West Footscray railway station

West Footscray
PTV commuter rail station
Westbound view from Platform 1, August 2021
General information
Location	Sunshine Road, West Footscray, Victoria 3012 City of Maribyrnong Australia
Coordinates	37°48′06″S 144°53′07″E
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Sunbury
Distance	7.33 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	3 (1 island, 1 side, middle platform disconnected)
Tracks	7
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes—step-free access
Other information
Status	Operational, unstaffed
Station code	WFY
Fare zone	Myki Zone 1
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	1 October 1888; 136 years ago (1888-10-01)
Closed	November 2012
Rebuilt	1976 14 October 2013 6 July 2020
Electrified	October 1921 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous names	Footscray West (1888–1912)
Passengers
2005–2006	300,313[1]
2006–2007	336,312[1]  11.98%
2007–2008	351,421[1]  4.49%
2008–2009	392,650[2]  11.73%
2009–2010	398,015[2]  1.36%
2010–2011	426,490[2]  7.15%
2011–2012	355,557[2]  16.63%
2012–2013	Not measured[2]
2013–2014	448,029[2]  26%
2014–2015	596,277[1]  33.08%
2015–2016	671,539[2]  12.62%
2016–2017	734,860[2]  9.42%
2017–2018	751,584[2]  2.27%
2018–2019	733,050[2]  2.46%
2019–2020	515,950[2]  29.61%
2020–2021	213,500[2]  58.62%
2021–2022	283,750[3]  32.9%
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station Middle Footscray towards Flinders Street Sunbury line Tottenham towards Sunbury or Watergardens
Track layout to Middle Footscray to Tottenham Yard 1 2 3 to Tottenham Broad gauge, electrified Broad gauge, non-electrified Dual gauge, non-electrified

West Footscray railway station is a commuter railway station on the Sunbury line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the western suburb of West Footscray, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. West Footscray station is a ground-level unstaffed station, featuring three platforms, an island platform with two faces and one side platform, accessible by a pedestrian footbridge. It opened on 1 October 1888, with the current island platform provided in 2013 and the current side platform provided in 2020.[4]

Initially opened as Footscray West, the station was given its current name of West Footscray on 1 September 1912.[4]

Two dual gauge tracks run to the north of the station, forming the South Kensington – West Footscray freight line, which links the Port of Melbourne and other freight terminals to the rest of the state. The tracks also form part of the Melbourne – Sydney and Melbourne – Adelaide standard gauge lines. Two Regional Rail Link tracks run to the south of the station.

History

In 1976, the original station buildings were demolished, and replaced with brick structures.[5] In 2013, the station was rebuilt 200 metres further west, to accommodate two lines to the south as part of the Regional Rail Link project. On 14 October of that year, the new station opened, and the old station was demolished soon after.[6][7][8]

A third platform has been built to the north of the existing island platform, as part of the Metro Tunnel project, to allow services to terminate and return. Work commenced in late 2018 and the new platform was opened on 6 July 2020.[9][10][11]

Platforms, facilities and services

West Footscray has one island platform with two faces and one side platform. It is served by Sunbury line trains, but express services do not stop there.[12] Access to the platforms is provided by stairs, lifts and ramps from an overhead footbridge, which also includes a cycling path.[6]

Platform 1:

•  Sunbury line  all stations services to Flinders Street

Platform 2 (currently closed):

• Was Platform 1 until the new side platform opened in July 2020. Will become a turnback platform after the opening of the Metro Tunnel in 2025.

Platform 3 (formerly Platform 2):

•  Sunbury line  all stations services to Watergardens and Sunbury

By June 2025, it is planned that services on the Sunbury line will be through-routed to the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines, via the new Metro Tunnel.

Transport links

CDC Melbourne operates three bus routes via West Footscray station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  411 : Laverton station – Footscray[13]
•  412 : Laverton station – Footscray[14]
•  414 : Laverton station – Footscray station[15]

Transit Systems Victoria operates two routes via West Footscray station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  472 : Williamstown – Moonee Ponds Junction[16]
• Night Bus  947 : Footscray – Newport station (Saturday and Sunday mornings only)[17]

Gallery

• 
  Westbound view of the now demolished station from the concourse, with a Comeng train arriving on Platform 1, September 2010
• 
  Eastbound view from Platform 2, May 2014
• 
  West Footscray railway station concourse and entrance viewed from the north, June 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. "West Footscray". vicsig.net. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
5. Vincent Adams Winter (1990). VR and VicRail: 1962–1983. V.A. Winter. p. 106. ISBN 0-9592069-3-0.
6. West Footscray railway station Regional Rail Link
7. New Train Station Opens in West Footscray Minister for Public Transport 13 October 2013
8. Byrne, Bridie (14 October 2013). "Brand new train station at West Footscray officially opened". Maribyrnong Leader. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
9. "Construction at West Footscray station". Metro Tunnel. Victoria State Government. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
10. Carey, Adam (27 November 2016). "West Footscray next in line for housing boom along Melbourne's railways". The Age. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
11. Millar, Benjamin (26 April 2016). "Overhaul for new West Footscray station". Star Weekly. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
12. "Sunbury Line". Public Transport Victoria.
13. "411 Laverton Station - Footscray via Altona Meadows & Altona & Millers Rd". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
14. "412 Laverton Station - Footscray via Altona Meadows & Altona & Mills St". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
15. "414 Laverton Station - Footscray via Geelong Rd". Public Transport Victoria.
16. "472 Williamstown - Moonee Ponds via Footscray". Public Transport Victoria.
17. "947 Footscray - Newport Station via Altona North". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 27 December 2022.

External links

• Media related to West Footscray railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Rail Geelong gallery