- Published:
- Thursday 19 December 2024
The Allan Labor Government is making it easier for families to celebrate the festive season with two days of free public transport across the network.
Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams today announced public transport will be free on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve across all metro and regional trains, trams and buses.
On Christmas Day, metropolitan and regional public transport will run to a regular Sunday timetable and will be free from 3:00am Wednesday, 25 December until 3:00am on Boxing Day.
V/Line passengers on reserved services still need to book their Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve travel and will be issued a ticket free of charge. No ticket is required for regional bus travel.
To bid farewell to 2024, catching a train, tram or bus is your best ticket for the night with free travel from 6:00pm on New Years Eve. V/Line long distance passengers on services that arrive in Melbourne after 6:00pm will also enjoy free travel.
Victorians can celebrate well into the night, with extra services to operate and free travel until 6:00am on New Year’s Day.
For V/Line passengers, the first service from Melbourne to all regional destinations on New Year’s Day will also be free, regardless of whether it departs before or after 6:00am.
This New Years Eve, all City Loop stations will operate until 3:00am to provide more options and to minimise crowding at Flinders Street and Southern Cross stations.
From 1 January 2025, the cost of a daily fare anywhere across the Victorian network will be capped at $11 or $5.50 for a daily concession – an increase of 40 cents and 20 cents respectively.
On a weekend or public holiday, daily and concession fares will be capped at $7.60 and $3.80.
Public Transport fares cover less than one third of the operating cost of Victoria’s public transport system – and the regional fare cap will continue, allowing passengers to travel anywhere across the state for the same price as a daily metropolitan fare.
Victorians have embraced cheaper fares, with more than 39 million trips taken and $101 million saved since the regional fare cap was introduced.
For information and to plan your journey visit ptv.vic.gov.au or the PTV mobile app.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams
“We’re making it easier for friends and families to celebrate Christmas and the new year, delivering free public transport across the state.”
“Nearly half a million revellers are expected to travel into the city to celebrate the new year and the best and most convenient way to travel is with free public transport.”