Altona railway station

Altona railway station is a commuter railway station on the Werribee line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the south-western suburb of the same name, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Altona station is a ground level unstaffed station, featuring one side platform. It opened on 1 December 1917.<ref name="VicsigAltona">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=RailGeelong>Template:Cite web</ref>

Initially opened as Altona Beach, the station was given its current name of Altona on 3 October 1938.<ref name="VicsigAltona">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=RailGeelong>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Altona station was originally opened as the terminus of the line from Newport. In 1888, the Altona Bay Estate Company, a private land developer, constructed a railway to Altona. The first official trains ran on the line on 8 September of that year. In 9 November 1888, the line was extended to a station named "Altona Beach", which was about a kilometre to the west of the current station.<ref name=LHarrigan>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As a result of the collapse of the 1880s Land Boom, regular services to Altona Beach ceased after August 1890, and the Victorian Government declined the offer of the owners to gift it the line. In the 1890s, a company opened a brown coal mine near the terminus of the line and, in 1907, a siding was built in the same area to enable sand to be dispatched by rail. In 1910, the Altona Brown Coal Colliery Company began railing quantities of brown coal, using a short north-west extension of the Altona line.<ref name=guiney>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1917, the owners of the railway entered into an agreement with the Victorian Railways (VR) to provide a regular passenger service, having guaranteed to cover any operating losses.<ref name=guiney/> On 1 December 1917, the VR opened a new "Altona Beach" station at the present site.<ref name=VicsigAltona/> For a period of time, de-motored McKeen railmotors were used as carriages on steam-hauled passenger services.

By 1924, the private owner of the Altona line owed the VR £7,289, being the accumulated deficit on operating passenger services, so the VR took full control of the line on 1 October of that year.<ref name=LHarrigan/> In 1926, the track was electrified and, in 1938, the station was renamed "Altona". Apart from a few direct trains between Altona and Melbourne in peak periods, all trains were run as shuttle services between Newport and Altona.

On 31 July 1959, the station was closed to goods traffic<ref name=VicsigAltona/> and, in 1967, flashing light signals were provided at the Pier Street level crossing, at the up end of the station.<ref name=VicsigAltona/> In 1977, the platform was extended at the down end.<ref name=VicsigAltona/>

By the early 1980s, the station, and the line itself, was under threat of closure, as recommended in the Lonie Report.<ref name="newsrailsep81">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In October 1981, the rail service was drastically cut, with all shuttle services withdrawn, and only two morning and evening trains being operated to and from Melbourne.<ref name=guiney/> However, a change of state government in 1982 saw the restitution of most services in July of that year.<ref name=guiney/>

On 21 January 1985, the line was extended to Westona and,<ref name="theage">Template:Cite news</ref> on 14 April of that year, it was further extended, from Westona to Laverton.<ref name=RailGeelong/><ref>"Victoria" Railway Digest March 1985 page 97</ref><ref>"Victoria" Railway Digest May 1985 page 151</ref> Also in that year, boom barriers were provided at the Pier Street level crossing.<ref name=VicsigAltona/>

Platforms and services

Altona has one platform and is served by Werribee line trains.<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>

Current (until 29 April 2026)

colspan="6" style="background:#Template:Rcr;background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #Template:Rcr); " |Altona platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Service Type	Notes
1	Template:RouteBox	Werribee	All stations	Due to level crossing removal works, all citybound services on the Werribee line will bypass the Altona Loop stations.<ref>https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/news/level-crossing-removal-project/inner-west-level-crossing-removal-works-ramp-up</ref><ref>https://transport.vic.gov.au/disruptions/disruptions-information/article/werribee-line-temporary-timetable-and-service-changes-from-monday-17-november-2025-to-late-april-2026</ref>

After 29 April 2026<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

colspan="5" style="background:#Template:Rcr;background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #Template:Rcr); " |Altona platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type
1	Template:RouteBox	Sandringham, Laverton, Werribee	Flinders Street	All stations and limited express services

Transport links

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

• Template:Color box: Laverton station – Footscray<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>
• Template:Color box: Laverton station – Footscray<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>
• Template:Color box: Laverton station – Williamstown<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>

Kinetic Melbourne operates one SmartBus route to and from Altona station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

• SmartBus Template:Color box: to Mordialloc<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>

External links

• Melway map at street-directory.com.au