Melbourne’s train network is continually evolving with the Metro Tunnel opened for full service on 1 February, carving a 9km underground corridor beneath Swanston Street and handing the city five brand-new stations: Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall and Anzac. The Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines now skip the City Loop entirely and run through the tunnel instead, while Frankston trains have quietly moved back into the Loop. Add 1,000 extra weekly services, platform screen doors (a Melbourne first), and contactless payments rolling out line by line, and you have a network worth relearning even if you rode it last summer.
Whether you’re here for a weekend at the MCG, a week chasing laneways and coastline, or just trying to get from Southern Cross to the Botanic Gardens without a 40-minute tram crawl, this is how the system works now.
Free travel window in effect: all Victorian public transport is free for every passenger until 31 May 2026 and half-price fares from June 1 until 1 January 2027.
Melbourne Train Network Map
Zoomable full network map | Download a PDF version or JPG Image
Getting Around: How Melbourne Trains Work
Melbourne runs on Myki. You tap on at the start of your journey and tap off at the end (yes, both: skip the tap off and you’ll be charged the maximum fare, as plenty of us have learned the expensive way). One Myki covers trains, trams and buses across the whole network.
The fare zone system is refreshingly simple. Zone 1 covers the CBD and inner suburbs. Zone 2 covers the outer suburbs. As of 2026, travel in Zone 1 and travel across Zone 1+2 cost exactly the same: a rare bit of pricing mercy.
A quick word on the Free Tram Zone: it only applies to trams in the CBD grid. Trains, even at Flinders Street or Melbourne Central, always require a valid Myki or contactless tap. Visitors get caught out by this on day one, every time.
You can grab a Myki from any station vending machine, 7-Eleven, or the Transport Victoria Hub at Southern Cross station. The card itself is $6 for adults ($5 for a Youth myki for under-18s, who then travel free). Top it up at the same machines, in the Public Transport Victoria app, or online. For a deeper walk-through of registering cards, family groups and refunds, see our must-have transport apps guide.
Three shortcuts worth knowing:
- Early Bird is free. Tap off at your destination before 7:15am on a weekday and the journey costs you nothing. Not a discount: actually free.
- Daily cap protects you. Once you hit the cap, further travel that day is free. No need to buy a day pass.
- Under-18s ride free with a Youth myki. Worth grabbing the card on day one of a family trip.
The Metro Tunnel: Five New Stations and What’s Near Each
The $12.8 billion Metro Tunnel is the biggest change to Melbourne’s rail map in a generation. Trains on the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines now run through it every three minutes at peak, and five new underground stations dropped onto the map in one go. Here’s what’s above each one, and when to use it.
Anzac Station
The tourist winner of the bunch. Step off at Anzac and you’re a short walk from the Shrine of Remembrance, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Arts Centre Melbourne and the leafy edges of Albert Park. One visitor put it best: “We jumped on at Town Hall station and were at the Botanic Gardens in five minutes. We couldn’t believe how quick it was compared to our last visit.” If you used to tram it down St Kilda Road, this is your new shortcut.
Town Hall Station
Directly under Federation Square, with an underground connection to Flinders Street. Town Hall is the door to the NGV International, the laneway coffee trail (Degraves, Centre Place, Hosier) and the Yarra’s north bank. If your hotel is anywhere near Collins Street, this may well be your home station.
State Library Station
Pops you out beside the State Library of Victoria and RMIT, with an underground link through to Melbourne Central. The ceiling in the concourse has become a minor attraction in its own right: worth a look on the way through. This is the station for northern CBD, QV, and a straight shot into Carlton.
Parkville Station
Melbourne’s first train station for the University of Melbourne and the Royal Melbourne Hospital precinct. Handy if you’re visiting someone on campus, heading to the Royal Exhibition Building or Melbourne Museum (a short walk away), or making an appointment at RMH without the tram shuffle.
Arden Station
The North Melbourne gateway, anchoring a new innovation and residential precinct still finding its feet. Less tourist-heavy for now, but useful for Queen Victoria Market access (a 15-minute walk) and avoiding the North Melbourne interchange crush.
All five stations are fully accessible with level boarding and platform screen doors: step on, step off, no gap-minding required.
Melbourne’s 17 Train Lines
The network runs 16 regular lines plus a Flemington Racecourse line that only fires up on event days. Three lines (Sunbury, Cranbourne, Pakenham) now run through the Metro Tunnel. The other 13 regular lines still loop through the City Loop: Flinders Street, Southern Cross, Flagstaff, Melbourne Central, Parliament.
Here’s a tourist-friendly cheat sheet for which line to catch where.
| Line | Key Stops | Tourist Use |
|---|---|---|
| Sunbury (Metro Tunnel) | Arden, Parkville, State Library, Town Hall, Anzac, Sunshine, Sunbury | Runs through all five new stations; the line you’ll use most in the CBD |
| Cranbourne (Metro Tunnel) | Anzac, Town Hall, State Library, Clayton, Dandenong | Southeast suburbs via the tunnel |
| Pakenham (Metro Tunnel) | Anzac, Town Hall, State Library, Caulfield, Dandenong, Pakenham | Far southeast, tunnel-routed |
| Frankston (City Loop) | Richmond, Caulfield, Brighton Beach, Frankston | Coast and Mornington Peninsula transfers; see our Mornington guide |
| Sandringham | Richmond, South Yarra, Brighton Beach, Sandringham | Brighton bathing boxes, bay beaches |
| Belgrave | Richmond, Camberwell, Belgrave | Puffing Billy and the Dandenong Ranges |
| Lilydale | Richmond, Box Hill, Lilydale | Yarra Valley gateway |
| Hurstbridge | Clifton Hill, Royal Park, Eltham, Hurstbridge | Melbourne Zoo (Royal Park) |
| Mernda | Clifton Hill, Royal Park, Mernda | Zoo access, northern suburbs |
| Glen Waverley | Richmond, Burnley, Glen Waverley | Eastern suburbs |
| Alamein | Richmond, Camberwell, Alamein | Short inner-east shuttle |
| Craigieburn | North Melbourne, Essendon, Craigieburn | Airport-adjacent (but not actually to the airport) |
| Upfield | North Melbourne, Brunswick, Upfield | Brunswick cafes, Sydney Road |
| Werribee | Footscray, Newport, Werribee | Werribee Open Range Zoo, Point Cook |
| Williamstown | Footscray, Newport, Williamstown | Heritage port village and waterfront |
| Stony Point | Frankston to Stony Point | Phillip Island ferry connection |
Major interchanges to pin on your mental map: Flinders Street (every line, 20 million passengers a year), Southern Cross (V/Line regional, SkyBus, City Loop lines), Richmond (five lines plus the closest station to the MCG and Melbourne Park), and Melbourne Central (City Loop, State Library precinct).
Heading to the MCG for the footy or a Test? Get off at Richmond, not Flinders Street: “It’s a 2-minute walk versus 20,” as one regular put it. The same applies for Australian Open sessions at Melbourne Park.
Fares 2026
Free travel window in effect: all Victorian public transport is free for every passenger until 31 May 2026 and half-price fares from June 1 until 1 January 2027 – read more.
Fares updated on 1 January 2026. All prices in AUD. Concession applies to eligible seniors, students and health-care card holders; under-18s travel free with a Youth myki.
| Zone | 2-hour fare | Weekday daily cap | Weekend/public holiday cap | 7-day Myki Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 (or Zone 1+2) | $5.70 full / $2.85 concession | $11.40 full / $5.70 concession | $8.00 full / $4.00 concession | $57.00 full / $28.50 concession |
| Zone 2 only | $3.50 full / $1.75 concession | $7.00 full / $3.50 concession | $8.00 full / $4.00 concession | $35.00 full / $17.50 concession |
Three things worth committing to memory:
- Weekend cap is $8. Unlimited trains, trams and buses across all zones for a Saturday or Sunday. Excellent value for a day chasing beaches and markets.
- Zone 1 = Zone 1+2. You pay the same to travel from Richmond to Flinders Street as you do from Belgrave to Flinders Street. Don’t overthink it.
- Early Bird is still free. Tap off before 7:15am weekdays and the fare drops to zero.
Payment options in 2026:
- Myki card (physical) works on every line, tram and bus: the fallback option that never breaks.
- Myki on Android via Google Wallet works everywhere Myki does.
- Apple Pay and Visa/Mastercard contactless are rolling out line by line. From 16 March 2026 they work on the Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat and Seymour lines, plus all City Loop stations. Full fare only, simple single-line journeys only: transfers still need a Myki. The rest of the network follows over the next couple of years, with trams and buses coming by 2028.
As one visitor noted: “We didn’t realise trains weren’t free in the CBD like trams are. Caught out on our first day, but at least the daily cap meant it didn’t add up to much.” Fair warning.
Practical Information
Operating hours and the Night Network
Trains run roughly 4:30am to midnight Sunday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday nights, the Night Network takes over: 24-hour service across every line (except Flemington Racecourse and Stony Point), with trains running approximately hourly through the small hours. City Loop stations close at midnight, so last services depart Southern Cross, which stays open until 1am.
As one rider put it: “Friday night in Melbourne and we caught the last train home at 2am. The Night Network is a game changer for a big night out.” Worth building into your plans rather than hunting for a surge-priced rideshare at 1:30am.
The airport situation
There is still no rail link to Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine). Stage 1 of the Melbourne Airport Rail Link broke ground in early 2026, with full completion expected late 2033: it will eventually run through the Metro Tunnel. Until then, SkyBus from Southern Cross is the train-adjacent option: about 30 to 40 minutes, from around $24.90 one-way, running 24/7. Buy a ticket at Southern Cross or onboard.
Accessibility
Every train on the network is wheelchair accessible. The new HCMT trains running through the Metro Tunnel on the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines offer 14 dedicated wheelchair spaces per service, wider doors and onboard assistance buttons. Drivers carry a portable ramp and will deploy it at the first door of the first carriage: flag them as the train pulls in, or ask station staff to radio ahead. Every station is accessible via ramp or lift except Heyington. All five Metro Tunnel stations have level boarding and platform screen doors.
Maps, timetables and apps
The official network map (including the updated Metro Tunnel routings) lives at metrotrains.com.au/maps/. For real-time journey planning including trains, trams, buses and V/Line, use transport.vic.gov.au/journey or the PTV app on your phone. Our must-have Melbourne transport apps guide walks through which ones are actually worth downloading.
Connections to the rest of the network
Trains are one piece of the system. For CBD trips under two kilometres, the tram network is usually quicker (and often free: see our Free Tram Zone map). For intercity trips to Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo or the Great Ocean Road, V/Line regional trains depart from Southern Cross. And for the suburbs not on a rail line, the public bus network fills the gaps. Our transport hub has the full picture.
Planning a day trip out of the city? Ten Melbourne Getaways lays out where to go and which line gets you there.
FAQs
Do I need a Myki if I’m only travelling in the CBD?
For trams inside the Free Tram Zone, no. For any train journey, yes: even a single stop between Flinders Street and Melbourne Central requires a valid Myki or contactless tap. The Free Tram Zone does not apply to trains.
How do I get from Melbourne Airport to the city?
There is no train to the airport in 2026. Take the SkyBus from Tullamarine to Southern Cross Station: about 30 to 40 minutes, from around $24.90 one-way, running 24/7. From Southern Cross, you’re on the train network for the rest of your trip.
Which station is closest to the MCG?
Richmond. It’s a two-minute walk across William Barak Bridge to the ground. Flinders Street is walkable but adds 15 to 20 minutes through the parklands: fine on a sunny afternoon, less fun after a night game in July.
Can I use Apple Pay or a credit card instead of Myki?
On some lines, yes. From 16 March 2026, Apple Pay and Visa/Mastercard contactless work on the Craigieburn, Upfield, Ballarat and Seymour lines plus all City Loop stations, for simple single-line journeys at full fare only. Anything involving a transfer (or travel on trams and buses) still needs a Myki. The rollout continues across the network, with full coverage expected in the next couple of years.
Do trains run late at night?
Friday and Saturday nights: yes. The Night Network runs 24 hours on every line except Flemington Racecourse and Stony Point, with services roughly hourly through the early hours. Sunday through Thursday, last trains leave the city around midnight, with Southern Cross open until 1am. Plan accordingly if you’re catching a late show or a post-dinner film.
Which new Metro Tunnel station is closest to the Royal Botanic Gardens?
Anzac Station. It’s a short walk from the platform to the Shrine of Remembrance and the gardens’ southern entrance, which makes it the fastest rail option to the gardens from anywhere on the Sunbury, Cranbourne or Pakenham lines.
I forgot to tap off. What happens?
You’ll be charged the default fare, which is the maximum for the zones covered. It’s a common mistake in the first couple of days. Set a phone reminder, or just make tap off the first thing you do when stepping onto the platform. Learn from those who’ve paid the lesson already.
Are children’s fares different?
Under-18s travel free on all Melbourne public transport with a Youth myki (the card itself is $5). Grab one at any station or 7-Eleven on day one of a family trip: the savings add up fast.
References
- Transport Victoria – https://transport.vic.gov.au
- Colleagues & Crew – Shared experiences