Collingwood great Scott Pendlebury’s record-breaking game headlines the AFL and Super Netball matches which could be affected by significant train disruptions this weekend.
From Friday night until the last service on Sunday evening, no trains will run through the Metro Tunnel and only the Frankston line, with nine trains per hour, will travel through the City Loop.
Metro Trains have warned fans heading to sporting events, in particular the Collingwood vs West Coast match at the MCG on Saturday, that they need to plan ahead and know what is happening on their usual line.
“The AFL are encouraging people to arrive with plenty of time to spare on Saturday as it will be a big crowd and a busy time, we would echo that,” DTV executive director of V/Line and Southern Cross Tim Clare said.
“Allow plenty of extra time to get to the footy or to where you need to know. Please use the journey planner and know where you need to get off.”
The Upfield line between North Melbourne and Upfield, the Sunbury line between North Melbourne and Sunbury and sections of the Werribee and Williamstown lines will be replaced by buses while Cranbourne and Pakenham lines will begin and end at South Yarra, instead of going through the tunnel.
The Craigieburn, Lilydale, Belgrave, Glen Waverley, Mernda and Hurstbridge will start and stop at Flinders Street and won’t go through the City Loop from Friday at 9pm.
Metro Trains crews will use the closures to complete rail replacement works, track drainage works and overhead structure maintenance on the rail bridge between Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations along with removing redundant infrastructure connected to the Metro Tunnel.
“We’ve been doing work on the viaduct between Flinders St and Southern Cross and it’s a very busy part of the network which is why passengers will feel the disruption this weekend but this is very significant rail replacement, overhead and drainage maintenance works,” Metro Trains executive director of network assets Pete Gleeson said.
Metro said an additional 24 buses would run express between Newport, North Melbourne and Jolimont stations before and after Saturday night’s AFL match to help move the bumper crowd in and out of the MCG.
An accessible city bus service will also run between Flinders Street and City Loop stations while six trains per hours will run on the Craigieburn line to connect with replacement buses for several lines at North Melbourne station.
