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Footscray
Regional and commuter rail station
Looking south from platform 6 in April 2010, with disused signal box on platform 5 in the foreground
General information
LocationIrving Street, Footscray
Australia
Coordinates37°48′06″S 144°54′09″E / 37.8016°S 144.9024°E / -37.8016; 144.9024
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byMetro Trains
Line(s)Sunbury
Werribee
Williamstown
Serviceton
Port Fairy
Distance5.62 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms6 (2 side, 2 island)
Tracks6
ConnectionsBus
Tram
Construction
Structure typeGround
AccessibleYes
Other information
StatusPremium station
Station codeFSY
Fare zone1
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened17 January 1859
Rebuilt2012-2014
ElectrifiedYes
Passengers
2008-20093.705 million[1]
2009-20103.648 million[1] Decrease 1.54%
2010-20113.856 million[1] Increase 5.7%
2011-20124.199 million[1] Increase 8.9%
2012-2013Not measured[1]
2013-20143.767 million[1] Decrease 10.29%
Services
Preceding station Railways in Victoria V/Line Following station
Southern Cross
Terminus
 Bendigo line Watergardens
towards Bendigo, Epsom or Eaglehawk
Ballarat line Sunshine
towards Wendouree
Geelong line Sunshine
towards Waurn Ponds
Preceding station Railways in Melbourne Metro Trains Following station
North Melbourne
towards Flinders Street
 Sunbury line Middle Footscray
towards Sunbury
South Kensington
towards Werribee
 Werribee line Seddon
towards Frankston via Flinders Street
South Kensington
towards Williamstown
 Williamstown line

Footscray is a Melbourne Metro and Intercity station in Footscray, Melbourne. It was opened at the present site in 1900, replacing two separate older stations from 1859.[2][3] In 2011/12, it was the sixth busiest Metro station, with 4.2 million passenger movements recorded.[4] It is served by Melbourne Metro lines 1, 5, and 7, as well as South Western Railway, Bendigo Line, Shepparton Line, Airport Line, Western Railway, North Eastern Railway services, and is in fare zone 1.

The station consists of a ground level section for broad gauge platforms 1 to 6, and the underground platforms 7 and 8. The line through the underground platforms is dual gauge,[5] providing a rail link to the Port of Melbourne and other freight terminals for goods services, and access to Spencer Street for the standard gauge Western Line and North Eastern Line.

A number of sidings once existed at the station, but have now been covered by car parking on the eastern side of the Line 7 tracks.

History edit

On 17 January 1859, the railways arrived in Footscray, when the new Williamstown line opened, with trains running from Spencer Street in Melbourne to the important cargo port of Williamstown. This railway line connected to the 18-month-old Geelong railway at the junction near where the current Newport station lies.[6] The line between Melbourne and Footscray, via the new station at North Melbourne, had been made possible with the construction of a railway bridge over the Maribyrnong River. The first station to open in Footscray opened on this line on the opening day of service; it was not, however, where the current Footscray station lies, but on Napier Street.

Shortly afterwards, Footscray became a junction station, when a second railway line, branching at Footscray, was opened to Sunbury. Therefore, on 1 March 1859, less than two months after the first, Footscray's second railway station opened on Nicholson Street, not far from the original Napier Street location, for services on the new railway line.[7] By 1862, this railway line had been extended to Sandhurst (later renamed Bendigo). A signal box was provided at the junction from 1879, located on at the Flinders Street end of platforms 4 and 5. Quadruplication of the tracks towards Melbourne in November 1976 put an end to the junction and closed the signal box. The building is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

On 16 September 1900, the current station opened, located at the precise point of junction of the two lines.[8] The two original stations were then closed.[7]

The tracks under the station were opened on 21 October 1928, as part of the South Kensington-West Footscray line, and were dual-gauged in the early 1960s, as part of the construction of the Melbourne-Albury standard gauge line. Platforms were provided in the 2020s as part of the standardisation of the Western Line from Spencer Street to Ararat.

Footscray was upgraded to a Premium station in 1996, though the enclosed waiting area and ticket facilities had already been built in 1993, as part of the 'Travel Safe' program of the early 1990s.[9]

On 5 June 2001, at around 08:30, two suburban Comeng trains collided on Platform 4. An out of service train heading to Newport collided with a Williamstown bound train, carrying around 20 passengers, with 3 injuries reported.[10]

In 2010, as a part of the Brumby State Government's Footscray renewal program,[11] the existing footbridge over the platforms, which was accessed by ramps, was replaced with a $15 million footbridge. The bridge, named after indigenous activist William Cooper,[12] has stairs and associated lifts. Complaints were made that the new footbridge was less usable than the one it replaced. It has a roof, but has not been designed to be weatherproof, and the lifts are prone to breakdown.[13]

Regional Rail Link upgrades edit

Between 2012 and 2014, Footscray underwent major upgrade and conservation works as part of the Regional Rail Link project.

An additional two platforms were built to the north of the existing platforms, to separate Sunbury Metro services from Intercity services. On 20 January 2014, Platforms 1 to 4 were renumbered 3 to 6, with the new platforms commissioned as Platforms 1 and 2.[14] At the same time, Platforms 3 and 4 were closed to be rebuilt as dedicated platforms for V/Line services, reopening on 16 July 2014.

The existing footbridge, erected in 2010 at a cost of $15 million, was also partially demolished in 2013 to help accommodate the works. [15] New canopies, stairs and escalators were erected at the Irving and Hyde St ends of the footbridge, and new wide ramps were built from the footbridge to the platforms and street level, to help people access the platforms with greater ease. New lifts were also added to the structure.

All works at the station were completed in November 2014. [16]

Platforms & services edit

Footscray has eight platforms. It is serviced by Melbourne Metro lines 1, 5, and 7,[17][18][19] and numerous Intercity services.[20][21][22]

Platform 1:

Platform 2:

Platform 3:

Platform 4:

Platform 5:

Platform 6:

Transport links edit

CDC Melbourne operates six routes via Footscray station:

Sita Buslines operates four routes via Footscray station:

Transdev Melbourne operates four routes via Footscray station:

Yarra Trams operates one route to and from Footscray station:

  • 82: to Moonee Ponds Junction[37]

Gallery edit

  •  
    Footbridge that links all platforms taken from Irving Street in December 2011
  •  
    The same view from Irving Street in May 2014
  •  
    Westbound view from Platform 2 in May 2014
  •  
    The South Kensington - West Footscray railway line cutting runs beneath the south-western end of Platforms 5 and 6 in September 2008

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Train Station Patronage FY2008-2014". Public Transport Victoria. 14 May 2015. Archived from the original (XLS) on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016. (access from [1] Archived 3 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine)
  2. ^ Footscray Vicsig
  3. ^ Footscray Station Rail Geelong
  4. ^ Station Patronage Research Archived 23 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine Public Transport Victoria
  5. ^ Lucas, Clay (15 June 2010). "$4.3b link won't cut travel times". The Age. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  6. ^ "Rail Geelong - Geelong Line History". railgeelong.com. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
  7. ^ a b Infrastructure - Footscray Vicsig
  8. ^ "The New Footscray Railway Station". The Independent. 9 December 1899. p. 3.
  9. ^ "Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1997. p. 310.
  10. ^ "Operations". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. July 2001. p. 218.
  11. ^ "Transport Projects eNews". Department of Transport, Victoria. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
  12. ^ Lucas, Clay (2 November 2010). "The great disconnect". The Age. Melbourne.
  13. ^ "Colander Bridge". Fair-go for Footscray Rail Residents. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  14. ^ Major access changes V/Line January 2014[dead link]
  15. ^ Millar, Benjamin (6 February 2013). "Footscray commuters face long wait for station works completion". Maribyrnong Weekly. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  16. ^ https://twitter.com/rrlproject/status/532680247510986752?s=21
  17. ^ "Sunbury Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  18. ^ "Werribee Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  19. ^ "Williamstown Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  20. ^ Ballarat - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria
  21. ^ Bendigo - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria
  22. ^ Geelong - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria
  23. ^ "406 Keilor East - Footscray via Avondale Heights and Maribyrnong". Public Transport Victoria.
  24. ^ "409 Yarraville to Highpoint SC via Footscray". Public Transport Victoria.
  25. ^ "410 Sunshine Station - Footscray via Ballarat Road". Public Transport Victoria.
  26. ^ "411 Laverton Station - Footscray via Altona Meadows & Altona & Millers Rd". Public Transport Victoria.
  27. ^ "412 Laverton Station - Footscray via Altona Meadows & Altona & Mills St". Public Transport Victoria.
  28. ^ "414 Laverton Station - Footscray via Geelong Rd". Public Transport Victoria.
  29. ^ "402 Footscray Station - East Melbourne via North Melbourne". Public Transport Victoria.
  30. ^ "403 Footscray Station - Melbourne University via Royal Melbourne Hospital". Public Transport Victoria.
  31. ^ "404 Footscray - Moonee Ponds via Newmarket". Public Transport Victoria. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  32. ^ "472 Williamstown - Moonee Ponds via Footscray". Public Transport Victoria.
  33. ^ "216 Sunshine Station – City via Dynon Rd". Public Transport Victoria.
  34. ^
  35. ^ "220 Sunshine Station - City via Footscray Rd". Public Transport Victoria.
  36. ^ "223 Yarraville - Highpoint SC". Public Transport Victoria.
  37. ^ "82 Moonee Ponds - Footscray". Public Transport Victoria.

External links edit

Category:Listed railway stations in Australia Category:Premium Melbourne railway stations Category:Railway stations in Melbourne Category:Railway stations opened in 1859 Category:Victorian Heritage Register

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