Essendon railway station

Essendon railway station is a commuter and regional railway station on the suburban Craigieburn line and the regional Seymour line, part of the Melbourne and Victorian railway networks. It serves the northern suburb of Essendon in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Essendon station is a ground level premium station, featuring three platforms, an island platform with two faces and one side platform. It opened on 1 November 1860, with the current station provided in 1871. It initially closed on 1 July 1864, then reopened on 9 October 1871.<ref name="VicsigEssendon">Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Essendon station opened on 1 November 1860 as the terminus of the private Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company line.<ref name=VicsigEssendon/> The station closed with the line on 1 July 1864, but was reopened on 9 October 1871, under government ownership.<ref name=KTurton>Template:Cite book</ref> The line to the north was opened in 1872, as part of the North East line to School House Lane.<ref name=VicsigEssendon/> Like the suburb itself, the station was named after Essendon in Hertfordshire, England.<ref name="vpessendon">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="heraldsun">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1878, a completely new station, with a single platform, was provided, on the site of the present island platform, with passenger subways and footbridges added in 1886, along with conversion of the island platform to the current layout. It was also at that time that a rail overpass was provided at Mount Alexander Road, in what was one of the first grade separation projects to be carried out in the state. In 1909, the present buildings were provided, along with a centre track between Platforms 1 and 2.<ref name=KTurton/>

In 1919, electric train services between the city and Essendon were inaugurated, with electrification extended to Broadmeadows in 1921. However, Essendon remained the terminus of most suburban services, with a shuttle service operating beyond until 1925, and all-day through services to Broadmeadows not provided until 1941.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1965, the double line block signalling between Broadmeadows and Essendon was abolished, and was replaced with three position signalling.<ref name=VicsigEssendon/> In 1969, the station took the layout it has today, with the abolition of the centre track, the closure of the stand-alone signal box, the provision of automatic signalling along the line, and the replacement of the interlocked gates with boom barriers at the former Buckley Street level crossing. A signal panel was provided within the station office in that same year.<ref name=VicsigEssendon/>

On 7 March 1974, Harris motor 518M and Tait motor 368M were destroyed by fire whilst stabled at the station.<ref name="herald7mar74">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="age8mar74">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="newsrailmay74">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Tait trailer 85G was also damaged in the fire.<ref name=herald7mar74/><ref name=age8mar74/><ref name=newsrailmay74/>

On 8 June 1987, stabling of suburban trains at Essendon ceased, with the overhead wiring of all sidings removed just over a year later.<ref name="newsrailnov88">Template:Cite magazine</ref> On 1 September 1988, the former sidings near Rose Street were removed.<ref name=newsrailnov88/>

On 16 August 1996, Essendon was upgraded to a premium station.<ref name="newsrailoct97">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Also in that year, siding "B" was taken out of service.<ref name="newsrailaug96">Template:Cite magazine</ref> On 7 June 2014, the signal panel was abolished.<ref name="signalbox">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2018, the adjacent Buckley Street level crossing was grade separated, the street reopening on 28 September of that year after construction. Buckley Street now passes under the railway line in a trench.<ref name="buckleystlxra">Template:Cite web</ref>

As part of the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel, it was expected that the turnback facilities at the station would be upgraded, to allow services to start at Essendon when the tunnel opens in 2025,<ref name="metrobusinesscase">Template:Cite web</ref> but this was ultimately cut from the project.<ref name="agemetrotunnel">Template:Cite web</ref>

Platforms and services

Essendon has one island platform with two faces and one side platform. Platform 1 is only used by V/Line services to overtake Metro Trains' services, or when three-car trains are terminating, as it is unable to accommodate a six-car train.<ref name=VicsigEssendon/>

The station is served by Craigieburn line trains<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref> and some V/Line Seymour line services.<ref>Seymour - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria</ref>

Current

colspan="6" style="background:#Template:Rcr;background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #Template:Rcr); " |Essendon platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type	Notes
1	Template:RouteBox Template:RouteBox Template:RouteBox				Passing loop only for V/Line services and three-car passenger services during major disruptions
2	Template:RouteBox	Flinders Street	City Loop	All stations
3	Template:RouteBox	Craigieburn		All stations

Current (V/Line)

colspan="5" style="background:#Template:Rcr;background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #Template:Rcr); " |Essendon platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Service Type	Notes
2	Template:RouteBox Template:RouteBox	Southern Cross	Three weekday morning peak-hour V/Line services (Seymour), one weekday morning peak-hour V/Line service (Shepparton)	Set down only
3	Template:RouteBox Template:RouteBox	Seymour, Shepparton	Four weekday evening peak-hour V/Line services (Seymour), one weekday evening peak-hour V/Line service (Shepparton)	Pick up only

Transport links

Ten bus routes operate via Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

• Template:Color box: to Keilor Park (operated by CDC Melbourne)<ref name="ptv465">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Template:Color box: to Highpoint Shopping Centre (operated by CDC Melbourne)<ref name="ptv468">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Template:Color box: Moonee Ponds Junction – Keilor East (operated by CDC Melbourne)<ref name="ptv469">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Template:Color box: Watergardens station – Moonee Ponds Junction (operated by CDC Melbourne)<ref name="ptv476">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Template:Color box: Moonee Ponds Junction – Broadmeadows station (operated by CDC Melbourne)<ref name="ptv477">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Template:Color box: Sunbury station – Moonee Ponds Junction (operated by Sunbury Bus Service)<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>
• Template:Color box: to Brunswick East (operated by Kinetic Melbourne)<ref name="ptv503">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Template:Color box: to Ivanhoe station (operated by Kinetic Melbourne)<ref name="ptv510">Template:Cite web</ref>
• SmartBus Template:Color box: Altona station – Mordialloc (operated by Kinetic Melbourne)<ref name="ptv903">Template:Cite web</ref>
• Night Bus Template:Color box: Queen Street City – Broadmeadows station (Saturday and Sunday mornings only) (operated by Ventura Bus Lines)<ref>959 City - Broadmeadows Station via Niddrie and Airport West Template:Webarchive Public Transport Victoria</ref>

One tram route operates via Essendon station:

• File:Melbourne tram route 59 icon.svg: Airport West – Flinders Street station (via Elizabeth Street) (operated by Yarra Trams)<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>

Gallery

• 
  H 220 leads the northbound Albury Express past the signal box at Essendon, Template:Circa
• 
  Northbound view from Platform 1, April 2005

External links

• Melway map at street-directory.com.au