Reservoir railway station

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox station

Reservoir railway station is a commuter railway station on the Mernda line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the north-eastern suburb of Reservoir, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Reservoir is an elevated premium station, featuring an island platform with two faces. It opened on 8 October 1889, with the current station provided in December 2019.<ref name="vicsigreservoir">Template:Cite web</ref>

Initially opened as Preston-Reservoir, the station was given its current name of Reservoir on 1 December 1909.<ref name="vicsigreservoir"/><ref name="newsrailnov95">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

History

Reservoir station opened when the Inner Circle line was extended from North Fitzroy station.<ref name=vicsigreservoir/> On 23 December of the same year, the line was further extended to Epping.<ref name=vicsigreservoir/> Like the suburb, the station was named after the three reservoirs that were built south-east of the station, in 1864, 1909 and 1913 respectively.<ref name="vpreservoir">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The reservoirs were constructed to hold Melbourne's water supply from the Yan Yean Reservoir.<ref name=vpreservoir/>

The station was originally the terminus for suburban services on the Whittlesea line. The line was duplicated in December 1910 and, in July 1921, Reservoir became the terminus for suburban electric trains. In 1924, an eighth-metre-long turntable was provided at the station, to turn the AEC railmotor which operated between Reservoir and Whittlesea, making two trips a day.<ref name=newsrailnov95/> In December 1929, electric train services were extended from Reservoir to Thomastown and, in 1940, the turntable was abolished.<ref name=vicsigreservoir/>

In 1959, duplication of the line to Keonpark station was provided.<ref name=vicsigreservoir/> In 1963, manually operated boom barriers replaced hand-operated gates at the former High Street level crossing, which was at the down end of the station.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1967, the former ground-level station buildings were provided, replacing the original structures.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In the early hours of 13 July 1975, a deliberately-lit fire damaged Harris motor 567M and Tait motor 345M, both of which were stabled at the station.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> On 29 December 1980, Harris backing trailer 533BT, which was in a consist operating the 23:15 down service to Epping, was damaged by fire as it arrived at the station.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

On 18 December 1986, a number of sidings and signals were abolished.<ref name=vicsigreservoir/> On 1 April 1987, further sidings were abolished.<ref name=vicsigreservoir/> On 8 May 1988, the former signal box and interlocked frame were abolished. Also abolished were two crossovers at the up and down ends of the station,<ref name="newsrailjul88">Template:Cite magazine</ref> as well as the double line block signalling system between Reservoir and Keon Park, which was replaced with automatic three-position signalling.<ref name=newsrailjul88/> Pedestrian gates were also installed at the former station pedestrian crossing, which was at the down end, and at the former High Street level crossing.<ref name=newsrailjul88/> Two months earlier, the double line block system between Bell and Reservoir had been abolished.<ref name=newsrailjul88/>

In 1991, a reconfigured High Street level crossing was opened,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> with that arrangement existing until the grade separation of the level crossing in 2019. On 25 June 1996, Reservoir was upgraded to a premium station.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In January 2016, the Level Crossing Removal Authority announced that the High Street level crossing would be removed by grade separation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>High Street, Reservoir Template:Webarchive – Level Crossing Removal Authority</ref> In September 2018, preliminary designs were released, showing that the grade separation would be achieved by elevating the railway, with a new station to be built at the existing location.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The winning station design was produced by local architecture firm Genton.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Plans for grade separation have dated as far back as the early to mid 1970s.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

On 2 December 2019, the ground-level station was closed for demolition, and the new station, above a multi-road intersection, was opened on 16 December of that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As part of the work, crossovers were reinstated at both the up and down ends of the new station.<ref name=vicsigreservoir/>

The new station was designed by architecture firm Genton, with landscaping by McGregor Coxall. It features an elevated rail corridor with a translucent canopy and angled metal facade inspired by the ripple effect of water, reflecting Reservoir’s historical role as a water infrastructure hub.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The design reconnects Edwardes Street and Broadway via a new civic plaza, improves pedestrian safety and access, and includes space for future tram and bus interchange expansion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The station received multiple awards, including the Special Prize Exterior at the 2021 Prix Versailles and the Sustainability Award at the Australasian Rail Industry Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was also shortlisted in the 2021 Victorian Architecture Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Reservoir Station is the first train station in Australia to achieve a 5-star Green Star As-Built rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Platforms and services

Reservoir has one island platform with two faces. It is served by Mernda line trains.<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>

Current

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

Transport links

Dysons operates seven bus routes via Reservoir station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

Template:Color box: to La Trobe University Bundoora campus<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>
Template:Color box: North East Reservoir to Northcote Plaza<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Template:Color box: Preston to West Preston<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>
Template:Color box: Pacific Epping to Northland Shopping Centre<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>
Template:Color box: Pacific Epping to Northland Shopping Centre<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>
Template:Color box: to North West Reservoir<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>
Template:Color box: Macleod to Pascoe Vale station<ref>Template:Cite PTV route</ref>

Gallery

Northbound view from the former ground level Platform 2, November 2013
Southbound view from Platform 2, February 2020
The new elevated station viewed from Edwardes and Spring Streets, December 2020
A station PID on Platform 1 displaying a Mernda-bound service
The station's forecourt, landscaping and concourse, July 2024
The customer service, Myki readers and concourse, July 2024
The northern side Myki readers, lifts and stairs from the main concourse, July 2024
Southbound view of the station car park and partial views of Melbourne CBD, July 2024
The southern end concourse at Reservoir station seen from the southern end stairs, July 2024
The High Street bus bays at Reservoir station,
July 2024
The western side view of Reservoir station,
July 2024
The southern end safety zone at Reservoir station, July 2024
The forecourt facing towards Spring Street,
July 2024
The southern end stairs leading to the platforms, July 2024
The built in wall station signage feature at Reservoir, July 2024
Station signage at Platform 2, July 2024