Darling railway station
Template:Short description Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy datesTemplate:Infobox station
Darling railway station is a commuter railway station in Malvern East, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia.<ref name=":2" /> The station opened on 24 March 1890 as part of the branch line from Burnley to Waverley Road station.<ref name="vicsigdarling">Template:Cite web</ref> The station consists of two side platforms accessed by a pedestrian bridge. There are two principal station buildings with one located on each platform. These buildings are both single story and act as customer service, staff, and waiting room facilities. These buildings were provided in 1979 as part of a station rebuild.<ref name=":3" /> The station is fully accessible and comply with DDA accessibility guidelines.<ref name=":0" />
Darling railway station is served by the Glen Waverley line, part of the Melbourne railway network.<ref name=":2" /> The station also connects to the route 624 bus service.<ref name="ptv624">Template:Cite web</ref> The journey to Southern Cross railway station is approximately 12.68 kilometres (7.88 mi) and takes 29 minutes.<ref name=":5" />
Description
Darling railway station is located in the suburb of Malvern East, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. The station is located nearby to the Malvern Road shopping precinct and Dorothy Laver Reserve West.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The station is owned by VicTrack, a state government agency, and the station is operated by Metro Trains.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> The station is approximately 12.68 kilometres (7.88 mi), or a 29-minute train journey, from Southern Cross station.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> The adjacent stations are Glen Iris station up towards Melbourne, and East Malvern station down towards Glen Waverley.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> A crossover on the up side allows trains to reverse at this station in either direction.
The station consists of two side platforms with a total of two platform edges. Standard in Melbourne, the platform has an asphalt surface with concrete on the edges. The platforms are approximately 160 metres (524.93 ft) long, enough for a Metro Trains 7 car HCMT. The station features a pedestrian bridge, accessed from the centre of the platforms by a ramp built in 1987.<ref>Report of the Road Construction Authority Year ended 30 June 1989</ref> The station features two principal station buildings, one of each side of the platforms built in 1979. These buildings act as staff facilities and passenger waiting rooms, and are constructed with cream bricks and ribbed roofing panels.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite book</ref>
The station building, platform, and overpass are largely the same as when it was rebuilt in 1979, with the main change being updated signage, technology, and more car parking.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> The station features 200 car-parks on the south side of the station.<ref name=":1" /> The station is listed as a "fully accessible" station on the Metro Trains website, as the access ramp adheres to DDA accessibility standards.<ref name=":0" />
History
Darling railway station was opened on 24 March 1890, with the line through the station originally built to link Burnley to the Outer Circle line at Waverley Road, before continuing onto Oakleigh.<ref name=":3" /> The station was named after the former Governor of Victoria, Sir Charles Henry Darling.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> The section of the line from Darling to Oakleigh station was closed on 9 December 1895, after 5 years of operation.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite book</ref> The line was re-opened to Eastmalvern on 3 February 1929, with the line being extended further to Glen Waverley on 5 May 1930.<ref name=":6" /> In 1956, the line was duplicated, with three position signalling also provided. In 1974, the goods siding was closed after 59 years of operation since its opening in 1915.<ref name="vicsigdarling" />
The station was rebuilt in 1979 to coincide with the construction of the South Eastern Arterial link. This was the final station rebuild with the station buildings remaining almost the same into the 21st century.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Until 1987, a level crossing was provided at Moira Street, located at the up end of the station.<ref name="vicsigdarling" /> An overpass replaced the level crossing as part of the South Eastern Arterial link, built between Toorak and Warrigal Roads. Minor upgrades have occurred at the station since 1979, with the station being upgraded to a premium station in 2008 and a signal box located at Platform 1 being decommissioned on 8 June 2019.<ref name=":7" /><ref name="signalbox">Template:Cite web</ref>
Platforms and services
Darling has two side platforms with two faces. The station is currently served by the Glen Waverley line, a service on the metropolitan rail network.<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref> The Glen Waverley line runs from Glen Waverley station south east of Melbourne, joining the Belgrave, Lilydale, and Alamein lines at Burnley station, before travelling through the City Loop.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| colspan="5" style="background:#Template:Rcr;background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #Template:Rcr); " |Darling platform arrangement | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | Line | Destination | Via | Service Type |
| 1 | Template:RouteBox | Flinders Street | All stations and limited express services | |
| 2 | Template:RouteBox | Glen Waverley | All stations |
Transport links
Darling station has one bus connection. The station connects to the route 624 bus service from Kew to Oakleigh station.<ref name=ptv624/> The station does not have a bus interchange due to the limited number of transport links stopping at the station, and instead is operated through on-street bus stops. Darling station also has train replacement bus stops located adjacent to the station.
Bus connections: