Fixing Melbourne's Train Map

Let's give Melbourne a map to be proud of.

Melbourne's new train map for 2026 is a modest set of changes over previous versions, mostly incorporating the new metro tunnel, and through-running of Werribee/Williamstown to Sandringham.

However it also introduced some new quirks. Here's an alternative version of the 2026 train map for Melbourne (and Victoria), incorporating a number of changes.

Changes

South East Track Layout

First there's the south east, where the Gippsland Line (purple) crosses over the light blue Cranbourne/Pakenham line at Caulfield, then again at South Yarra.

At South Yarra, the purple V/Line service can be seen displayed over the top of the station interchange lozenge, to indicate that trains from Gippsland don't stop there.

While that's somewhat clear, it does look a bit like a rendering error.

If possible, better to arrange lines that do interchange - eg the Sandringham line and Frankston line - so the lozenge can group two of three, without an odd line in the middle.

As a bonus to this layout, the Sandringham line (in pink) can be straightened.

Removing staffing markers

It's also clear from this example how crowded the ℹ️ markers are showing which stations are staffed full, or part time. Given the map is primarily for way finding, having a separate map and list with staffing hours and stations would be a better trade-off.

More importantly: the current map doesn't show when Protective Service Officers ("PSOs", think transport police) are working and at which stations, doesn't show toilet locations or hours. Or details about lifts or escalators.

Luckily Melbourne stations all have (often non-compliant) ramps, except one station which is noted. But all of these are just as, or more important, than a customer service desk being open or not.

Unstaffed stations can and should display signage to the nearest staffed station.

In most cases, people need to get where they are going, and while there are valid reasons for finding a staffed station, those rarely impact travel.

If you need to get to Armadale, you're going to go there, whether the station has staff or not.

A separate map with details of staff hours, PSO hours, toilet hours, would be very useful. It's just too much for the main train map.

It's hard to push against the status quo, and many would argue to leave these markers there because 'what is the harm in leaving them', but I'm aiming to look at what would be done if the network was new today.

Removing zone boundaries

Fares in Victoria are capped at $11.40 for unlimited travel daily, statewide. Single fares are marginally cheaper in 'zone 2 only' travel, compared to multiple zones. However this is also the case for various regional areas.

The official map shows a quite prominent zone 1/2 boundary line, despite it being relatively unimportant to travel in Melbourne. It also crowds a similar (but not identical) space to where the Suburban Rail Loop will be shown in future.

People who need specific fares information will still need to research online to find what the actual fares are, and often combine bus or tram with train travel, making the train-only map marker less relevant.

North of the city

A quick win here is straightening where services through the Metro tunnel rise up to ground level before arriving at Footscray.

Other changes have a greater range of trade-offs.

For example, routing the V/Line services from Bendigo and Ballarat around South Kensington and North Melbourne reflects the service pattern for these trains. They never stop at South Kensington, or North Melbourne, and no platforms exist for them to stop.

However the actual track does run right past the stations. So the proposed layout chooses clarity of journey over physical representation. It also avoids the aforementioned station-skipping line-over-lozenge at North Melbourne.

Southern Cross

Arguably, this is the least necessary change. The existing map aims - reasonably successfully - to show that all V/Line trains terminate at Southern Cross.

This is achieved by a small bend to the track from the north and the south at Southern Cross. It's not perfect, but it's better than showing them in what would appear like services run from Gippsland through to the north and west.

I'm going out on a limb with this alternative design which somewhat blurs the line between the Southern Cross coach station and V/Line services, without expressly declaring that.

By leaving the SkyBus icons grouped next to V/Line terminating services, there is an implication that those services all start and stop at Southern Cross. Unlike the rest of the metropolitan lines, which run through in at least one direction.

The tradeoff is it's visually busier, and is inconsistent with how the same style of interchange groups Metro tunnel stations with City Loop stations.

I'm not sure I'd back this for the official map, but I do think there is something to be said for the goals.

The Beach!

Any map is a set of trade-offs between information density and simplicity. If every station showed tram and bus interchanges, staffing hours, facilities, fares, and more – the map would be a mess.

However maps are also a symbol of a city. The tube map is an iconic part of London, as is the MTR map in Hong Kong. These are cities which are proud of public transport being woven into the fabric of the city.

Melbourne traditionally hasn't been great at putting public transport at the front of its branding. We love putting trams on postcards, but there's no single person in charge of ensuring a great passenger experience for new and old.

In my opinion, a lovely aspect of Melbourne's train network is how many beaches are directly and very easily accessed by train. Many literally overlook the beach. Multiple have 'beach' in their name!

So why not use some of this cleaner map layout to give people an idea. You CAN get to the beach by train, these are all a five minute walk or less.

Where to draw the line is difficult, but I felt 350m was a sweet spot that included most genuinely easy to access beaches. Though it does exclude a few that are 1km or less such as Frankston, or Mordialloc.

This isn't my own idea, I first saw this on a train between Faro and Olhãu in the south of Portugal, and felt it relevant for locations where direct beach access exists from trains.

Nothing in isolation

More important than any changes to the map is service frequency, clean and accessible train stations, and more ways to easily access stations by bus, tram, walking or cycling.

This list of proposed map changes doesn't change any of this. It specifically uses the current operations, and makes different decisions about what to display, and where.

Some changes have been deliberately overlooked. Sunshine station also has an express-running V/Line track, but this with the upgrade to Sunshine station, all V/Line services will stop there from 2030.

Personally, I would suggest V/Line services also stop at South Yarra, now they will pass a now-empty set of platforms, vacated by Cranbourne/Pakenham trains using the Metro tunnel instead.

One final change

The train map makes a half-hearted attempt at showing Port Phillip Bay, which is a useful way to get one's bearings in a city which hugs the bay.

However the Yarra River could at best be useful for way finding around Flinders Street, which overlooks the river. By Richmond and South Yarra, it's no longer a useful metric. The river can't be seen from either station, and there's no connecting ferry services.

This isn't a critique of individual designers. Designers are often restricted by how the network works, past decisions, and trying to appease too many stakeholders.

Melbourne's train map will continue to evolve, especially if the City Loop Reconfiguration ever gets the go-ahead, however that doesn't mean we shouldn't sweat the details today, and give it a fresh set of eyes.