Diggers Rest railway station

Diggers Rest railway station is a commuter railway station on the Sunbury line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the north-western suburb of Diggers Rest, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Diggers Rest station is a ground level unstaffed station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 2 October 1859, with the current station provided in 2012.<ref name="VicsigDiggersRest">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Diggers Rest opened on 2 October 1859, eight months after the railway line from Sunshine was extended to Sunbury.<ref name=VicsigDiggersRest/> Like the suburb itself, the station was named after the fact that the area was used as a resting place for prospectors travelling to Bendigo during the Victorian gold rush.<ref name="vpdiggersrest">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="heraldsun">Template:Cite web</ref>

At the time of opening, a small goods shed and siding were provided. In 1928, interlocked gates were provided at the Calder Highway level crossing, located at the down end of the station, and were replaced with boom barriers in 1982.<ref name="newsrailsept82">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1989, the goods siding was abolished and,<ref name=VicsigDiggersRest/> in 1992, the remaining crossover was removed.<ref name=VicsigDiggersRest/> The waiting room and booking lobby inside the building on Platform 1 were also provided in that year<ref name="newsrailoct92">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and, along with the signal box, was restored in 2002, after being damaged by fire during the previous year.<ref name="newsrailjun02">Template:Cite magazine</ref> On 16 April 2005, the signal box was abolished, as part of the Regional Fast Rail project.<ref name="signalbox">Template:Cite web</ref>

On 18 November 2012, the station was added to the metropolitan network, when the line between Watergardens and Sunbury was electrified.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As part of those works, the station was refurbished, with both platforms extended at the up (Flinders Street) end. The car park was also enlarged.<ref>Sunbury Electrification Project Template:Webarchive diggersrest.com 3 July 2009</ref>

On 21 October 2022, the Level Crossing Removal Project announced that the Old Calder Highway level crossing was to be grade separated with a road over rail design.<ref name="lxrp">Template:Cite web</ref> Also in that year, both platforms were extended in length, from Template:Convert.<ref name=VicsigDiggersRest/>

Platforms and services

Diggers Rest has two side platforms. It is served by Sunbury line trains.<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>

Current

colspan="5" style="background:#Template:Rcr;background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #Template:Rcr); " |Diggers Rest platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type
1	Template:RouteBox	Flinders Street	City Loop	All stations and limited express services
2	Template:RouteBox	Sunbury		All stations

From 30 November 2025 to 1 February 2026

colspan="6" style="background:#Template:Rcr;background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #Template:Rcr, #Template:Rcr); " |Diggers Rest platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type	Notes
1	Template:RouteBox	Flinders Street	City Loop	All stations and limited express services
	Template:RouteBox (weekends only)	Westall or East Pakenham	Town Hall	Limited express services	Between 10:00am and 7:00pm on weekends
2	Template:RouteBox	Sunbury		All stations

After 1 February 2026

colspan="5" style="background:#Template:Rcr;background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #Template:Rcr); " |Diggers Rest platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type
1	Template:RouteBox	East Pakenham, Cranbourne	Town Hall	All stations and limited express services
2	Template:RouteBox	Sunbury		All stations

Transport links

Sunbury Bus Service operates two routes via Diggers Rest station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

• Template:Color box: to Sunbury station<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>

• Template:Color box: Sunbury station – Moonee Ponds Junction<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>

Gallery

• Northbound view from Platform 2, January 2010, prior to the electrification of the line
  Northbound view from Platform 2, January 2010, prior to the electrification of the line

External links

• Rail Geelong gallery
• Melway map at street-directory.com.au