Toorak railway station

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

Toorak railway station is a commuter railway station on the northern boundary of Armadale, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> The station is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, and was opened on 7 May 1879.<ref name="VicsigToorak">Template:Cite web</ref> The station is named after the nearby suburb of Toorak—located north of the station. The station consists of an island platform and two side platforms all accessed by a pedestrian bridge. There are two principal station buildings located on the central platform (platforms 2 and 3) and on platform 4, consisting of a small two and one-story brick buildings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These buildings were provided in 1914, as ticketing and staff offices. The station is only partially accessible due to a multiple steep access ramps.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Toorak railway station is served by the Frankston line, part of the Melbourne railway network.<ref name=":4" /> The station also connects to the Route 72 tram service and the route 604 and 605 bus services.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> The journey to Flinders Street railway station is approximately 6.5 kilometres (4.04 mi) and takes 11 minutes.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref>

Description

Toorak railway station is on the boundary of Armadale, Toorak, and Prahran suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria. The station is located nearby to the Beatty Avenue shopping precinct, Orrong Romanis Reserve, and Toorak Park.<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=":6">Template:Cite web</ref> The station is approximately 6.5 kilometres (4.04 mi), or an 11-minute train journey, from Flinders Street station.<ref name=":5" /> The adjacent stations are Hawksburn station up towards Melbourne, and Armadale station down towards Frankston.<ref name=":4"/>

The station consists of a single island platform and two side platforms with a total of four 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.<ref name="VicsigToorak" /> The station features a pedestrian bridge, accessed from the centre of the platforms by a ramp.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The station features two principal station buildings, both former ticketing offices which are now heritage listed staff facilities. Distinct Edwardian architectural features of the red brick station buildings include ornate parapets, cement banding, tall chimneys with terracotta pots, tiled hip roof with terracotta finials, and stucco walls.<ref>Toorak Village Precinct heritage.vic.gov.au Retrieved 31 March 2023</ref><ref>Armadale Precinct heritage.vic.gov.au Retrieved 31 March 2023</ref>

The station building, platform, and overpass are largely the same as when originally built, with the main change being updated signage, technology, and the addition of two new platform canopy amongst other minor building and platform upgrades.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> There is no car parking available at the station. The station is listed as an "assisted access" station on the Metro Trains website, as the access ramp is too steep and would require assistance for wheelchair customers to traverse.<ref name=":6" />

History

Toorak railway station was opened on 7 May 1879, with the station consisting of a single platform and track for commuter and freight service.<ref name="VicsigToorak" /> Like the adjacent suburb itself, the station was named after Toorak House, built by merchant James Jackson in 1849. The name is believed to be an Indigenous word meaning 'reedy swamp' or 'black crow'.<ref name="VictorianPlacesToorak">Toorak Victorian Places</ref> The first station buildings were opened on the site between 1881 and 1883 to coincide with the duplication of track between the city and Oakleigh.<ref name="VicsigToorak" /> The current station was constructed in 1914 to provide improved and additional facilities to what had become an increasingly busy and important location on the train network. The station rebuild was part of level crossing removal works that removed all level crossings, rebuilt all stations, and quadruplicated the corridor between South Yarra and Caulfield by 1914.<ref name="VicsigToorak" /> Later in 1922, the line was electrified using 1500 V DC overhead wires with three position signalling also introduced.<ref name="VicsigToorak" />

In 1976, debate regarding the name of the station occurred as the station is located in the nearby suburb of Armadale. Suggestions were made about renaming the station, including naming the station after Albert Jacka, Australia's first recipient of the Victoria Cross, who was mayor of the former St Kilda Council.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> These calls never eventuated, with Toorak station retaining its name with little conversation regarding its naming taking place since.

The station has mostly stayed the same since 1914, with only minor upgrades taking place. In 1972, the island platform (Platforms 2 and 3) was extended at both ends.<ref name="divisionaldiarymar72">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1977, a former goods siding and associated point work were permanently closed before being removed due to limited use.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1993, major re-signalling works occurred between South Yarra and Toorak stations, with similar works occurring between Toorak and Caulfield stations in that same year.<ref name="VicsigToorak" /> The station underwent minor upgrades with the installation of two new shelters on Platform 1 in the 2010s. In 2021, resignalling works occurred to upgrade the corridor to high capacity signalling as part of the Metro Tunnel project.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the mid-2010s, rezoning by Stonnington Council allowed for higher density development next to Toorak station. This allowed for the construction of 446 apartments and 18 townhouses across numerous towers by developer Lendlease.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These towers have contributed to an increase in patronage and added density on an otherwise under-utilised site.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Platforms and services

Toorak has two side platforms and one island platform with four faces. The station is currently served by the Frankston line—a service on the metropolitan rail network.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite PTV route</ref> The Frankston line runs from Frankston station south east of Melbourne, joining the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines at Caulfield station before continuing onto the Werribee or Williamstown lines via Flinders Street station.<ref name=":3" /> Despite the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines operating through the station, these services no longer stop at the station due to low station patronage, instead running express through the station.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Current

colspan="6" style="background:#Template:Rcr;background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #Template:Rcr); " \|Toorak platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type	Notes
1	Template:RouteBox	Flinders Street, Werribee, Williamstown	Flinders Street	All stations
2	Template:RouteBox	Frankston		All stations
3	No scheduled services				No services stop at this platform. Cranbourne and Pakenham line services run express through this platform.
4	No scheduled services

After 1 February 2026

colspan="6" style="background:#Template:Rcr;background-image: linear-gradient(to right, #Template:Rcr); " \|Toorak platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type	Notes
1	Template:RouteBox	Flinders Street	City Loop	All stations
2	Template:RouteBox	Frankston		All stations
3	No scheduled services				No services stop at this platform. Cranbourne and Pakenham line services run express through this platform.
4	No scheduled services

Transport links

Toorak station has one tram and two bus connections. The route 72 tram service operates from nearby Malvern Road up towards the city and down towards Camberwell.<ref name=":0" /> The station also connects to the route 605 bus service from Gardenvale to the Melbourne CBD (on Queen Street)<ref name=":1" /> and the route 604 bus from Gardenvale to The Alfred Hospital.<ref name=":2" /> The station does not have an accessible tram platform or a bus interchange, and instead is operated through on-street bus and tram stops. Toorak station also has train replacement bus stops located adjacent to the station.

Tram connections: