City Loop, Melbourne

City Loop, Melbourne

Melbourne's City Loop is an underground rail circuit that encloses the CBD. It contains 5 stations, 3 of which are underground. The stations include the city's two largest (and the two above-ground in the Loop): Flinders Street Station and Spencer Street Station, as well as the submerged Flagstaff Station, Melbourne Central Station (formerly Museum Station), and Parliament Station.

Tunneling works commenced in the early 1970s, and the system was ready for service in 1982. Queen Elizabeth II toured what was then Museum Station as part of the ceremonies.

The Loop is made up of four single-track tunnels, and is fed into by the city's 15 surface suburban rail lines. Depending on the day of the week and the time of day, trains will run in different directions in different tunnels. All trains, however, end up at Flinders Street Station, having either travelled through the underground section first, or travelling direct to the Flinders Street and then using the Loop to turn around and return down the line they came from. There is also a special City Loop train which travels continuously around the Loop to provide cross-CBD service.

The direction of travel changes according to the table below. Each suburban line belongs to a group, and each group's trains all run in the same tunnel.

Direction of travel

Period Burnley group Caufield group Clifton Hill group Northern group
Weekday mornings All trains run through Loop first

Anti-clockwise Anti-clockwise Anti-clockwise Clockwise
Weekday afternoons All trains run to Flinders Street then through Loop

Clockwise Clockwise Clockwise Anti-clockwise
Weekends All trains except Caufield group run to Flinders Street first

Clockwise Anti-clockwise Clockwise Anti-clockwise

	Direction of travel
Period	Burnley group	Caufield group	Clifton Hill group	Northern group
Weekday mornings	All trains run through Loop first
	Anti-clockwise	Anti-clockwise	Anti-clockwise	Clockwise
Weekday afternoons	All trains run to Flinders Street then through Loop
	Clockwise	Clockwise	Clockwise	Anti-clockwise
Weekends	All trains except Caufield group run to Flinders Street first
	Clockwise	Anti-clockwise	Clockwise	Anti-clockwise

The Burnley group contains the eastern Glen Waverly, Lilydale, Belgrave, and Alamein lines. The Caufield group contains the southeastern Sandringham, Frankston, Pakenham, and Cranbourne lines. The Clifton Hill group contains the northeastern Epping and Hurstbridge lines. The Northern group contains the northern Broadmeadows and Upfield lines, and the western Werribee, Williamstown, and Sydneyham lines, as well as the special events only Flemington line.