The state government and Victoria’s public transport operators are gearing up for their biggest week in two years with passenger numbers set to swell for the Melbourne Royal Show and Grand Final week festivities.
Crowds of between 45,000 and 60,000 are expected to attend the Royal Melbourne Show each day from Thursday 22 September.
Public transport on Friday, September 23 will run to a public holiday timetable, but extra trains and trams will be running to and from Flemington to make it easier for show-goers to enjoy all the fun and excitement at the showgrounds.
Trains to the showgrounds will depart from Flinders Street Station on platforms 8 and 9 every 10 to 15 minutes from around 9am.
To get show-goers home, trains will leave the showgrounds every 10 to 15 minutes until 10.30pm.
Additional trams will also be operating on Route 57 as the Route 57a shuttle service between the Melbourne Showgrounds and Flinders Street Station.
With the first week of school holidays underway, motorists are also reminded to look out for children and pedestrians getting on and off trams near the showgrounds.
Fans heading to the Grand Final, the Friday Grand Final Parade, or the Footy Festival at Yarra Park are encouraged to get there on public transport with the Free Tram Zone extended to the MCG until Saturday night.
The Grand Final Parade begins at 10.15am on Friday, September 23 with players travelling by boat down the Yarra River from Southbank to Birrarung Marr followed by a motorcade across William Barak Bridge to Yarra Park where both teams will be presented to the crowd at around midday.
Public transport will run to a Saturday timetable and there will be 26 extra train services with 16 additional tram services running along Flinders Street to get fans to and from the Yarra River and Yarra Park precinct.
V/Line will run an additional service to and from Geelong and South Geelong for the Grand Final parade on Friday and three additional services from Geelong and South Geelong before and after the Grand Final.
With almost 100,000 fans estimated to pack the MCG on the big day, Grand Final Day will also see 40 extra train services and 14 extra tram services added to the normal Saturday timetable.
V/Line will be running 12 additional services with extra capacity on the Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat lines to help thousands of Cats fans make the journey to and from the MCG.
To ensure pedestrian safety around the MCG, several road closures will be in place with Wellington Parade, Jolimont Road and Brunton Avenue closing before and after the Grand Final.
As with all weekends and public holidays, full fares will be capped at $6.70 a day for travel in Zones 1 and 2 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Extra staff will be on hand near the MCG and at Flinders Street Station to help passengers and further information is available at ptv.vic.gov.au
