Ballan railway station

Ballan
PTV regional rail station
Station front and entrance in December 2008
Location	Atkinson Street, Ballan, Victoria 3342 Shire of Moorabool Australia
Coordinates	37°36′15″S 144°13′31″E / 37.6041°S 144.2254°E / -37.6041; 144.2254Coordinates: 37°36′15″S 144°13′31″E / 37.6041°S 144.2254°E / -37.6041; 144.2254
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	V/Line
Line(s)	Serviceton
Distance	79.48 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Status	Operational, Staffed
Station code	BLN
Fare zone	Myki Zone 4
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	22 December 1886
Rebuilt	31 January 2021 (Regional Rail Revival)
Services
Preceding station V/Line Following station Bacchus Marsh towards Southern Cross Ballarat line Ballarat towards Wendouree Ararat line Ballarat towards Ararat

Ballan railway station is located on the Serviceton line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the town of Ballan, and it opened on 22 December 1886.^[1][2]

History[]

The station opened as the terminus of a short line from Ballarat. On 4 December 1889, the line was extended to Bacchus Marsh, meaning that trains could then run from Melbourne to Ballarat via Ballan. Before the line via Ballan and Bacchus Marsh was constructed, Ballarat was only indirectly linked to Melbourne via the Melbourne-Geelong and Geelong-Ballarat lines.

Being on a single track section, the station served as a crossing loop, with an interlocked signal box erected in 1890. In 1893, a turntable was added and by 1908, the station had a four road yard, a passenger platform, a goods shed and goods platform.

By 1967, the turntable was removed.^[1][2] In early 1973, a dead-end siding at the Up (Southern Cross) end of the station was removed.^[3] More tracks in the yard were removed during 1987 and 1988, leaving only the platform road and a loop remaining.^[1][2] In 1996, the loop was abolished and the signal box closed, meaning that Ballan was no longer available for crossing trains.^[2] In 2004, as part of the Regional Fast Rail project, the track at the eastern end of the station was realigned in order to permit an increase in the maximum speeds of trains though the curve.

The Victorian State Government's Regional Rail Revival project in 2019 included an additional track and platform at Ballan, which will deliver two side platforms, an accessible pedestrian overpass and improved parking.^[4][5][6] Most of these works were completed by January 2021.

Closed stations Ingliston and Rowsley were located between Ballan and Bacchus Marsh. Between Ballan and Ballarat, closed stations include Gordon, Millbrook, Wallace, Bungaree, Warrenheip and Ballarat East.

Platforms and services[]

Ballan has two side platforms. It is serviced by V/Line Ballarat and Ararat line services.^[7][8][9]

Platform 1:

•  Ballarat line  services to Wendouree and Southern Cross
•  Ararat line  services to Ararat and Southern Cross

Platform 2

•  Ballarat line  services to Wendouree and Southern Cross
•  Ararat line  services to Ararat and Southern Cross

Transport links[]

Bacchus Marsh Coaches operates two routes via Ballan station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

• to Hepburn^[10]
• Ballan – Mount Egerton^[11]

V/Line also operates a road coach via Ballan station to Melbourne and Ballarat.

References[]

External links[]

• Media related to Ballan railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Victorian Railway Stations gallery
• Melway map at street-directory.com.au