It's no secret that Melbourne's trains are super crowded, with finding a seat at peak hour akin to discovering gold at the end of the rainbow. But it's going to get a little better, with the opening of the new 'sky rail' in the south-east suburbs facilitating more trains and therefore, more comfort.
From June 18 there will be more frequent services on the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines. That means there will be trains every 10 minutes between Dandenong and the city between 7pm and 10pm weekdays.
That's the sugar. But the medicine part is that in order to get these new services, commuters are going to have to endure the dreaded replacement buses for almost three weeks, between May 29 and June 17. Anyone travelling beyond Caulfield on these lines will have to get a bus to continue their journeys. At the end of all that pain, though, new stations at Murrumbeena and Carnegie will be open, and there will be a new station at Hughesdale opening later in the year.
And don't feel left out, northern suburbs friends. The South Morang and Hurstbridge lines are also getting an updgrade, with three more stations added beyond South Morang all the way to Mernda. There will be five more morning city-bound trains and four more peak-hour trains leaving the city at night. But don't plan on getting a seat on those extra services – 8000 more people are expected to use the line once all the works are finished.