time. Stage 4 of the Network Development Plan [for] Metropolitan Rail proposed that the Upfield and Sandringham lines be joined via a reconfigured City Loop sometime in the 2030s. Network and operations Services Services on the Sandringham line operates from approximately 5:30 am to around 12:20 am daily. In general, during peak hours, train frequency is 5-10 minutes while services during non-peak hours drops to 10–20 minutes throughout the entire route (except on Sunday mornings when services run every 40 minutes till 9:30 am). Services don't run through the City Loop, instead terminating at Flinders Street. On Friday nights and weekends, services run 24 hours a day, with 60 minute frequencies available outside of normal operating hours. Train services on the Sandringham line are also subjected to maintenance and renewal works, usually on selected Fridays and Saturdays. Shuttle bus services are provided throughout the duration of works for affected commuters. Stopping patterns Legend — Station status ◼ Premium Station – Station staffed from first to last train ◻ Host Station – Usually staffed during morning peak, however this can vary for different stations on the network. Legend — Stopping patternsServices do not operate via the City Loop ● – All trains stop ◐ – Some services do not stop ▲ – Only inbound trains stop | – Trains pass and do not stop Operators The Sandringham line has had a total of 10 operators since its opening in 1859. The majority of operations throughout its history have been government run: from its nationalisation in 1878 until the 1997 privatisation of Melbourne's rail network, three different government operators have run the line. These operators, Victorian Railways, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, and the Public Transport Corporation have a combined operational length of 119 years. In comparison, there have been a total of seven private operators over two time periods. The line was initially operated by the Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company, the St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company, the Melbourne Railway Company, and the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company over the course of 19 years from 1859 till 1878. After the network privatisation of 1997, a total of three companies have been contracted to operate the line totalling years of operation. M-Train, Connex Melbourne, and Metro Trains Melbourne have all operated the line since 1997. *Operated part of the route Route The Sandringham line forms a somewhat linear route with minor