Melbourne to Geelong by Train: Every 20 Minutes at Midday, 53 to 66 Minutes, Weekday Fare Cap $5.70 (Geelong, VIC)

Trains run between Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station and Geelong every 20 minutes in the middle of the day, and the trip takes 53 minutes on the fastest weekday trains and 63 to 66 minutes on trains that stop more often, according to V/Line’s timetable effective 23 August 2026. You pay by tapping a myki, bank card, smartphone or smartwatch on and off, and you do not need a seat reservation.

This guide covers the times, the stops, what the trip costs and the coach replacement on the evenings of 25 to 27 October. All times are Melbourne and Geelong time (AEDT, UTC+11), and the details are as of 19 October 2026.

How long does the train take?

It depends on how many stops the train makes. On a weekday, the 10:10am from Southern Cross reaches Geelong at 11:03am, 53 minutes later, and the 7:24am reaches it at 8:19am, 55 minutes. A train that also calls at Sunshine, Deer Park, Tarneit, Wyndham Vale, Lara and the other stations takes longer: the 10:13am arrives at 11:19am (66 minutes), the 10:30am arrives at 11:33am (63 minutes) and the first train of the day, the 4:46am, arrives at 5:51am (65 minutes).

Weekday train from Southern Cross	Arrives Geelong	Time on board
4:46am (first train)	5:51am	65 minutes
7:24am	8:19am	55 minutes
10:10am	11:03am	53 minutes
10:13am	11:19am	66 minutes
10:30am	11:33am	63 minutes

In the other direction, a weekday train leaves Geelong at 4:47am and reaches Southern Cross at 5:54am. The last weekday service in the timetable leaves Geelong at 11:07pm and arrives at Southern Cross at 12:15am. The full Geelong to Melbourne and Melbourne to Geelong tables are in the V/Line August 2026 timetable page, which links the Geelong line PDF.

How often do trains run?

In the middle of the day the timetable lists a Southern Cross departure at 10, 30 and 50 minutes past each hour, so there is a train every 20 minutes. On weekdays that pattern runs from about 9:10am to 3:10pm. On Saturday and Sunday it runs from about 8:10am to 9:10pm, with departures at :10, :30 and :50 past the hour.

Outside those hours the gaps are longer. On a weekday evening the Southern Cross departures are at 7:55pm, 8:35pm, 9:15pm and 10:00pm, roughly 40 minutes apart, and on Sunday night they are at 10:10pm and 11:10pm. The first weekend train from Southern Cross leaves at 7:04am and reaches Geelong at 8:09am.

At the Geelong end, trains continue to Waurn Ponds, which is the end of the line. On a weekend, the first train leaves Waurn Ponds at 5:18am on Saturday and 6:38am on Sunday.

Which stations does it stop at?

The Geelong line stations in the timetable are Southern Cross, Footscray, Sunshine, Deer Park, Tarneit, Wyndham Vale, Little River, Lara, Corio, North Shore, North Geelong, Geelong, South Geelong, Marshall and Waurn Ponds. Not every train stops at all of them. Some skip Sunshine, Deer Park, Tarneit, Wyndham Vale and Little River, so check the stops of the train you plan to catch in the timetable or the V/Line journey planner.

The timetable also marks Footscray and Sunshine as pick-up only on trains from Southern Cross, so you cannot get off there on the way to Geelong.

North Geelong, Geelong and South Geelong are three separate stations on the line, and trains carry on from South Geelong to Marshall and Waurn Ponds.

How much does the train cost?

Public transport in Victoria is half price from 1 June 2026 until 1 January 2027, including regional trains, and Transport Victoria says the fare is worked out automatically when you tap on. The fares below are the ones on its regional fare table in October 2026, so they can change when the half-price period ends. Regional train fares are based on myki zones. Transport Victoria’s regional train fare table lists the fares for travel between Zone 1 and another zone:

Travel between Zone 1 and	2 hour full fare	2 hour concession
Zone 2	$2.85	$1.42
Zone 3	$4.80	$2.40
Zone 4 onwards	$5.70	$2.85

The daily fare for the same trips is $5.70 on a weekday and $4.00 on a weekend, with concession fares of $2.85 and $2.00. V/Line says fares for travel on all government owned or operated public transport across Victoria are capped at the same price as a metropolitan ticket, and that once you reach the cap you pay no more for travel the same day on myki. A trip from Southern Cross to Geelong is therefore never charged more than the daily fare cap. The table does not say which zone Geelong falls in, so for the exact fare on the day use the V/Line journey planner or the myki zone map linked from Transport Victoria’s fare page.

Transport Victoria says to tap on at the start of the trip and tap off at the end to get the lowest fare. V/Line’s ticketing page says you can tap and go with a myki, a bank card, a smartphone or a smartwatch on most V/Line train services. You still need a valid ticket for each V/Line journey, even if you have already reached the fare cap that day on another journey.

Do I need to book a seat?

No. V/Line says reservations are not required on trains to and from Geelong, but you still need a valid myki or an unreserved paper ticket or eTicket. Reserved seating applies only to some other lines, such as Albury, Bairnsdale, Shepparton, Swan Hill and Warrnambool.

Can I take a bike?

V/Line says space for bicycles is generally limited on its Sprinter, H-Set and VLocity trains to and from Geelong and several other places. The V/Line journey planner and app show how many bicycles can be carried on each scheduled service, and V/Line asks you to check again on the day you travel because scheduled services can change.

Can I use the local buses in Geelong?

V/Line says you can use your myki or V/Line ticket on some local town buses if you travel to or from Geelong, North Geelong, South Geelong, Corio, North Shore, Marshall or Waurn Ponds station. Have your ticket with you when you board and show it to the driver. Tickets and myki cards are not sold by bus drivers.

Can I park at the station?

V/Line says car parking is available at most stations on its network, and that you use V/Line car parks at your own risk, so lock the doors and take your valuables. It does not give a car space count for the Geelong line stations on its FAQ page, so check the station you plan to use on the V/Line stations and stops page.

What changes on 25 to 27 October 2026?

Because of V/Line maintenance works, coaches replace evening trains on the Geelong line from Sunday 25 October to Tuesday 27 October. V/Line asks you to allow an extra 40 minutes. The notice gives these times:

Night	From Southern Cross	From Waurn Ponds
Sunday 25 October	From 9pm to last service	From 9pm to last service
Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 October	From 9pm to last service	From 8:30pm to last service

Coaches replace the trains for the entire journey, and they run as a mix of express and stopping all stations services. In Melbourne the coaches leave from the Southern Cross coach terminal on Spencer Street, opposite Little Bourke Street. You need a valid myki or paper ticket on a replacement coach, and V/Line says to touch on and touch off your myki. Space for bikes is limited, and pets and hot food or liquids are not allowed on the coaches. If you need help with access, V/Line asks you to call 1800 800 007 before you travel. Details are on the V/Line service changes page.

Timetables change for public holidays and for planned works, and V/Line says services may not run if a catastrophic fire danger is declared for a fire district the train passes through. Check vline.com.au, the V/Line app or the Transport Victoria journey planner on the day, or call 1800 800 007.

Sources

• V/Line — August 2026 timetable changes (Geelong line timetable effective 23 August 2026; checked 19 October 2026)
• V/Line — Service changes (Geelong line coaches, 25 to 27 October 2026)
• V/Line — Ticketing & fares
• Transport Victoria — Regional train fares
• Transport Victoria — Public transport now half price for everyone
• V/Line — FAQ
• V/Line — Bicycles, luggage and animals

Featured image: V/Line VLocity train at Geelong Station (photo: Marcnut1996 / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with V/Line or Transport Victoria. Timetables, fares and works can change; check the official pages above before you travel.