Additional public transport and an extension to the free-tram zone to the MCG have been announced for Taylor Swift’s upcoming concerts. Photo: Taylor Swift Instagram.
Regular attendees know All Too Well how crowded it can be at major events at the MCG, and the Victorian Government wants to ensure there is no Bad Blood for fans attending Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts this weekend.
To ensure ”Swifties” can continue their Love Story with the star before and after the concerts, the government has announced additional public transport and an extension to the free-tram zone to the MCG for the three sold-out shows this Friday to Sunday, 16-18 February.
Minister for Active and Public Transport Gabrielle Williams is urging concert-goers to use public transport to avoid traffic, with the MCG within a short walk of Richmond, Jolimont and Flinders Street train stations.
A government statement said about 150 metropolitan train services would be added over the three nights to get concert-goers to and from the MCG as easily as possible. It said the free-tram zone would be extended to the MCG along routes 48, 70 and 75 along both Flinders and Collins streets to the Melbourne Park precinct for the three days.
In addition to these metropolitan services, extra capacity has been allocated on all regional lines and V/Line train services before and after each show on the Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Traralgon and Seymour lines.
The statement said fans who usually used the Frankston and Belgrave lines should plan for disruptions caused by level-crossing removal works. It said replacement buses would run on two small sections of the Belgrave line from Ringwood to Bayswater, and the Frankston line from Cheltenham to Mordialloc.
It reminded fans that the Narre Warren, Keon Park, Croydon and Parkdale stations were closed, and that extra shuttle buses would operate to and from the nearest stations.
Minister Williams said: “We’ve added hundreds of extra train and free tram services across the three days to get ‘Swifties’ to the shows as easily and safely as possible.
“Taylor Swift’s biggest-ever Australian shows will have the same impact on the transport network as three AFL grand finals back-to-back – that’s why we’re encouraging everyone attending to plan ahead and take public transport to the ‘G’.”
