Commuters heading through Melbourne’s CBD now have a new way into Town Hall Station, with a Swanston Street entrance opening today just days before the Metro Tunnel’s major network change this Sunday.
Located beside the iconic Young & Jackson Hotel, the new entrance adds another direct and accessible entry point to Town Hall Station, one of the busiest stops on the new Metro Tunnel line. Passengers can also access the entrance via Cocker and Scott alleys off Flinders Lane, easing foot traffic through one of the city’s most crowded precincts.
The opening comes ahead of the Big Switch on Sunday, when Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham line services will move exclusively through the Metro Tunnel. The change marks the biggest overhaul of Melbourne’s rail network in more than 40 years.
Town Hall Station’s main City Square entrance opened on 30 November, with a third entrance at Federation Square still to come later this year. Once fully operational, the station will offer direct access to Federation Square, Birrarung Marr, Southbank, St Paul’s Cathedral and Melbourne Town Hall.
A key feature is the underground connection to Flinders Street Station, allowing passengers to move easily between Metro Tunnel services, the City Loop and major tram routes along Swanston, Collins and Flinders streets.
The new stations have already drawn strong public interest, with more than 700,000 visits recorded across the Metro Tunnel network during December and January as people explored the stations over the summer holidays.
The tunnel has doubled Melbourne’s underground rail capacity, cutting travel times across the city, including a 12-minute trip from Arden to Anzac Station.
