Balaclava railway station, Melbourne

Balaclava
PTV commuter rail station
Northbound view from Platform 2, March 2024
General information
LocationCarlisle Street,
Balaclava, Victoria 3183
City of Port Phillip
Australia
Coordinates37°52′10″S 144°59′36″E / 37.8695°S 144.9934°E / -37.8695; 144.9934
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byMetro Trains
Line(s)Sandringham
Distance9.09 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms2 side
Tracks2
ConnectionsList of Melbourne tram routes Tram
Construction
Structure typeElevated
AccessibleYes—step free access
Other information
StatusOperational, premium station
Station codeBCV
Fare zoneMyki Zone 1
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened19 December 1859; 165 years ago (1859-12-19)
Rebuilt1981
10 October 2014
ElectrifiedMay 1919 (1500 V DC overhead)
Passengers
2005–2006794,072[1]
2006–2007893,591[1] Increase 12.53%
2007–2008981,598[1] Increase 9.84%
2008–20091,098,892[2] Increase 11.94%
2009–20101,151,160[2] Increase 4.75%
2010–20111,163,197[2] Increase 1.04%
2011–20121,046,436[2] Decrease 10.03%
2012–2013Not measured[2]
2013–20141,106,583[2] Increase 5.74%
2014–20151,098,253[1] Decrease 0.75%
2015–20161,212,350[2] Increase 10.38%
2016–20171,271,058[2] Increase 4.84%
2017–20181,309,198[2] Increase 3%
2018–20191,114,565[2] Decrease 14.86%
2019–2020923,000[2] Decrease 17.18%
2020–2021416,700[2] Decrease 54.85%
2021–2022468,900[3] Increase 12.52%
Services
Preceding station Railways in Melbourne Metro Trains Following station
Windsor
towards Flinders Street
 Sandringham line Ripponlea
towards Sandringham
Track layout
Legend
to Windsor
1
2
to Ripponlea

Balaclava railway station is a commuter railway station on the Sandringham line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the south-eastern suburb of Balaclava, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Balaclava station is a ground level premium station, featuring two side platforms, with a customer service desk on platform 1. It opened on 19 December 1859, with the current station provided in 2014.[4]

Balaclava is an elevated station, and is located above the Carlisle Street rail overpass.

History

Balaclava station opened on 19 December 1859, when the railway line from Windsor was extended to North Brighton.[4] Like the suburb itself, the station was named after the Battle of Balaclava, which occurred during the Crimean War in 1854.[5][6]

On 3 December 1977, the station was damaged by fire.[4] In 1981, the station buildings were rebuilt.[7]

In 1996, two men found $200,000 in a drum buried beneath one of the platforms.[8] They handed the money in to the police and the find was reported in the media. In the same week, another man found a second drum under the platform, containing a similar quantity of money, which he also turned in to the police. Because no one claimed it, the men were granted ownership of the money they found, despite being considered trespassers on land owned by the then Public Transport Corporation.[9]

In June 2012, a $13.3 million upgrade to the station was announced. It involved widening the platforms, improving stair and ramp access, signage, booking office facilities, waiting rooms, wheelchair shelters and toilets, and the provision of new station canopies to increase weather protection.[10] CCTV cameras were added, as well as provision for future lifts. In October 2014, construction works were completed, with Balaclava upgraded to a premium station.[11][12][13][14]

Following a 2019 commitment by the Federal Government, the station was due to receive an upgraded commuter car-park. However, this was scrapped by the same government in 2021.[15]

Platforms and services

Northbound view from Platform 2, October 2021

Balaclava has two side platforms. It is served by Sandringham line trains.[16] Platform 1:

Platform 2:

Yarra Trams operates two routes via Balaclava station:

  • North-west bound view from Platform 1, January 2007
    North-west bound view from Platform 1, January 2007
  • Southbound view from Platform 1, October 2017
    Southbound view from Platform 1, October 2017

References

  1. ^ a b c d Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005–2006 to 2018–19 Department of Transport
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008–2021 Philip Mallis
  3. ^ Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
  4. ^ a b c "Balaclava". vicsig.net. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  5. ^ "Balaclava". Victorian Places. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  6. ^ First, Jamie (7 January 2014). "The A-Z story of Melbourne's suburbs". Herald Sun. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  7. ^ Vincent Adams Winter (1990). VR and VicRail: 1962 - 1983. p. 107. ISBN 0-9592069-3-0.
  8. ^ "ABC Radio National - The Law Report Transcript". www.abc.net.au. 6 February 1996. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
  9. ^ "ABC Radio National - The Law Report Transcript". www.abc.net.au. 13 July 1996. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
  10. ^ A new look for Balaclava station St Kilda News 4 June 2012
  11. ^ Balaclava Station Upgrade Project Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Public Transport Victoria
  12. ^ Balaclava Station Upgrade Archived 20 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Public Transport Victoria
  13. ^ Premium experience coming soon to Balaclava station Premier of Victoria 24 September 2014
  14. ^ "Premium experience comes to refurbished Balaclava Station" Railway Digest November 2014 page 25
  15. ^ "Morrison government pulls $50m promised for station car parks". 17 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Sandringham Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  17. ^ "3-3a Melbourne University - East Malvern". Public Transport Victoria.
  18. ^ "16 Melbourne University - Kew via St Kilda Beach". Public Transport Victoria.