Ballan railway station, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Ballan is a railway station on the Ballarat railway line in Ballan
, Victoria
, Australia
. Patronage has grown rapidly in recent years due to the township's ongoing expansion. The station is located between Atkinson Street and Walsh Street.
. It was not until 1889 the line from Bacchus Marsh opened, finally completing the current direct Melbourne - Ballarat railway used today. Before this time Ballarat was linked to Melbourne via the Melbourne-Geelong and Geelong-Ballarat railways.
Being on a single track
section of track, the station served as a crossing loop
, with an interlocked
signal box
erected in 1890. In 1893 a turntable was added, and by 1908 the station had a four road yard, passenger platform, and a goods shed and platform.
In 1967 the turntable was removed, and one of the tracks in the yard was removed in 1987, with another following in 1988 leaving the platform road and a loop. in 1996 this last loop was abolished, the signal box closed, and Ballan was no longer available for crossing trains. In 2004 the track at the Melbourne end of the station was realigned as part of the Regional Fast Rail project
in order to increase the maximum speeds of trains though the curve.
^ Train services from Ballan to Maryborough effective Sunday 25 July 2010.
Ballan, Victoria
Ballan is a small town in the state of Victoria, Australia located on the Werribee River north west of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Ballan had a population of 1,807.It is the main administrative centre for the Shire of Moorabool Local Government Area....
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Patronage has grown rapidly in recent years due to the township's ongoing expansion. The station is located between Atkinson Street and Walsh Street.
History
The station opened in 1887 as the terminus of a railway line from BallaratBallarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
. It was not until 1889 the line from Bacchus Marsh opened, finally completing the current direct Melbourne - Ballarat railway used today. Before this time Ballarat was linked to Melbourne via the Melbourne-Geelong and Geelong-Ballarat railways.
Being on a single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
section of track, the station served as a crossing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
, with an interlocked
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
erected in 1890. In 1893 a turntable was added, and by 1908 the station had a four road yard, passenger platform, and a goods shed and platform.
In 1967 the turntable was removed, and one of the tracks in the yard was removed in 1987, with another following in 1988 leaving the platform road and a loop. in 1996 this last loop was abolished, the signal box closed, and Ballan was no longer available for crossing trains. In 2004 the track at the Melbourne end of the station was realigned as part of the Regional Fast Rail project
Regional Fast Rail project
The Regional Fast Rail project was a rail transport project of the State Government of Victoria, Australia undertaken between 2000 and 2006 aimed at improving the passenger services on the Victorian regional railway network , specifically to reduce travel times, enhance service frequency and...
in order to increase the maximum speeds of trains though the curve.
Platforms/Services
Platform 1:- Ballarat/Ararat line - intercity services to Southern Cross
- Ballarat/Ararat line - intercity services to Ballarat, Wendouree, Ararat and Maryborough^
^ Train services from Ballan to Maryborough effective Sunday 25 July 2010.