Richmond railway station, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
Richmond is a railway station in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia
, located in the suburb
of Richmond
. It is classed as a Premium Station
and is in Metcard
Zone 1.
with platforms extending west across the Punt Road railway bridge.
The station has ten platforms connected by three subways, and is the junction of all of Melbourne's eastern and south eastern rail lines, with trains on the Frankston, Glen Waverley, Pakenham, Sandringham, Cranbourne, Belgrave, Lilydale and Alamein lines passing through the station.
Located 2.4 km from Flinders Street Station
, Melbourne's central suburban railway station, Richmond Station is located in Melbourne's sporting precinct. A special events entrance is used to access the MCG
, Melbourne Park
and AAMI Park
when there are events on.
Tram route 70
runs past Richmond Station along Swan Street
. Punt Road underpasses directly under the station via a major interchange with Swan Street and Brunton Avenue.
By the 1930s the station was struggling with the patronage, with the 1940 Ashworth Improvement Plan
recommending that it be rebuilt but funding issues during World War II prevented it from happening. The station had also deteriorated to the point that it was condemned by the local council, and so work begun in the 1950s on a replacement. Part of Operation Phoenix
, the postwar rebuilding of Victorian Railways
, it was not until 26 March 1960 that the present station was completed. Located slightly west of the previous station, the bridges at each end of the station across Punt Road and Swan Street were also rebuilt to accommodate the ten tracks. For a period, platforms at both the old and new stations operated, before the original station finally closed and was demolished.
Richmond was upgraded to a Premium Station on 4 December 1996.
The condition of Richmond station was criticised again in 2005, with claims made that it served as a poor gateway for spectators watching the 2006 Commonwealth Games
. The Victorian Government considered redeveloping the station, but was shelved due to the cost.
Richmond station was the filming location for the opening scene of the 1992 Australian film Romper Stomper
. In the film's story the location was named as Footscray station.
Platform 2:
Platform 3:
Platform 4:
Platform 5:
Platform 6:
Platforms 7 and 8:
Platforms 9 and 10:
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
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...
of Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
. It 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 1.
Facilities
Richmond station is built on an embankment immediately east of Punt RoadHoddle Highway
Hoddle Highway is an urban highway in Melbourne linking CityLink and the Eastern Freeway, allotted metropolitan route . The name "Hoddle Highway" is almost completely unknown to most drivers - who refer instead to its constituent parts: Hoddle Street and Punt Road.It starts at the Eastern Freeway...
with platforms extending west across the Punt Road railway bridge.
The station has ten platforms connected by three subways, and is the junction of all of Melbourne's eastern and south eastern rail lines, with trains on the Frankston, Glen Waverley, Pakenham, Sandringham, Cranbourne, Belgrave, Lilydale and Alamein lines passing through the station.
Located 2.4 km from Flinders Street Station
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...
, Melbourne's central suburban railway station, Richmond Station is located in Melbourne's sporting precinct. A special events entrance is used to access the MCG
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
, Melbourne Park
Melbourne Park
Melbourne Park is a sports venue in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Since 1988, Melbourne Park has been home of the Australian Open in tennis, which is played annually in January...
and AAMI Park
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium is an outdoor sports stadium on the site of Edwin Flack Field on Olympic Boulevard in the Sports and Entertainment Precinct, in inner Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
when there are events on.
Tram route 70
Melbourne tram route 70
Tram route 70 is a public transport service in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is operated by Camberwell Depot and runs from the Waterfront City Docklands to Wattle Park in Box Hill South...
runs past Richmond Station along Swan Street
Swan Street, Melbourne
Swan Street is a major street running through the Melbourne suburbs of Richmond, Cremorne and Burnley. The section of the street between Punt Road and Alexandra Avenue is now known as Olympic Boulevard....
. Punt Road underpasses directly under the station via a major interchange with Swan Street and Brunton Avenue.
History
Richmond station has been relocated and rebuilt four times. The first station in Punt Road was at ground level and opened on 8 February 1859. It closed the same year on 12 December 1859. On the same day the new station, also at ground level, opened in Swan Street. In 1885, an elevated station just north of Swan Street was opened with six platforms.By the 1930s the station was struggling with the patronage, with the 1940 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...
recommending that it be rebuilt but funding issues during World War II prevented it from happening. The station had also deteriorated to the point that it was condemned by the local council, and so work begun in the 1950s on a replacement. Part of Operation Phoenix
Operation Phoenix (railway)
Operation Phoenix was a post World War II rehabilitation program carried out by the Victorian Railways in Australia. The program commenced in 1950 and was originally planned to take 10 years and cost £80 million pounds...
, the postwar rebuilding of Victorian Railways
Victorian Railways
The 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...
, it was not until 26 March 1960 that the present station was completed. Located slightly west of the previous station, the bridges at each end of the station across Punt Road and Swan Street were also rebuilt to accommodate the ten tracks. For a period, platforms at both the old and new stations operated, before the original station finally closed and was demolished.
Richmond was upgraded to a Premium Station on 4 December 1996.
The condition of Richmond station was criticised again in 2005, with claims made that it served as a poor gateway for spectators watching the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
. The Victorian Government considered redeveloping the station, but was shelved due to the cost.
Richmond station was the filming location for the opening scene of the 1992 Australian film Romper Stomper
Romper Stomper
-Awards:The film was nominated for nine Australian Film Institute Awards. It won Best Achievement in Sound, Best Actor in a Lead Role and Best Original Music Score.-Box office and Reception:Romper Stomper grossed $3,165,034 at the box office in Australia,...
. In the film's story the location was named as Footscray station.
Platforms, services and connecting services
Platform 1:- Metro TrainsMetro Trains MelbourneMetro Trains Melbourne is the current franchise operator of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Metro Trains Melbourne is a joint venture led by Hong Kong based MTR Corporation together with John Holland Group and United Group Rail .Metro Trains Melbourne operates a fleet of 381...
services towards Flinders Street.
Platform 2:
- Metro Trains services towards Sandringham.
Platform 3:
- Metro Trains services towards Flinders Street.
- V/LineV/LineV/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...
Gippsland line services towards Southern CrossSouthern Cross StationSouthern 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...
.
Platform 4:
- Metro Trains services towards Frankston. Some peak hour services terminate at Mordialloc and Carrum.
- V/Line Gippsland line services towards Traralgon. Some services extend to Bairnsdale.
Platform 5:
- Metro Trains services towards Flinders Street.
- V/Line Gippsland line services towards Southern Cross.
Platform 6:
- Metro Trains services towards Cranbourne and Pakenham. Some peak hour services terminate at Oakleigh and Dandenong.
- V/Line Gippsland line services towards Traralgon. Some services extend to Bairnsdale.
Platforms 7 and 8:
- Metro Trains services towards Flinders Street.
Platforms 9 and 10:
- Metro Trains services towards Lilydale, Belgrave, Glen Waverley and Alamein. Some peak hour services terminate at BlackburnBlackburn railway station, MelbourneBlackburn is a railway station on the Lilydale and Belgrave railway lines in Melbourne, Australia. It is located between Railway Road and South Parade in Blackburn, about west of Blackburn Road. The station is 17.4 kilometres by rail from Flinders Street Station...
, RingwoodRingwood railway station, MelbourneRingwood is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Ringwood, on the Lilydale and Belgrave railway lines. It is in Metcard Zone 2, is classed as a Premium Station, and is the junction for the Belgrave & Lilydale lines....
, Mooroolbark and Upper Ferntree Gully.