Gow Melbourne’s new X’Trapolis 2.0 trains are transforming public transport in 2025 with better accessibility, comfort, and local job support.

In 2025, Melbourne’s public transport will see a major change with X’Trapolis 2.0 trains introducing modern smart and sustainable technology to trains built locally. If you commute often on any of these lines, the latest electric trains will make your ride much smoother, safer and easier for everyone, plus they help local workers and the environment.

Let’s dive into what these new trains mean for everyday commuters and how this exciting development is reshaping Melbourne’s rail future.

🚇 What Is the X’Trapolis 2.0 Train Project?

The Victoria government funded the X’Trapolis 2.0 train fleet, with 25 state of the art trains and supporting upgrades to the Craigieburn Train Maintenance Facility, at $988 million. The new trains will be a replacement for Melbourne’s Comeng fleet which has survived for more than 40 years.

The X’Trapolis 2.0 rollout is not just a design update — it’s a leap forward in:

• Accessibility
  
• Comfort
  
• Sustainability
  

• Efficiency

🏗️ Built in Regional Victoria – Supporting Local Jobs

A standout feature of the project is its strong focus on local content:

• ✅ At least 60% of train components are made in Victoria.
  
• 🛠️ Manufactured at Alstom’s Ballarat facility, which has been modernised for this project.
  
• 👷‍♀️ Up to 750 jobs supported across Victoria’s manufacturing sector, including 150+ jobs in Ballarat.
  
• 🎓 Opportunities for apprentices and trainees, boosting local skills development.
  

This makes the X’Trapolis 2.0 project a Melbourne success story, reinforcing Victoria’s position as a leader in rail manufacturing.

These trains are not just smart — they’re built for the future of a sustainable Melbourne.

✨ Key Benefits for Melbourne Commuters

Designed for today’s busy passengers, the new X’Trapolis 2.0 trains are packed with smart features that make commuting in Melbourne faster, safer, and more pleasant:

🚪 Easier & Faster Boarding

• Wider doors to speed up entry and reduce delays.
  
• Semi-automated boarding ramps for people using wheelchairs or prams.
  

♿ Fully Accessible Design

• 20 dedicated wheelchair spaces
  
• Hearing loops
  
• Continuous walkways between carriages
  
• Improved passenger displays
  
• Designated spaces for bikes and prams
  

💺 More Comfort for Daily Travel

• Space for around 1,225 passengers
  
• Ergonomic seating
  
• Advanced air suspension for smoother rides
  
• USB charging ports
  
• Climate-controlled cabins
  

🔒 Safety + Smarter Travel

• CCTV and emergency intercoms
  
• Real-time passenger information with service alerts and maps
  
• Energy-efficient systems, using up to 40% less energy than older trains
  

These trains are made to meet the everyday needs of Melbourne commuters, whether you’re heading into the city, travelling to uni, or getting home from work.

🚉 Where Will X’Trapolis 2.0 Trains Operate?

The first rollout will serve three of Melbourne’s busiest suburban lines:

• Craigieburn Line
  
• Upfield Line
  
• Frankston Line
  

Trial testing will begin in mid to late 2025, with a full public rollout expected in 2026. If you travel on these lines, keep an eye out for test runs — you might spot one sooner than you think!

🛠️ Upgrades at Craigieburn Train Maintenance Facility

To support this new train fleet, the Craigieburn Train Maintenance Facility is getting a major upgrade:

• New roof platforms and extended maintenance pits
  
• Expanded space to maintain the new six-car trains
  
• Improved systems for faster, safer service turnaround
  

This ensures the new X’Trapolis trains are maintained efficiently and are more frequently available for commuters across the Melbourne metro area.

👥 Designed With Feedback from Victorians

Thousands of Victorians have already shaped the design before the first train even hits the tracks. 1,600+ people could test and provide feedback on the train in 2023 when a life size mock up was revealed at Alstom ‘s Tullamarine site. This lead to the following:

• ✅ 58 design improvements
  
• ✅ Feedback from passengers with mobility, hearing, and vision impairments
  
• ✅ Enhanced accessibility and user-friendliness
  

This is a train designed by locals, for locals.

🌱 Why This Matters for Melbourne’s Future

The X’Trapolis 2.0 is about more than just trains — it’s about building a better-connected, sustainable Melbourne.

Local Benefits:

• This has the capacity of 1225 passengers.
• To help maintain on time running the doors are wider doors which help onboard and alight easier.
• advanced air suspension systems that resulted in a smoother ride
• More improved passenger information which gives more journey information in real time.
• It is a more energy efficient design for Melbourne’s rail network.
• It includes 20 wheelchair spaces and new interior designs that enhance hearing, vision and mobility impaired passengers accessibility.
• better accessibility features (including full keyboard navigation for plug-in features, accessible color contrast and an enlarged text mode).
• Additionally creating more mobility spaces.
• Boarding ramps were automated, but semi —.hearing loops
• There was a continuous walkway in the train.
• There is a shrinking of passenger displays which become clearer and more informative.

It has designated ‘mixed use’ (for bicycles, prams and wheelchairs) onboard spaces for the storage of bicycles and pram storage and dedicated wheelchair spaces.

Whether you’re commuting to work in the CBD, visiting family in the suburbs, or heading to the beach on the Frankston line — this upgrade will improve your travel experience in 2025 and beyond.

📅 When Can You Ride the New Trains?

• Testing: Mid to late 2025
  
• Passenger service: Rolling out gradually from late 2025 into 2026
  
• Lines impacted: Frankston, Upfield, and Craigieburn
  

For the latest testing updates and line impacts, visit the PTV website.

📸 Sneak Peek at the X’Trapolis 2.0 Design

Expect a futuristic look, open walkways, modern lighting, digital screens, and spaces for everyone — from parents with prams to cyclists and passengers using mobility aids.

These aren’t just new trains — they represent a smarter, greener Melbourne.

🔍 Melbourne’s Transport Future Is Here

Having X’Trapolis 2.0 trains in Melbourne will benefit everyone, including those who get to work or school, the area’s economy and the  environment. It is also one step toward making transport better, providing new employment and helping the environment.

If you take public transport in 2025— you could be reaching the future.

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