Inner Circle railway line, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
The Inner Circle was a steam era suburban railway line
(later electrified
) in Melbourne
, Australia
. It covered the inner-northern suburb
s of Parkville
, Carlton North
, Fitzroy North
, and Fitzroy
. At its closure, it ran from Royal Park station
on the Upfield line (Melway map ref: 29 F11.) to the west, to a three-way intersection with Rushall
and Merri stations on today's Epping line to the east. (Melway map ref: 30 D11.) There was also a branch line to Fitzroy that opened at the same time.
.
at the western end of the central business district. Trains bound for Heidelberg station (now on the Hurstbridge line, but then a terminus), would run to North Fitzroy station, then continue on to Victoria Park station
(then known as Collingwood, and now on the Hurstbridge and Epping lines) to the south. The locomotive
would then have to change ends and the train return to Clifton Hill station, then diverge east on to Heidelberg.
In December 1889, with the opening of the Whittlesea line, trains would run from Flinders Street to Whittlesea via the Inner Circle. Another service followed this route, but terminated at Preston station
.
Another service was provided from Spencer Street to Fitzroy station, on its branch line. This was relegated to a short shuttle service from North Fitzroy station in October 1889, and then finally closed in May 1892.
For a short period between March and May 1891, the Inner and Outer Circle routes formed the only route between the Eastern and Western halves of the Victorian Railways. Prior to this, the only link was via a street level tramway along the CBD edge between Flinders and Spencer Streets, which was generally only used at night. As the Viaduct between Spencer and Flinders Street stations was in its final stages of construction (December 1888 to May 1891), the two new lines allowed freight trains to bypass the construction site.
at the southern edge of the CBD though the inner eastern suburb of Abbotsford. This removed the need for the reversal manoeuvre for Heidelberg bound trains, and Preston suburban service also ran via the new line, while Whittlesea trains continued to use the Inner Circle, albeit only from Spencer Street.
With the loss of the main line services on the Inner Circle, a series of 'roundabout' services were experimented with from 1901. By 1906 a regular steam operated service was established from Princes Bridge to North Fitzroy station via Clifton Hill, and by 1919 this service was running every hour off peak.
Electrification
on the line between Royal Park and Clifton Hill stations was commissioned on 31 July 1921. With electrification the services were extended to North Carlton running at 15 minute headways, but from 18 September 1921 they were changed to every 20 minutes. Two trains on weekdays, and a larger number at weekends were extended to Royal Park station to serve patrons of the Melbourne Zoo
.
There was a possibility for revitalization in 1940, the Ashworth Improvement Plan
recommended a subway tunnel with five stations be built under the Melbourne CBD from Flinders Street
to the Inner Circle, with a proposed future subway from the first station to North Melbourne
.
Traffic on the line was discouraged by the circuitous route, and competition with more direct trams
to the city. Off peak services were cut to every 30 minutes from 29 May 1944, but from 4 December 1944 20 minute headways were restored on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The passenger service was finally cancelled on 3 July 1948 and North Carlton and North Fitzroy stations closed to passenger business.
In the same year a new loop service was introduced in the form of the underground
City Loop, which directly encircles the CBD
.
s which can still be seen today), and the reservation converted into a "rail-trail" walking
path. Some signals
and parts of level crossing gates also survive, with remaining overhead gantry sections still carrying railway electrical current between the Upfield and Epping railway lines.
Of the three stations, only North Carlton still stands, and was converted into a community centre. North Fitzroy station is now a slight rise in the "rail trail" path east of Nicholson Street, which was realigned in 2002 to traverse the length of the former platform. Fitzroy station is presently a development site.
From Rushall station to Royal Park station the rail reserve has become a linear park which provides part of the Capital City Trail
for cyclists, connecting the Merri Creek Trail
to the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail
in the network of shared use bicycle paths for Cycling in Melbourne
.
|}
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
(later electrified
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
) in Melbourne
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...
, 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 covered the inner-northern suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of Parkville
Parkville, Victoria
Parkville is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, the population was 4,980....
, Carlton North
Carlton North, Victoria
Carlton North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Melbourne and Yarra...
, Fitzroy North
Fitzroy North, Victoria
Fitzroy North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Yarra and Moreland. At the 2006 Census, Fitzroy North had a population of 11,069....
, and Fitzroy
Fitzroy, Victoria
Fitzroy is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. Its borders are Alexandra Parade , Victoria Parade , Smith Street and Nicholson Street. Fitzroy is Melbourne's...
. At its closure, it ran from Royal Park station
Royal Park railway station, Melbourne
Royal Park is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Parkville, on the Upfield railway line. Royal Park is unmanned and in Metcard Zone 1.-Facilities:...
on the Upfield line (Melway map ref: 29 F11.) to the west, to a three-way intersection with Rushall
Rushall railway station
Rushall railway station was a station on the South Staffordshire Line. It was opened in 1849. It was the first station to fall on the line, closing in 1909...
and Merri stations on today's Epping line to the east. (Melway map ref: 30 D11.) There was also a branch line to Fitzroy that opened at the same time.
History
The Inner Circle was opened on 8 May 1888 with three stations: North Carlton station and North Fitzroy station on the main line, and Fitzroy station on a short branch line leading south after North Fitzroy station through the Edinburgh GardensEdinburgh Gardens, Melbourne
Edinburgh Gardens is a large park located in North Fitzroy. It is bounded by Brunswick Street and St Georges Road to the west, the curve of Alfred Crescent to the north and east, and Freeman Street to the south. It was created from a grant of land in March 1862 by Queen Victoria and laid out by...
.
As the main line
When the Inner Circle line first opened it provided two services, both originating from Spencer Street StationSouthern Cross Station
Southern Cross is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne Docklands, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district...
at the western end of the central business district. Trains bound for Heidelberg station (now on the Hurstbridge line, but then a terminus), would run to North Fitzroy station, then continue on to Victoria Park station
Victoria Park railway station, Melbourne
Victoria Park is a railway station on the Hurstbridge and Epping lines in Abbotsford, Melbourne, Australia. The station is elevated, is in Metcard Zone 1 and is unmanned....
(then known as Collingwood, and now on the Hurstbridge and Epping lines) to the south. The locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
would then have to change ends and the train return to Clifton Hill station, then diverge east on to Heidelberg.
In December 1889, with the opening of the Whittlesea line, trains would run from Flinders Street to Whittlesea via the Inner Circle. Another service followed this route, but terminated at Preston station
Preston railway station, Melbourne
Preston is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Preston, on the Epping railway line. Preston is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard Zones 1+2.-Facilities:...
.
Another service was provided from Spencer Street to Fitzroy station, on its branch line. This was relegated to a short shuttle service from North Fitzroy station in October 1889, and then finally closed in May 1892.
For a short period between March and May 1891, the Inner and Outer Circle routes formed the only route between the Eastern and Western halves of the Victorian Railways. Prior to this, the only link was via a street level tramway along the CBD edge between Flinders and Spencer Streets, which was generally only used at night. As the Viaduct between Spencer and Flinders Street stations was in its final stages of construction (December 1888 to May 1891), the two new lines allowed freight trains to bypass the construction site.
Replaced by direct line
In 1901 a new direct line was built from the central Flinders Street StationFlinders 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...
at the southern edge of the CBD though the inner eastern suburb of Abbotsford. This removed the need for the reversal manoeuvre for Heidelberg bound trains, and Preston suburban service also ran via the new line, while Whittlesea trains continued to use the Inner Circle, albeit only from Spencer Street.
With the loss of the main line services on the Inner Circle, a series of 'roundabout' services were experimented with from 1901. By 1906 a regular steam operated service was established from Princes Bridge to North Fitzroy station via Clifton Hill, and by 1919 this service was running every hour off peak.
Electrification
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
on the line between Royal Park and Clifton Hill stations was commissioned on 31 July 1921. With electrification the services were extended to North Carlton running at 15 minute headways, but from 18 September 1921 they were changed to every 20 minutes. Two trains on weekdays, and a larger number at weekends were extended to Royal Park station to serve patrons of the Melbourne Zoo
Melbourne Zoo
The Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens, commonly known as the Melbourne Zoo, contains more than 320 animal species from Australia and around the world. The zoo is north of the centre of Melbourne. It is accessible via Royal Park station on the Upfield railway line, and is also accessible via tram...
.
There was a possibility for revitalization in 1940, the Ashworth Improvement Plan
Ashworth Improvement Plan
The Ashworth Improvement Plan was a report that recommended a number of improvements to be made to the electrified suburban railways of inner city Melbourne, Australia. It was produced in 1940 by a committee headed by John Marmaduke Ashworth, the Victorian Railways Chief Engineer for Way and Works...
recommended a subway tunnel with five stations be built under the Melbourne CBD from 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...
to the Inner Circle, with a proposed future subway from the first station to North Melbourne
North Melbourne railway station
North Melbourne is a railway station located on the northern edge of the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The station is the point through which pass the west and north-west bound Craigieburn, Flemington Racecourse, Sydenham, Upfield, Werribee and Williamstown suburban railway...
.
Traffic on the line was discouraged by the circuitous route, and competition with more direct trams
Trams in Melbourne
The Melbourne tramway network is a major form of public transport in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia. , the network consisted of of track, 487 trams, 28 routes, and 1,773 tram stops. It was therefore the largest urban tramway network in the world, ahead of the...
to the city. Off peak services were cut to every 30 minutes from 29 May 1944, but from 4 December 1944 20 minute headways were restored on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The passenger service was finally cancelled on 3 July 1948 and North Carlton and North Fitzroy stations closed to passenger business.
Freight only
From 1948 the Fitzroy line was used almost exclusively for freight trains. The overhead wiring on the line was dismantled in 1961, with only that needed for Epping trains and for shunting at the Royal Park end retained. Significant changes occurred to the line in 1965, when the line was singled and both legs of the triangle at the eastern end of the line closed. This left just the single line from Royal Park to Fitzroy remaining for goods services. The line was officially closed on 31 July 1981.In the same year a new loop service was introduced in the form of the underground
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
City Loop, which directly encircles the CBD
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
.
Today
After the final closure, the rails were removed (except for some short sections at former level crossingLevel crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
s which can still be seen today), and the reservation converted into a "rail-trail" walking
Walking
Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step...
path. Some signals
Railway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...
and parts of level crossing gates also survive, with remaining overhead gantry sections still carrying railway electrical current between the Upfield and Epping railway lines.
Of the three stations, only North Carlton still stands, and was converted into a community centre. North Fitzroy station is now a slight rise in the "rail trail" path east of Nicholson Street, which was realigned in 2002 to traverse the length of the former platform. Fitzroy station is presently a development site.
From Rushall station to Royal Park station the rail reserve has become a linear park which provides part of the Capital City Trail
Capital City Trail
The Capital City Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which circles the Melbourne city centre and some inner eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
for cyclists, connecting the Merri Creek Trail
Merri Creek Trail
The Merri Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Merri Creek through the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Following the Path:...
to the Moonee Ponds Creek Trail
Moonee Ponds Creek Trail
The Moonee Ponds Creek Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the Moonee Ponds Creek through the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Following the path:...
in the network of shared use bicycle paths for Cycling in Melbourne
Cycling in Melbourne
Cycling in Melbourne, Victoria is common on the roads and paths for recreation, commuting and as a sport. However it is not one of the popular modes of transportation despite an extensive network of bicycle paths and some designated bicycle lanes on roads...
.
Stations
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External links
- City of YarraCity of YarraThe City of Yarra is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the inner eastern and northern suburbs of Melbourne. It has an area of 19.5 square kilometres, and at the 2006 census it had a population of 69,330...
: Inner Circle Railway Linear Park - Victorian RailwaysVictorian RailwaysThe Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
signalling diagram: North Fitzroy to Merri in 1932 - Victorian RailwaysVictorian RailwaysThe Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
signalling diagram: Macaulay to North Fitzroy in 1913 - Victorian RailwaysVictorian RailwaysThe Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
signalling diagram: Macaulay to North Carlton in 1932 - 1920 Morgan's Street Directory Map: Inner circle station locations
