The Australian Open is partnering with the Victorian Government to make it easier for tennis fans to get to Melbourne Park, offering free travel and additional services.
An extra 4,500 services will run on Route 70a to shuttle Australian Open ticket holders and staff for free during the two week main draw – with trams set to run every two to three minutes during peak periods.
For the first time, night buses will depart from Federation Square 40 minutes after play ends on a range of popular public transport routes. The new buses will run no later than 2:00am on Sunday to Thursday nights, with regular night network services operating over the weekend.
Tennis fans taking the train to Flinders Street Station can easily connect with a tram to Melbourne Park or walk across the Tanderrum Bridge through Birrarung Marr to the Garden Square Entrance.
Richmond Station is a short stroll along Olympic Boulevard to the Grand Slam Entrance and Jolimont Station is also close by via a short walk through Yarra Park to the tennis.
Tennis fans can also catch the Route 246 bus running between Elsternwick and Clifton Hill, stopping at Olympic Boulevard on Punt Road.
“With thousands of tennis fans expected to flock to Melbourne Park, we want to ensure getting to and from the event is as easy and convenient as possible. The new night buses will be a great additional service for fans to get home smoothly after late-night matches,” chief tennis officer Tom Larner said.
“The Australian Open is one of the largest sporting events in the world – and our world’s largest tram network will help people get there,” acting Minister for Public and Active Transport Colin Brooks said.
Last year, almost half a million trips were taken to the tennis by tram – representing about half the record 1,020,763 crowd over the two-week tournament.
