Eltham railway station, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
Eltham is a railway station in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
, located in the suburb of Eltham
, on the Hurstbridge railway line. Eltham is classed as a Premium Station
and is in Metcard
Zone 2.
Eltham is the terminus for some peak and off-peak services on the line.
The station consists of two platforms, in an island format
, with a large building at the Hurstbridge end of the station. The building houses an enclosed waiting area, ticket facilities and toilets. Two Metcard
ticket vending machines are located inside the waiting area, which are able to dispense most ticketing options available and also accept notes and coins. A myki
ticket vending machine is also located inside the waiting area. Stabling facilities
consisting of three sidings, providing enough space for three six-carriage trains, are located adjacent to the station, whilst an underpass is situated at the Hurstbridge end of the station.
The two platforms are bi-directional, allowing trains to depart in either direction from either platform. Eltham is one of the only stations in Melbourne still to be controlled by mechanical safeworking
, including semaphore signals
.
The railway station is a crossing loop
in the middle of a 15 km long section of single track
, which can cause 'snowballing' delays to services. It is also the break between two different types of safeworking; Greensborough to Eltham is controlled by Miniature Electric Staff, whilst Eltham to Hurstbridge is controlled by Train Staff and Ticket.
A goods yard was located on the west side of the station but that has since been converted to a stabling yard for suburban trains.
The Youth Street side of the station was originally a goods yard, with a goods shed. The track layout has changed many times over the years, changing from a maximum of 5 sidings, to the current 3 sidings.
The current platform 1 (changed from platform 2 in the 1990s) was originally a back platform (terminating platform, only accessible from the city end).
The last wooden trestle bridge on the Melbourne suburban network is located at the Flinders Street
end of the station.
Platform 2:
(Trains in either direction can and do depart from either platform, although Hurstbridge-bound services only normally depart platform 2 once or twice a day.)
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, 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...
, located in the suburb of Eltham
Eltham, Victoria
Eltham is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 20 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Nillumbik. At the 2006 Census, Eltham had a population of 17,581....
, on the Hurstbridge railway line. Eltham is classed as a Premium Station
Premium station
A premium station is a category of railway station on Melbourne's Metro Rail Network which is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne. In terms of station standards, a premium station is a high standard station which sits above the medium standard host stations and the low standard unmanned...
and is in Metcard
Metcard
"OneLink" redirects here. For the computer/cable company, see OneLink Communications.Metcard is the brand name of an integrated ticketing system used to access public transport in Melbourne, Australia. It is a universal ticket which allows users to ride on the city's Metlink network, consisting of...
Zone 2.
Eltham is the terminus for some peak and off-peak services on the line.
Facilities
Eltham station is located between Main Road and Youth Road, with station access from Main Road.The station consists of two platforms, in an island format
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
, with a large building at the Hurstbridge end of the station. The building houses an enclosed waiting area, ticket facilities and toilets. Two Metcard
Metcard
"OneLink" redirects here. For the computer/cable company, see OneLink Communications.Metcard is the brand name of an integrated ticketing system used to access public transport in Melbourne, Australia. It is a universal ticket which allows users to ride on the city's Metlink network, consisting of...
ticket vending machines are located inside the waiting area, which are able to dispense most ticketing options available and also accept notes and coins. A myki
Myki
myki is the contactless smartcard ticketing system being introduced on public transport in Victoria, Australia. myki is designed to replace a number of ticket systems in Victoria, primarily the Metcard and V/Line ticketing systems...
ticket vending machine is also located inside the waiting area. Stabling facilities
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
consisting of three sidings, providing enough space for three six-carriage trains, are located adjacent to the station, whilst an underpass is situated at the Hurstbridge end of the station.
The two platforms are bi-directional, allowing trains to depart in either direction from either platform. Eltham is one of the only stations in Melbourne still to be controlled by mechanical safeworking
Safeworking
Signalling block systems enable the safe and efficient operation of railways, so as to avoid collisions between trains. Block systems are used to control trains between stations and yards, and not normally within them. Any block system is defined by its associated physical equipment and by the...
, including semaphore signals
Railway semaphore signal
One of the earliest forms of fixed railway signal is the semaphore. These signals display their different indications to train drivers by changing the angle of inclination of a pivoted 'arm'. Semaphore signals were patented in the early 1840s by Joseph James Stevens, and soon became the most...
.
The railway station is 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...
in the middle of a 15 km long section of 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....
, which can cause 'snowballing' delays to services. It is also the break between two different types of safeworking; Greensborough to Eltham is controlled by Miniature Electric Staff, whilst Eltham to Hurstbridge is controlled by Train Staff and Ticket.
A goods yard was located on the west side of the station but that has since been converted to a stabling yard for suburban trains.
History
Eltham station opened on 5 June 1902. Electrification of the line from Melbourne reached Eltham on 15 April 1923. Boom barriers were provided at the Diamond Street crossing in 1987. Eltham was upgraded to a Premium Station on 4 July 1996.The Youth Street side of the station was originally a goods yard, with a goods shed. The track layout has changed many times over the years, changing from a maximum of 5 sidings, to the current 3 sidings.
The current platform 1 (changed from platform 2 in the 1990s) was originally a back platform (terminating platform, only accessible from the city end).
The last wooden trestle bridge on the Melbourne suburban network is located at the Flinders Street
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
end of the station.
Platforms
Platform 1:- Hurstbridge line - all stations and limited stops services to Flinders Street.
- Hurstbridge line - all stations services to Hurstbridge.
Platform 2:
- Hurstbridge line - all stations services to Hurstbridge.
- Hurstbridge line - all stations and limited stops services to Flinders Street.
(Trains in either direction can and do depart from either platform, although Hurstbridge-bound services only normally depart platform 2 once or twice a day.)