More shutdowns coming to Melbourne in January

The re-elected Andrews Government has announced another schedule of rail and road network shutdowns over the slower summer holidays period with the Pakenham/Cranbourne lines again having a significant proportion of the railway line to be replaced with buses.

Due to works related to upgrading the electrical, signaling and communication system, buses are replacing trains between Flinders Street and Westall station on the Pakenham/Cranbourne lines between the 2nd and 13th of January.  Gippsland V/Line services are entirely replaced with coaches.

During the same timeframe, buses will replace trains on the Frankston line between Flinders Street and Moorabbin.

There will also be large amounts over overnight and weekend works on the Belgrave/Lilydale, Glen Waverley, Alamein, Sandringham, Sunbury, Williamstown and Werribee lines.

The State Government also warned that further electrical and signaling-related works will be carried out over the 80km of track across the Pakenham/Cranbourne corridors beyond the January shutdown in 2019.

Buses will also replace train on Bendigo-Swan Hill/Echuca Vline services between the 12th and 27th of January to carry out maintenance works on the non-electrified regional lines beyond Sunbury.

The Pakenham/Cranbourne disruptions are being carried out in order to allow the next generation 'HCMT' trains to begin operations in 2019.  Eventually, the High-Capacity Metro Trains will operate exclusively on the Pakenham/Cranbourne lines as well as the Sunbury line when the metro tunnel opens.

The first HCMT after having been assembled from imported and local parts at the Newport workshops was transferred to the new Pakenham East maintenance and storage facility where it will begin its testing run.

Videos of the movement of the first 7-car train emerged last week as it was transferred under the power of locomotives in the early hours of the morning.

Lead image credit: bigbuild.vic.gov.au