Your must-know guide to Melbourne’s public transport changes

Change is on its way to Melbourne's public transport system! No matter what part of Melbourne you're living in, there's a chance that new transport alterations will affect you in some way. This certainly isn't a bad thing – the changes are designed to develop a more efficient and safer public transport system so that getting from A to B is easy as pie.

So what exactly is coming to Melbourne? New trains. New tunnels. Fewer level crossings.

Let's take a look.

Improved train designs

Following extensive consultation with accessibility groups, passenger tests and technical experts, the new train designs are now being finalised.

The new design will include 520 seats over 7 cars. This is roughly the same number of seats as in the previous fleet, however there will overall be a greater amount of space, meaning the trains can host up to 20 per cent more passengers. The seats will feature a more attractive fabric in orange for priority seating, and blue for other seats. Meanwhile, the backs of the seats will feature a textured plastic to reduce the ease of vandalism.

Passenger information displays feature by each exit, letting you know the name of the current or next stop, while smart maps on the sides of the cabin track where the train is on its route.

New safety fittings include extensive CCTV, recorded and viewed live from the cockpit, "gap fillers" to bridge the space between the platform and the train, emergency evacuation ladders, and plenty of yellow highlighting to assist the visually impaired.

This model of train will initially run between Sunbury and Cranbourne/Pakenham, but eventually will run on other lines too.

The Metro Tunnel project

This $11 million project is designed to free up the city's biggest bottleneck by redirecting three of our busiest train lines through a new tunnel. The project is the first step towards the creation of a "turn up and go" public transport culture in Melbourne, mirroring that of Singapore, London or New York.

Most importantly for renters or owner-occupiers of Brunswick real estate, the Upfield line is expected to see a 71 per cent increased in peak time capacity, making your commute all the more comfortable.

Goodbye, level crossings

Over the next eight years, 50 of Melbourne's most dangerous and congested street-level train crossings will be removed. This includes the Upfield line crossing on Moreland Road.

Currently, boom gates are down at Moreland Road for 25 minutes between 7- 9am each weekday, delaying 16,000 motorists. Changes for this crossing are still in the planning phase, but are expected to be fully completed by 2022. Community consultation will be a key part of this project, so be sure to keep an ear out for the chance to voice your opinion.

These changes are set to reshape Melbourne into a free-flowing city, making getting from work to home a breeze. If you need help figuring out where "home" is in Melbourne, talk to the team at Ray White Brunswick today and we'll be happy to begin your real estate journey.