Since Metro commenced operations in November 2009, we have set ourselves an ambitious mission: to run Melbourne's growing railway with continuous improvement in safety, punctuality, reliability, and customer service.

To achieve this mission, we need to move towards a metro-style operation with high reliability and timetable simplicity.

Our long-term objective is to deliver a clock-face timetable with consistent stopping patterns and evenly spaced services, so that more people can be transported more often with fewer cancellations and less delays.

The timetable underpins our entire operation.

Timetabling plays a key role in moving towards a more metro-style operation and as we add 38 new X'Trapolis trains. For the customer, this style of operation will reduce the reliance on a traditional timetable and allow the focus to be on the frequency of services.

Improvements to our timetabling can only be made if the infrastructure is in place to enable it. We're delivering new train maintenance facilities, building 'turnbacks' to enable trains to make additional runs to and from the city in the peaks, hiring more drivers and enhancing the reliability of network power supplies.

These changes are all part of the step-by-step process to simplify the timetable by segregating lines to improve the reliability of the railway.