Overview
- Premier Jacinta Allan and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the early Metro Tunnel launch following national rail safety regulator approval.
- Through December and January, about a quarter of services will run, including 20‑minute trains between 10am and 3pm on weekdays from Westall and West Footscray, supplementing existing City Loop services.
- The full timetable begins February 1, with at least 10‑minute frequencies from 6am to 10pm between Watergardens and Dandenong and 3–4 minute peak services.
- More than 50,000 people attended a West Gate Tunnel ‘Discovery Day’ walk‑through as the United Firefighters Union urged a halt over unresolved scenario testing, emergency access, radio reliability and breathable‑air concerns.
- Victorian officials said emergency systems are in place and most testing is complete, expect vehicle operations before year‑end, and announced night and weekend truck bans on Williamstown Road with camera enforcement, exemptions for deliveries and rezoning to shift container parks.