Essendon railway station

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Essendon
PTV commuter and regional railway station
Essendon Station platforms 2 and 3.jpg
Southbound view from Platform 2 in September 2018
LocationRussell Street,
Essendon, Victoria 3040
City of Moonee Valley
Australia
Coordinates37°45′22″S 144°54′58″E / 37.7560°S 144.9161°E / -37.7560; 144.9161Coordinates: 37°45′22″S 144°54′58″E / 37.7560°S 144.9161°E / -37.7560; 144.9161
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byMetro Trains
Line(s)Craigieburn
Distance8.01 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms3 (1 side, 1 island)
Tracks3
ConnectionsBus
Tram
Construction
Structure typeGround
Parking499
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Disabled accessYes
Other information
StatusOperational, Premium Station
Station codeESD
Fare zoneMyki Zone 1
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened1 November 1860
Closed1 July 1864
Rebuilt9 October 1871
Electrified1500 V DC overhead (May 1919)
Passengers
2014-2015Not measured[1]
2015-20161.60 million[1] Decrease 0.16%
2016-20171.75 million[1] Increase 9.6%
2017-20181.69 million[1] Decrease 3.55%
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station
Moonee Ponds
towards Flinders Street
 Craigieburn line Glenbervie
towards Craigieburn
Preceding station V/Line Following station
North Melbourne
towards Southern Cross
 Seymour line
Weekday peak only
 Broadmeadows
towards Seymour

Essendon railway station is located on the Craigieburn line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the northern Melbourne suburb of Essendon, and it opened on 1 November 1860.[2]

History[]

Essendon opened as the terminus of the private Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company line. The station closed with the line on 1 July 1864, but was reopened on 9 October 1871, under government ownership.[3] The line to the north was opened in 1872, as part of the North East line to Wodonga. A completely new station, with a single platform, was provided in 1878, on the site of the present island platform, with passenger subways and footbridges added in 1886, along with conversion of the island platform to the current layout. It was also at this time that a rail overpass was provided at Mount Alexander Road, in what was one of the first grade separation projects to be carried out in the state. In 1909, the present buildings were provided, along with a centre track between Platforms 1 and 2.[3]

Electric train services between the city and Essendon were inaugurated in 1919, with electrification extended to Broadmeadows in 1921. However, Essendon remained the terminus of most suburban services, with a shuttle service operating beyond until 1925, with all day through services to Broadmeadows not provided until 1941.[4]

In 1965, the Double Line Block signalling between Broadmeadows and Essendon was abolished, and was replaced with three position signalling.[2] The station took the layout it has today in 1969, with the abolition of the centre track, closure of the stand-alone signal box, provision of automatic signalling along the line, and replacement of the interlocked crossing gates with boom barriers at the former Buckley Street level crossing. A signal panel was provided within the station office in the same year,[2] and was abolished on 7 June 2014.[5]

Harris motor 518M and Tait motor 368M were destroyed by fire whilst stabled at the station on 7 March 1973.[6] Tait trailer 85G was also damaged in the fire.[6]

Stabling of suburban trains at Essendon ceased on 8 June 1987, with the overhead wiring of all sidings removed just over a year later.[7] The former sidings near Rose Street were removed on 1 September 1988.[7]

On 20 September 2016, the Level Crossing Removal Authority and the Victorian State Government announced the grade separation of the Buckley Street level crossing.[8] Construction began in 2018, with the level crossing being removed and Buckley Street reopening on 28 September 2018. Buckley Street now runs under the railway line in a trench.[8]

As part of the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel, it is expected that the turnback facilities at the station will be upgraded, to allow services to start at Essendon when the tunnel opens in 2025.[9]

Platforms and services[]

Essendon has one island platform with two faces and one side platform. Platform 1 is rarely used as it is unable to accommodate a 6 car train,[2] but it is used by V/Line services to overtake Metro Trains' services, or when 3 car trains are terminating.

It is serviced by Metro Trains' Craigieburn line services[10] and selected V/Line Seymour services.[11]

Platform 1:

  • Passing loop only for V/Line services. Only used for 3 car passenger services during major disruptions.

Platform 2:

Platform 3:

Transport links[]

CDC Melbourne operates one route via Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

  •  477 : Moonee Ponds Junction – Broadmeadows station[12]

Kastoria Bus Lines operates three routes via Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

Kinetic Melbourne operates one SmartBus route via Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

Moonee Valley Coaches operates one route to and from Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

  •  503 : to Brunswick East[16]

Moreland Buslines operates one route to and from Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

Ryan Brothers Bus Service operates two routes to and from Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

Sunbury Bus Service operates one route via Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

Ventura Bus Lines operates one route via Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

Yarra Trams operates one route via Essendon station:

Gallery[]

  • H 220 leads the northbound Albury Express past the signal box at Essendon, circa 1949

  • Northbound view from Platform 1 in April 2005

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "Station Patronage Data 2013-2018". Philip Mallis. Transport for Victoria. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Essendon Vicsig
  3. ^ a b Turton, Keith W (1973). Six And A Half Inches From Destiny. The first hundred years of the Melbourne-Wodonga Railway 1873-1973. Australian Railway Historical Society. pp. 23, 86. ISBN 0-85849-012-9.
  4. ^ SE Dornan & RG Henderson (1979). Electric Railways of Victoria. Australian Electric Traction Society. p. 54. ISBN 0-909459-06-1.
  5. ^ Essendon Signal Box (ESD) Vicsig
  6. ^ a b "Delays". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. May 1974. p. 118.
  7. ^ a b "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. November 1988. p. 349.
  8. ^ a b "Buckley Street, Essendon". levelcrossings.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  9. ^ "MM-Business-Case-Feb-2016-APPENDIX-03.PDF" (PDF). metrotunnel.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 29 September 2018. Infrastructure to facilitate short turnback of services at Essendon
  10. ^ "Craigieburn Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  11. ^ Seymour - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria
  12. ^ "477 Moonee Ponds - Broadmeadows Station via Essendon & Airport West & Gladstone Park". Public Transport Victoria.
  13. ^ "469 Moonee Ponds - Keilor East via Strathmore". Public Transport Victoria.
  14. ^ "476 Moonee Ponds - Watergardens via Keilor". Public Transport Victoria.
  15. ^ "903 Altona - Mordialloc (SMARTBUS Service)". Public Transport Victoria.
  16. ^ "503 Essendon - East Brunswick via Albion Street". Public Transport Victoria.
  17. ^ "510 Essendon - Ivanhoe via Brunswick & Northcote & Thornbury". Public Transport Victoria.
  18. ^ "465 Essendon Station - Keilor Park via East Keilor". Public Transport Victoria.
  19. ^ "468 Essendon - Highpoint SC via Maribyrnong". Public Transport Victoria.
  20. ^ "483 Sunbury - Moonee Ponds via Diggers Rest". Public Transport Victoria.
  21. ^
  22. ^ "59 Airport West - Flinders Street Station & City". Public Transport Victoria.

External links[]

Media related to Essendon railway station at Wikimedia Commons

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