Essendon railway station

Essendon
PTV commuter and regional railway station
Southbound view from Platform 2, September 2018
General information
Location	Russell Street, Essendon, Victoria 3040 City of Moonee Valley Australia
Coordinates	37°45′22″S 144°54′58″E
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains V/Line
Line(s)	Craigieburn Seymour Shepparton (Tocumwal)
Distance	8.01 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	3 (1 side, 1 island)
Tracks	3
Connections	Bus Tram
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	499
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	No—steep ramp
Other information
Status	Operational, premium station
Station code	ESD
Fare zone	Myki Zone 1
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	1 November 1860; 164 years ago (1860-11-01)
Closed	1 July 1864
Rebuilt	9 October 1871
Electrified	May 1919 (1500 V DC overhead)
Passengers
2005–2006	1,453,109[1]
2006–2007	1,494,586[1]  2.85%
2007–2008	1,673,602[1]  11.97%
2008–2009	1,680,211[2]  0.39%
2009–2010	1,736,588[2]  3.35%
2010–2011	1,702,189[2]  1.98%
2011–2012	1,670,551[2]  1.86%
2012–2013	Not measured[2]
2013–2014	1,599,832[2]  4.23%
2014–2015	1,570,121[1]  1.85%
2015–2016	1,597,247[2]  1.72%
2016–2017	1,750,538[2]  9.59%
2017–2018	1,688,377[2]  3.55%
2018–2019	1,480,050[2]  12.34%
2019–2020	1,298,700[2]  12.25%
2020–2021	579,150[2]  55.4%
2021–2022	723,050[3]  24.84%
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
Track layout to Moonee Ponds 1 2 3 to Glenbervie

Essendon railway station is a commuter and regional railway station on the suburban Craigieburn line and the regional Seymour line, part of the Melbourne and Victorian railway networks. It serves the northern suburb of Essendon in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Essendon station is a ground level premium station, featuring three platforms, an island platform with two faces and one side platform. It opened on 1 November 1860, with the current station provided in 1871. It initially closed on 1 July 1864, then reopened on 9 October 1871.[4]

History

Essendon station opened on 1 November 1860 as the terminus of the private Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company line.[4] The station closed with the line on 1 July 1864, but was reopened on 9 October 1871, under government ownership.[5] The line to the north was opened in 1872, as part of the North East line to School House Lane.[4] Like the suburb itself, the station was named after Essendon in Hertfordshire, England.[6][7]

In 1878, a completely new station, with a single platform, was provided, 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 that 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.[5]

In 1919, electric train services between the city and Essendon were inaugurated, with electrification extended to Broadmeadows in 1921. However, Essendon remained the terminus of most suburban services, with a shuttle service operating beyond until 1925, and all-day through services to Broadmeadows not provided until 1941.[8]

In 1965, the double line block signalling between Broadmeadows and Essendon was abolished, and was replaced with three position signalling.[4] In 1969, the station took the layout it has today, with the abolition of the centre track, the closure of the stand-alone signal box, the provision of automatic signalling along the line, and the replacement of the interlocked gates with boom barriers at the former Buckley Street level crossing. A signal panel was provided within the station office in that same year.[4]

On 7 March 1974, Harris motor 518M and Tait motor 368M were destroyed by fire whilst stabled at the station.[9][10][11] Tait trailer 85G was also damaged in the fire.[9][10][11]

On 8 June 1987, stabling of suburban trains at Essendon ceased, with the overhead wiring of all sidings removed just over a year later.[12] On 1 September 1988, the former sidings near Rose Street were removed.[12]

On 16 August 1996, Essendon was upgraded to a premium station.[13] Also in that year, siding "B" was taken out of service.[14] On 7 June 2014, the signal panel was abolished.[15]

On 20 September 2016, the Victorian State Government announced the grade separation of the Buckley Street level crossing.[16] Construction began in 2018, with the level crossing removed and Buckley Street reopening on 28 September of that year. Buckley Street now passes under the railway line in a trench.[16]

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.[17]

Platforms and services

Essendon has one island platform with two faces and one side platform. Platform 1 is only used by V/Line services to overtake Metro Trains' services, or when three-car trains are terminating, as it is unable to accommodate a six-car train.[4]

The station is served by Craigieburn line trains[18] and some V/Line Seymour line services.[19]

Platform 1:

• Passing loop only for V/Line services and three-car passenger services during major disruptions.

Platform 2:

•  Craigieburn line  all stations services to Flinders Street
•  Seymour line  three weekday morning peak-hour V/Line services to Southern Cross (set down only)
•  Shepparton line  one weekday morning peak-hour V/Line service to Southern Cross (set down only)

Platform 3:

•  Craigieburn line  all stations services to Craigieburn
•  Seymour line  four weekday evening peak-hour V/Line services to Seymour (pick up only)
•  Shepparton line  one weekday evening peak-hour V/Line service to Shepparton (pick up only)

Transport links

CDC Melbourne operates one bus route via Essendon station:

•  477 : Moonee Ponds Junction – Broadmeadows station[20]

Dysons operates one bus route to and from Essendon station:

•  503 : to Brunswick East[21]

Kastoria Bus Lines operates three bus routes via Essendon station:

•  469 : Moonee Ponds Junction – Keilor East[22]
•  476 : Watergardens station – Moonee Ponds Junction[23]

Kinetic Melbourne operates two routes via Essendon station

•  510 : to Ivanhoe station[24]
• SmartBus  903 : Altona station – Mordialloc[25]

Ryan Brothers Bus Service operates two bus routes to and from Essendon station:

•  465 : to Keilor Park[26]
•  468 : to Highpoint Shopping Centre[27]

Sunbury Bus Service operates one bus route via Essendon station:

•  483 : Sunbury station – Moonee Ponds Junction[28]

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

• Night Bus  959 : Melbourne CBD (Queen Street) – Broadmeadows station (Saturday and Sunday mornings only)[29]

Yarra Trams operates one route via Essendon station:

• : Airport West – Flinders Street station (via Elizabeth Street)[30]

Gallery

• 
  H 220 leads the northbound Albury Express past the signal box at Essendon, c. 1949
• 
  Northbound view from Platform 1, April 2005

References

1. Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Archived 17 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Department of Transport
2. Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Archived 17 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Philip Mallis
3. Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Archived 6 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine Data Vic
4. "Essendon". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
5. 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.
6. "Essendon and Essendon City". Victorian Places. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
7. First, Jamie (7 January 2014). "The A-Z story of Melbourne's suburbs". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
8. SE Dornan & RG Henderson (1979). Electric Railways of Victoria. Australian Electric Traction Society. p. 54. ISBN 0-909459-06-1.
9. "4 trains wrecked by vandals". The Herald. 7 March 1974. p. 3.
10. "Appeal to report train vandals". The Age. 8 March 1974. p. 4.
11. "Delays". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. May 1974. p. 118.
12. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. November 1988. p. 349.
13. "Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1997. pp. 303–315.
14. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. August 1996. p. 251.
15. "Essendon Signal Box (ESD)". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
16. "Buckley Street, Essendon". levelcrossings.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 29 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
17. "MM-Business-Case-Feb-2016-APPENDIX-03.PDF" (PDF). metrotunnel.vic.gov.au. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 March 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2018. Infrastructure to facilitate short turnback of services at Essendon
18. "Craigieburn Line". Public Transport Victoria.
19. Seymour - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria
20. "477 Moonee Ponds - Broadmeadows Station via Essendon & Airport West & Gladstone Park". Public Transport Victoria.
21. "503 Essendon - East Brunswick via Albion Street". Public Transport Victoria.
22. "469 Moonee Ponds - Keilor East via Strathmore". Public Transport Victoria.
23. "476 Moonee Ponds - Watergardens via Keilor". Public Transport Victoria.
24. "510 Essendon - Ivanhoe via Brunswick & Northcote & Thornbury". Public Transport Victoria.
25. "903 Altona - Mordialloc (SMARTBUS Service)". Public Transport Victoria.
26. "465 Essendon Station - Keilor Park via East Keilor". Public Transport Victoria.
27. "468 Essendon - Highpoint SC via Maribyrnong". Public Transport Victoria.
28. "483 Sunbury - Moonee Ponds via Diggers Rest". Public Transport Victoria.
29. 959 City - Broadmeadows Station via Niddrie and Airport West Archived 29 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine Public Transport Victoria
30. "59 Airport West - Flinders Street Station & City". Public Transport Victoria.

External links

Media related to Essendon railway station at Wikimedia Commons

• Melway map at street-directory.com.au