Labor is one step closer to delivering more reliable train journeys – helping families get to work, school and home sooner and more comfortably.

Train drivers are now preparing to operate the next generation of trains ahead of their introduction into service this year.

Around 1,000 train drivers have started training on a full-size replica of the X’Trapolis 2.0.

The simulator allows drivers to practise operating the new trains in a range of real-world scenarios across several routes on Melbourne’s rail network.

This training will ensure more drivers are ready to safely operate the new trains when they enter passenger service.

Built in Ballarat, the new trains were co-designed with drivers and are smarter and easier to operate.

They feature real-time fault alerts, rear-facing cameras for better visibility, and semi-automated boarding ramps to support faster, more accessible passenger boarding.

The new trains will enter service in the coming months – with the fleet to progressively replace Melbourne’s Comeng trains.

They will run on the Craigieburn, Upfield and Frankston lines – meaning smoother trips for thousands of passengers.

Passengers on these lines are also benefiting from more services – meaning less waiting and more time at home.

Extra off-peak services are coming to the Craigieburn and Upfield lines from mid-2026, while Frankston Line trains have returned to the City Loop and will receive an additional 12 weekly services following the completion of level crossing works.

Bigger, better and more efficient – the new trains carry around 1,225 passengers, nearly 10 per cent more than the Comeng fleet.

This is part of a $986 million Allan Labor Government investment in Melbourne’s rail network, delivering the capacity and reliability a growing city needs.

This project is also supporting working families by creating up to 750 local jobs in the supply chain, including up to 150 in the Ballarat area – putting more Victorians into secure work close to home.