Ruthven railway station

Ruthven
PTV commuter rail station
Southbound view from Platform 2, May 2023
General information
Location	High Street, Reservoir, Victoria City of Darebin Australia
Coordinates	37°42′28″S 145°00′34″E
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Mernda
Distance	15.95 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 (1 island)
Tracks	2
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	80
Accessible	No—steep ramp
Other information
Status	Operational, unstaffed
Station code	RUT
Fare zone	Myki Zone 2
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	5 August 1963; 61 years ago (1963-08-05)
Electrified	December 1929 (1500 V DC overhead)
Passengers
2005–2006	140,727[1]
2006–2007	154,873[1]  10.05%
2007–2008	192,765[1]  24.46%
2008–2009	313,836[2]  62.8%
2009–2010	274,917[2]  12.4%
2010–2011	273,027[2]  0.68%
2011–2012	258,962[2]  5.15%
2012–2013	Not measured[2]
2013–2014	205,369[2]  20.7%
2014–2015	250,925[1]  22.18%
2015–2016	340,791[2]  35.81%
2016–2017	373,097[2]  9.47%
2017–2018	407,505[2]  9.22%
2018–2019	409,500[2]  0.49%
2019–2020	334,100[2]  18.4%
2020–2021	162,400[2]  51.4%
2021–2022	157,350[3]  3.1%
2022–2023	237,150[4]  50.71%
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station Reservoir towards Flinders Street Mernda line Keon Park towards Mernda
Track layout to Reservoir 1 2 to Keon Park

Ruthven railway station is a commuter railway station on the Mernda line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the northern suburb of Reservoir, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Ruthven is a ground-level unstaffed station, featuring an island platform with two faces. It opened on 5 August 1963.[5][6]

History

Ruthven station opened on 5 August 1963, and was named after William Ruthven, who served in both world wars (winning the Victoria Cross in World War I), and was later a member of the Victorian Parliament, representing Preston and then Reservoir.[7][8] A ceremony occurred a day earlier to celebrate the opening, with dignitaries who attended the opening including then Transport Minister Edward Meagher, and then opposition leader in the Victorian Legislative Council, John Galbally.[9][10] When it opened, the station building was painted in a bright red colour.[9]

In 2022, Ruthven received a $1.03 million upgrade, as part of the Victoria's Big Build project.[11][12] Upgrades to the station included improved facilities and lighting, resurfacing the asphalt on the island platform, new PTV station signage with the red "Clifton Hill group" colour and a substation constructed opposite Platform 1.[11][12]

Platforms and services

A Mernda bound X'Trapolis train arrives at Platform 2

Ruthven has one island platform with two faces. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Mernda line services.[13]

Platform 1:

•  Mernda line  all stations and limited express services to Flinders Street

Platform 2:

•  Mernda line  all stations services to Mernda

Transport links

Dysons operates one bus route via Ruthven station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  555 : Pacific Epping – Northland Shopping Centre[14]

Gallery

• 
  Northbound view from Platform 2, May 2014
• 
  New style Ruthven station Platform 1 signage,
  May 2023

References

1. Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Department of Transport
2. Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Philip Mallis
3. Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
4. Annual metropolitan train station entries 2022-23 Data Vic
5. "Ruthven". vicsig.net. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
6. Jack McLean (November 1995). "Reservoir - Whittlesea: Signalling and Safeworking". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. pp. 333–337.
7. SE Dornan & RG Henderson (1979). Electric Railways of Victoria. Australian Electric Traction Society. p. 67. ISBN 0-909459-06-1.
8. "William Ruthven (1893–1970)". Ruthven, William (1893-1970) Biographical Entry - Australian Dictionary of Biography Online. www.adb.online.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
9. "Ruthven Railway Station Opened". The Age. 5 August 1963. p. 9.
10. "New Works, Closures, Tenders, Etc". Divisional Diary. Australian Railway Historical Society. November 1963. p. 10.
11. "Works notice – upcoming works at Ruthven Station May 2022". Victoria's Big Build. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
12. "Ruthven Substation". Victoria's Big Build. 3 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
13. "Mernda Line". Public Transport Victoria.
14. "555 Epping - Northland via Lalor & Thomastown & Reservoir". Public Transport Victoria.

External links

• Melway map at street-directory.com.au