The Victorian government is delivering a significant boost to public transport in Melbourne’s growing western suburbs, with 470 new weekly bus trips to roll out from next month.
From Tuesday, July 1, four major routes – 170, 180, 190 and 192 – will offer more frequent services and extended operating hours, allowing buses to run later into the evening most days of the week.
The upgrade will improve connections to key train stations including Werribee, Tarneit and Wyndham Vale, while also making it easier for locals to reach shopping centres such as Pacific Werribee, Manor Lakes Central, Tarneit Central, and Wyndham Vale Square.
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Whether it’s late-night shopping, heading home after work, or returning from the footy on a Saturday night, the expanded timetable is designed to better fit around people’s lives and support shift workers and weekend travellers alike.
Public and active transport minister Gabrielle Williams says the improvements reflect the changing needs of Melbourne’s growing outer suburbs.
“We understand the importance of buses to local communities which is why we’re getting on with improving routes and adding new services, especially in our growing suburbs,” she said.
“More evening and night services on our busiest routes reflect changing travel patterns, including the increase in people travelling to and from the city in the evening for our major events, hospitality and work.”
The extra services are part of a broader $162 million investment in new and improved bus services, announced in the Victorian Budget 2025/26.
The focus is on strengthening connections between communities and key local destinations; train stations, schools, health services, shopping precincts, and employment hubs.
Tarneit MP Dylan Wight says the upgrades will deliver meaningful benefits to local residents.
“We are delivering more bus services making it easier to go shopping, get to work and school or catch the train,” Wight says.
In Werribee South, Kings Leigh Estate will be connected to the public transport network for the first time, with services also increasing to the new Wyndham Law Courts and Employment Precincts.
A new Route 140 bus from Rockbank to Tarneit will offer a vital cross-suburban link through Truganina and improve connectivity between Melton and Wyndham.
Member for Werribee John Lister says the expanded services would be welcomed by commuters.
“We know how important frequent bus services are to travellers in Wyndham – these changes will make people’s trips more convenient,” he says.
New or upgraded routes are also planned for areas including Tarneit West, Rockbank, Aintree, Deanside, Cairnlea, Thornhill Park, Cobblebank and Mt Atkinson, as well as Beveridge (Mandalay) and Wollert’s Mystique Estate.
In the south-east, a new cross-Peninsula route will directly connect Hastings and Mornington via Tyabb Road, while Mornington’s two main routes, 784 and 785, will also be upgraded.
“These extra bus services will give people more options to get where they need to go and building on a bus network that makes travelling by bus easier and more convenient,” Kororoit MP Luba Grigorovitch says.
Since the launch of Victoria’s Bus Plan in 2021, more than 110 local networks have been updated, resulting in almost 6,000 extra services each week across the state.
Some of the new services are funded by the Growth Area Infrastructure Contribution (GAIC), with a $153 million package announced last year supporting additional routes in Casey, Cardinia, Hume and Wyndham.
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