The Andrews Labor Government is delivering 35 extra services every week on the Werribee Line to boost capacity and provide passengers with more travel options in the afternoon and evenings.

The 2018 metropolitan timetable change will coincide with the completion of the long-awaited Mernda Rail extension.

Under the timetable change, Werribee will have access to seven new off-peak services each weekday, creating room for an extra 1,000 passengers on each service.

The new services, which build on the 10 extra services delivered in August 2017, will run before and after the evening peak to give passengers more options to get in and out of the city on weekdays.

For the first time, passengers at South Kensington, Seddon, Yarraville and Spotswood stations will have access to a turn-up-and-go frequency in the evenings, meaning a turn up and go service until 8.20pm.

Werribee Line passengers will also benefit from the Kororoit Creek level crossing removal project, including partial duplication of the Altona Loop track, which is expected to be completed towards the end of the year.

When introduced later this year, the new timetable will deliver 190 new and 957 extended services across the Mernda, South Morang, Werribee, Hurstbridge and Dandenong lines.

The new timetable will help make public transport a convenient and attractive transport option in the lead up to the opening of the Metro Tunnel, which will create space to run more trains, more often, right across Melbourne.

The Labor Government is also making space for more passengers with 14 of its order of 24 Ballarat-made X’Trapolis trains now in service and the first new High Capacity Metro Trains rolling out on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines in mid-2019.

Bus connections to trains will be maintained, with adjustments made to bus times when the new train timetable begins. Timetables will be available at ptv.vic.gov.au before the changes are introduced later this year.

Quote attributable to Member for Werribee Tim Pallas

“This new timetable will improve capacity on some of our busiest train lines, while we get on with building Metro Tunnel, which will free up space to run even more services on the Werribee Line.”

Quote attributable to Member for Altona Jill Hennessy

“We’re also getting on with duplicating part of the Altona Loop track to make services more reliable.”

Quote attributable to Member for Tarneit Telmo Languiller

“We’re introducing 35 extra services each week to provide Werribee Line passengers with more travel options to and from the city.