield Loop and into the Metro Tunnel, why don't they make the Sandringham line run through the Caufield Loop alongside the Frankston Line maybe on weekdays, then on weekends it could run directly to/from Flinders or cross-city with the Werribee & Williamstown lines. At the moment, the Sandy trains depart Flinders St on Platform 12 and if it is to run through the loop bi-directional then it could share Platforms 6-8 with the Frankston line once the Pakenham & Cranbourne lines are taken out. Same thing at Southern Cross, it can use Platform 12 as this is the platform used for the Caufield Group lines. Another thing is at Richmond station, i wonder which lines will use Platforms 5 & 6 once the Pakenham/Cranbourne lines are running through the Metro tunnel. Also, i think they should remove the Glen Waverley & Alamein lines out of the Burnley Loop and run them directly to/from Flinders Street to allow for more frequency on the busy Ringwood Lines (Belgrave & Lilydale).

[@MetroManMelbourne]

The Sandringham Line does not have grade-separated access into the City Loop and as a result this would create a major bottleneck at Richmond Station. This is without mentioning that the Frankston Line basically already runs at full capacity during peak hours, so you'd end up removing some trains on what is a much busier line than Sandringham. You've pretty much hit the nail on the head with Glen Waverley / Alamein, that is exactly what is planned.

[@neddiecn6343]

@@MetroManMelbourne I understand that of the bottleneck situation but the Sandringham trains could use Platform 5 & 6 at Richmond for direct entry into the Caufield tunnel whilst Frankston is still at 3 and 4. If i remember correctly, there was a time years back when the Caufield tunnel was being used by the Pakenham, Cranbourne, Frankston and Sandringham lines from Richmond Station. Watch this drivers view video of Sandringham to Flinders Street service running via the Caufield Loop: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoibmmaGrNlqgac

[@MetroManMelbourne]

@@neddiecn6343 There is no way for Sandringham trains to cross to platforms 5 and 6 at Richmond. Until 2021 Sandringham trains ran into the loop but only on weekends due to that capacity constraint. It would be unnecessarily confusing to have them in the loop again.

[@mr.jamster8414]

1:17 that's a train a minute! I think that'll be the highest frequency subway in the world if such a thing happens.

[@Redstoner2b2t]

its a theoretical doubling because each train is running through half of the loop system allowing two trains through the entire loop in the time one would take now.

[@LibShitted]

​@@Redstoner2b2tWhy are you here??

[@melbournerailwayvideos]

Good stuff! I'd never heard of the second part of the project. Do you have a document where I could read into it more?

[@MetroManMelbourne]

There is more stuff from infrastructure vic about the first stage (www.infrastructurevictoria.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Fact-sheet-City-Loop-reconfiguration.pdf) but not yet about the second. The second is a lot more recent of a proposal so it hasn't been talked about very much.

[@melbournerailwayvideos]

@@MetroManMelbourne Thanks. Yeah I had never heard of the second part. It will be interesting to see whether it gains more publicity.

[@ppTM-transport]

theres already track to flgastaff from north mel

[@jngarboandtrains1631]

I was wondering when they do the city loop reconfiguration will they have the Craigieburn upfield trains use the Caulfield Loop to get to Frankston or will they use existing Northern loop if they do not use the northern loop will they use that maybe for Wyndham Vale and Melton trains.

[@TrebleSketch]

Very exciting to see the modernisation of the City Loop! Would definitely be good if they introduce cross-platform interchange, really will improve the system to a whole 'nother level. Just hope passengers can understand with increased frequency and better interchanges, one-seat rides are neat but not really needed for a "good" transit network. Are there any other improvements that Metro is looking into? And has there been any news on Metro 2 thus far? (personally haven't heard anything new since 2020)

[@MetroManMelbourne]

There has been some news regarding MM2 from infrastructure victoria who basically said to get ready for it to be built. As for the rest of the network, the Cranbourne line upgrade has now been finished thus meaning we are likely to see a clyde extension soon. Further electrification to the west and north is also likely not that far in the future.

[@TrebleSketch]

@@MetroManMelbourne Neat! (and for the north, Upfield/Craigieburn connection to Donnybrook some day? xD Oh yeah, electrification out to Bacchus Marsh? iirc

[@deanstyles2567]

Would part of the reconfiguration allow for passengers to travel from a City Loop station to Southern Cross during the afternoon?

[@brodieduncan2002]

I think it would be fantastic if they create another platform at dandenong station

[@theEddieworld]

does that mean no train from parliament directly to flinders st?

[@MetroManMelbourne]

yes, however that's what trams are for.

[@edmundliang5969]

Can you do a video on Trackless-tram?

[@MetroManMelbourne]

I will see what I can do.

[@mr.jamster8414]

O-Bahns are way cooler

[@NicholassTrainChannel]

Nice video mate. I think this is going to be a good idea as it will mean less congestion and it will make changing trains a lot easier. Looking forward to seeing what happens in the future.

[@adambainmusic5895]

I’m a bit sceptical that the capacity is needed, but it Defo would be nice

[@andyrob3259]

Ideally what actually should be done is a new tunnel branching off at Parliament and heading under Fitzroy (Smith or Brunswick St) with a station or two then coming up around Clifton hill to carry the various lines and eliminate the bottle neck through Collingwood. And thereby take at least the Mernda lines out of the loop into the new tunnel link leaving Hurtsbridge on the old line through Collingwood.

[@gamingandtechnology6913]

I'm here just to learn for Mini Metro. ;)

[@mr.jamster8414]

Haha!

[@peterfederico4135]

Do a part 2 about the city loop

[@JustKindComeng]

One obstacle PTV/Victorian Government would have to overcome with the Upfield/Glen Waverley configuration is the fact that most of the Comeng trains will be out of service by the time the project opens. As the X'Trapolis 100s can't run on the Upfield line (yet), and the Siemens Nexas can't run on the Glen Waverley line (yet), there will be an issue around getting enough trains to service the new configuration. Given the current order of X'Trapolis 2.0s only stands at 25 sets, surely they'll have to clear the X'Trapolis 100s for revenue service on the Upfield line or vice-versa with the Siemens for the configuration to work. Will be interesting to see how this plays out!

[@Redstoner2b2t]

no stinky trains on Glen Waverley line thx

[@JustKindComeng]

@@Redstoner2b2t Which trains are you calling stinky?

[@yiannisdanatzis2889]

I don't like it, instead I would rather see underground railway lines between Footscray and Burnley stations with underground platforms at all stations in between except South Kensington and East Richmond, these new tracks can be used for transferring the Lilydale and Belgrave lines to go to Sunshine, then free up platform 4 of the Cityloop for Alamein and Glen Waverley lines, making Frankston and Craigieburn lines miss out on Flinders Street and Southern Cross Stations is nothing but a stupidity which defeats the purpose of what Cityloop was built for in the first place, and also where would the Melton line go if it gets electrified? won't it need construction of platform 5 on Cityloop stations?

[@MetroManMelbourne]

The reality is that it is far cheaper and far more sensible to rebuild the loop for higher capacity. The City Loop was actually mainly built for capacity and so actually didn't do very well with that for various reasons. It also makes no sense to route pretty much every line through the loop. Melton trains will likely terminate at Southern Cross which is absolutely fine as people can interchange.

[@andyrob3259]

Agree. This is arranging deckchairs on the titanic and is a huge waste of money. The concept of the loop is wrong anyway. In 1975 it was ok but not 50 years later. They should not be trains running one direction PM and another AM. That’s a massive waste, inefficient and confusing. Not does it serve the needs of passengers. The number of lines using it should be reduced and the lines that do, it should be no-directional at all times. Other lines could have new tunnels built that transverse other parts of the city (for example take the Lillydale/Belgrave etc lines and run them in new tunnels from Richmond to Parliament with a new interchange then straight down Bourke St with a station at the GPO then right up to SC (another underground interchange) and have the tunnels rising in Docklands taking a western suburbs lines. No need to go to flinders St if there is a station at the GPO

[@Terraboat]

eyyyyy 335m ive been on it and its in the vid

[@stopsallmelb]

Don't really see the point of this. Capacity won't or possibly ever be an issue with the uptake of WFH and more "second CBDs" as Melbourne continues to grow outwards.

[@MetroManMelbourne]

That's not the only benefit though - it allows for the network to be simplified and further separated thus making trains more reliable. And the problem of Northern trains merging will continue to be an issue.

[@mce_AU]

Nice video. Cheers.

[@melbournemetrotrainsvlogs9401]

I don’t think this is a good idea. This might hurt the line groups like separating the Craigieburn and Upfield Lines to connect with the Frankston and Glen Waverley Lines. This is just my opinion.

[@sniper.93c14]

Just rename the lines? Through running trains are far superior to non-through running especially considering all of the major depots are outside of the city centre. It could also allow for better stopping patterns like in Copenhagen where some trains will run express one side of the line until the CBD then stopping all stations on the other to increase capacity and speed up services.

[@regionaltrainspotter]

That ending tho. 🤣

[@rileycummaudo8612]

Nice Metro

[@joelpackett7582]

City loop very cool

[@zaclennane]

yoooooooo

[@hazptmedia]

Best part is 4:08

[@MetroManMelbourne]

yes lol i just decided to leave that bit in

[@comengsh]

and trailing is 400M 😎

[@FromtheWindowSeat]

Very interesting. Cheers! 👍

[@nickolas6060]

Biggest waste of money in the state's history. Duplication of track at greensborough = absolutely no difference of service to me the passenger compared to 10 years ago. Fkn joke

[@dylanweinholt4978]

Very nice!!! This content needs P r o m o s m!!