Heathcote Junction railway station, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Heathcote Junction is a railway station on the North East railway in the town of Heathcote Junction
, Victoria
, Australia
. It is only two kilometres from Wandong station
, an oddity on the Victorian country railway network. The railway crests the Great Dividing Range
through a cutting on the Melbourne side of the station, which is the highest point on the line.
s linked by a lever crossing at the Melbourne end, with a small shelter on each platform. Heathcote Junction is primarily served by V/Line
trains on the Seymour line, with no long distance trains to Shepparton and Albury stopping at the station.
Platform 1:
Platform 2:
and Heathcote
selected the site to be the junction of the new line. The branch line branched off to the west of the station, passing behind the down platform, the points facing Melbourne.
In 1887 the station was reopened for construction trains on the branch, and in 1888 a signal box
named Kilmore Junction was opened. The branch line was extended northwest to Heathcote
and thence to Bendigo
in 1890, but the name Heathcote Junction was not adopted until 1922. The station did not open to passengers until 1890, but no goods facilities were provided, only small passenger shelters and the signal box on the eastern side.
With the construction of the parallel standard gauge line in 1961 the signal box was demolished and replaced by a new structure in the vee between the down and branch lines. The branch line closed in 1968, with the signal box following in 1970, but the foundations can still be seen today. The pedestrian crossing between platforms at the up end of the station was upgraded in 2006-07.
Heathcote Junction, Victoria
Heathcote Junction is a town in central Victoria, Australia. The town is located north of the state capital, Melbourne and from nearby Wandong. At the 2006 census, Heathcote Junction and the surrounding area had a combined population of 887....
, 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...
. It is only two kilometres from Wandong station
Wandong railway station, Victoria
Wandong is a railway station on the North East railway in the town of Wandong, Victoria, Australia. It is only two kilometres from Heathcote Junction station, an oddity on the Victorian country railway network.-Platforms and services:...
, an oddity on the Victorian country railway network. The railway crests the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
through a cutting on the Melbourne side of the station, which is the highest point on the line.
Platforms and services
The station has two side platformSide platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s linked by a lever crossing at the Melbourne end, with a small shelter on each platform. Heathcote Junction is primarily served by V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
trains on the Seymour line, with no long distance trains to Shepparton and Albury stopping at the station.
Platform 1:
- Seymour and Shepparton lines - intercity services to Southern Cross
Platform 2:
- Seymour and Shepparton lines - intercity services to Kilmore East, Seymour and Shepparton
History
The station initially opened as a crossing loop named Summit in November 1885, and was closed in January 1886 after duplication works were completed. Soon after surveyors planning the route of a branch railway to KilmoreKilmore, Victoria
Kilmore is a town in the Australian state of Victoria. Located north of Melbourne, it is contentiously claimed as Victoria's oldest inland settled town...
and Heathcote
Heathcote, Victoria
Heathcote is a town in central Victoria, Australia, situated on the Northern Highway 110 kilometres north of Melbourne and 40 kilometres south-east of Bendigo via the McIvor Highway. Heathcote's local government area is the City of Greater Bendigo and it is part of the federal electorate of...
selected the site to be the junction of the new line. The branch line branched off to the west of the station, passing behind the down platform, the points facing Melbourne.
In 1887 the station was reopened for construction trains on the branch, and in 1888 a 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...
named Kilmore Junction was opened. The branch line was extended northwest to Heathcote
Heathcote, Victoria
Heathcote is a town in central Victoria, Australia, situated on the Northern Highway 110 kilometres north of Melbourne and 40 kilometres south-east of Bendigo via the McIvor Highway. Heathcote's local government area is the City of Greater Bendigo and it is part of the federal electorate of...
and thence to Bendigo
Bendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
in 1890, but the name Heathcote Junction was not adopted until 1922. The station did not open to passengers until 1890, but no goods facilities were provided, only small passenger shelters and the signal box on the eastern side.
With the construction of the parallel standard gauge line in 1961 the signal box was demolished and replaced by a new structure in the vee between the down and branch lines. The branch line closed in 1968, with the signal box following in 1970, but the foundations can still be seen today. The pedestrian crossing between platforms at the up end of the station was upgraded in 2006-07.