Public transport across Victoria will be free every weekend this summer, with the state government offering unlimited travel to mark the opening of the long-awaited Metro Tunnel.
From the first weekend in December through to February 1, every train, tram, and bus service in the state will be free from the first service on Saturday until the last on Sunday. The announcement was made by Premier Jacinta Allan and Transport Infrastructure Minister Gabrielle Williams, who joined workers at the new State Library Station to unveil the plan.
The free travel period, dubbed the “Summer Start,” coincides with the early December opening of the Metro Tunnel, which will add 240 new train services a week. “We’re saying thank you Victoria—with free PT every weekend this summer,” Premier Allan said. “Everyone, everywhere, every weekend, free until Feb 1. The biggest free transport bonanza in Victoria’s history.”
The initiative is designed to celebrate the completion of the state’s largest public transport project in decades while expressing gratitude to Victorians for their patience during years of construction. “The Metro Tunnel will cut congestion and get you to work, uni and home sooner—and it opens in early December,” the Premier said.
Under the plan, ticket gates will remain open across the network on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the Summer Start period. Travellers won’t need to touch on or off with their Myki cards, and anyone who does so accidentally won’t be charged. On regional lines that require seat reservations, bookings will still be necessary but at zero cost.
Minister Williams said the decision reflected the government’s focus on delivering the tunnel safely and efficiently. “The Summer Start is how we’re opening the tunnel safer, smoother and sooner,” she said. “This is our way of saying thanks to everyone for their patience while we built the Metro Tunnel—and to celebrate this huge moment in the history of our state.”
The Metro Tunnel’s completion marks the beginning of a broader transformation of Victoria’s transport network. Following the Summer Start, the state will move to the “Big Switch” on February 1, when the new timetable takes effect and around 1,000 additional services will operate each week as two of Melbourne’s busiest train lines begin running through the tunnel.
More details on the Metro Tunnel’s opening and how Victorians can experience the free weekend travel are available here.
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