Melbourne Public Transport Guide: Trams, Trains & Myki

Melbourne has Australia's finest public transport network: the city's tram network (the world's largest urban tram network, with 250km of track, 1,700+ tram stops, and 24 routes covering virtually every inner and middle-ring suburb) is Melbourne's most distinctive and beloved transport institution, providing free travel in the CBD Free Tram Zone (which covers the entire Hoddle Grid and extends to Docklands and Federation Square) and Myki card-based travel beyond the free zone. The Melbourne train network (the metropolitan heavy rail, operated by Metro Trains Melbourne) provides the longer-distance suburban connections, while bus routes fill the gaps between the train and tram networks. The Myki smartcard (tap-on, tap-off for all public transport in Melbourne and regional Victoria) provides automated daily, weekly, and weekend capping for cost-effective multi-trip travel. Melbourne's CBD Free Tram Zone means that travel within the central city is entirely free, making Melbourne the only major Australian city where CBD travel costs nothing.

The Tram Network — Melbourne's tram network is the world's largest urban tram system and the city's most distinctive transport asset: the iconic W-class trams (introduced 1920s-1950s, some still operating on the City Circle tourist route) alongside the modern Citadis and Combino articulated trams provide service to virtually every significant destination in Melbourne's inner city. The CBD Free Tram Zone (everything inside Spencer Street, Flinders Street, Spring Street, and La Trobe Street, plus extensions to the Docklands, Carlton, and East Melbourne) provides free travel to millions of commuters, visitors, and residents each week. Trams run frequently (every 3-10 minutes on the busiest inner-city routes) and are the fastest way to travel across Melbourne's compact inner city.

Metro Trains Melbourne and the Suburban Rail Network — Metro Trains Melbourne operates the 16-line metropolitan heavy rail network, providing connections from the CBD to suburban Melbourne and the outer growth corridors. The City Loop (the underground rail tunnel connecting Flinders Street, Parliament, Melbourne Central, Flagstaff, and Southern Cross stations in a loop under the CBD) provides connections between the multiple suburban rail lines through the city centre. The Suburban Rail Loop (under construction, the $35+ billion loop line connecting the suburban activity centres from Cheltenham to the Sunshine Station corridor) will be the largest public transport infrastructure project in Victoria's history.

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