Blackburn railway station, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
Blackburn 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 250 metres (820 ft) west of Blackburn Road. The station is 17.4 kilometres by rail
from Flinders Street Station
. Blackburn is classed as a Premium Station
, and is in Zone 2 of the Metlink
system.
, numbered from south to north. Platforms 1 and 2 form an island platform
, while platform 3 backs on to a carpark (with 120 spaces) to the north of the station. There was originally a goods siding
where the carpark now stands.
The island platform has a large brick building housing a waiting area, ticket facilities and toilets, while platform 3 has a brick building of similar size. A large Metcard
ticket vending machine is located at the entrance to platform 1 & 2, which is able to dispense most ticketing options available and also accept notes and coins. A small coin-only Metcard ticket vending machine is located at the entrance to platform 3, as well as at the entrance to the island platform.
Blackburn station is also an important bus
interchange. Route 286 depart from Railway Road, and routes 703, 736 and 765 depart from South Parade.
Blackburn station has twelve bicycle
locker
s.
Platform 3:
was extended to Lilydale, to form the Lilydale railway line. This line was opened on December 1, 1882. Blackburn station, then known as Blackburn Creek station, was opened on 25 December of that year.
At this time, the Lilydale line had only a single track, and used a token
-based system of signalling
. On August 12, 1889, Blackburn was designated a 'crossing station', meaning that it had a loop line to allow train
s to pass each other. In December 1891, a second track was added to the section of the Lilydale line between Box Hill
and Ringwood
stations. At this time, Blackburn had two platforms.
Services terminating at Blackburn began in the late 1890s, due to the large number of passengers visiting the Blackburn Lake Sanctuary
. However, there were relatively few trains passing through Blackburn - around two trains per hour in 1901.
The Lilydale line was electrified
as far as Box Hill station
on 17 December 1922. By the end of January 1923, electrification
had proceeded past Blackburn as far as Ringwood.
Automatic signalling, which had reached Box Hill in 1929, was finally extended to Blackburn on 13 July 1958. However, automatic signalling was not installed between Blackburn and Mitcham
stations until 13 November 1960. Boom barriers replaced hand gates at Blackburn Road in 1970.
In 1980, the goods siding was removed and the old station was demolished (although part of the south platform building remains). It was replaced with a three-platform station so trains could terminate there while Box Hill station was being rebuilt. A new ramp from the old tunnel
now provides pedestrian
access to the central island platforms. Vic Rail's
plan in the late 1970s was to add the third track to the south, but Nunawading Council
objected because it would destroy the park there. By 2001, all services that formerly terminated at Box Hill had been extended to Blackburn.
Blackburn was upgraded to a Premium Station in 1996.
In late 2006 and early 2007, grade separation
works at the nearby Middleborough Road level crossing
led to the closure of the line between Box Hill and Blackburn, and the construction of a temporary bus interchange at Blackburn for the bus services which replaced the trains. The carpark immediately to the north of platform 3 was converted into the interchange, and a walkway was constructed to allow passengers to cross from the central platforms to the interchange. Blackburn again was on that role in early 2010 as grade separation was undertaken near Nunawading station at Springvale road. Setup was similar to the Middleborough Road but without the Temporary walkway.
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 is located between Railway Road and South Parade in Blackburn
Blackburn, Victoria
Blackburn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whitehorse. At the 2006 Census, Blackburn had a population of 11,958....
, about 250 metres (820 ft) west of Blackburn Road. The station is 17.4 kilometres by rail
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...
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...
. Blackburn 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 Zone 2 of the Metlink
Metlink
Metlink, formerly The Met, is the marketing body and umbrella brand for public train, tram and bus transport operators in Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.-Responsibilities:Metlink is responsible for the promotion of travel by public transport...
system.
Facilities
Blackburn station has three platformsRailway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
, numbered from south to north. Platforms 1 and 2 form an island platform
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...
, while platform 3 backs on to a carpark (with 120 spaces) to the north of the station. There was originally a goods siding
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
where the carpark now stands.
The island platform has a large brick building housing a waiting area, ticket facilities and toilets, while platform 3 has a brick building of similar size. A large 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 machine is located at the entrance to platform 1 & 2, which is able to dispense most ticketing options available and also accept notes and coins. A small coin-only Metcard ticket vending machine is located at the entrance to platform 3, as well as at the entrance to the island platform.
Blackburn station is also an important bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
interchange. Route 286 depart from Railway Road, and routes 703, 736 and 765 depart from South Parade.
Blackburn station has twelve bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
locker
Locker
Locker may refer to:* Locker , various kinds of storage compartment or container* Footlocker , a storage box* In nautical usage, a "locker" may be a storage place that in other environments would not be referred to as a locker, such as cupboards on board ships for keeping stores, anchor lockers,...
s.
Platforms, services and connecting bus services
Platforms 1 & 2:- Lilydale and Belgrave lines - all stations and limited stops services to Flinders Street
Platform 3:
- Lilydale and Belgrave lines - all stations and limited stops services to Ringwood, Lilydale, Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave
History
In 1882, the railway from Melbourne to CamberwellCamberwell railway station
Camberwell railway station was a railway station on the London, Chatham and Dover Railway . It opened in 1862 as part of the company's ambitious second London railway. In 1863 the name was changed to Camberwell New Road but in 1908 reverted to Camberwell...
was extended to Lilydale, to form the Lilydale railway line. This line was opened on December 1, 1882. Blackburn station, then known as Blackburn Creek station, was opened on 25 December of that year.
At this time, the Lilydale line had only a single track, and used a token
Token (railway signalling)
In railway signalling, a token is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to...
-based system of signalling
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
. On August 12, 1889, Blackburn was designated a 'crossing station', meaning that it had a loop line to allow train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s to pass each other. In December 1891, a second track was added to the section of the Lilydale line between Box Hill
Box Hill railway station, Melbourne
Box Hill railway station is on the Belgrave and Lilydale railway lines in Melbourne, Australia. It is located under Centro Box Hill shopping centre near the corner of Whitehorse Road and Station Street in Box Hill. A major bus interchange is part of the same complex, and the 109 tram route...
and Ringwood
Ringwood railway station, Melbourne
Ringwood 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....
stations. At this time, Blackburn had two platforms.
Services terminating at Blackburn began in the late 1890s, due to the large number of passengers visiting the Blackburn Lake Sanctuary
Blackburn Lake Sanctuary
Blackburn Lake Sanctuary is an excellent example of regenerated and remnant bushland in suburban Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located in the suburb of Blackburn...
. However, there were relatively few trains passing through Blackburn - around two trains per hour in 1901.
The Lilydale line was 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...
as far as Box Hill station
Box Hill railway station, Melbourne
Box Hill railway station is on the Belgrave and Lilydale railway lines in Melbourne, Australia. It is located under Centro Box Hill shopping centre near the corner of Whitehorse Road and Station Street in Box Hill. A major bus interchange is part of the same complex, and the 109 tram route...
on 17 December 1922. By the end of January 1923, 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...
had proceeded past Blackburn as far as Ringwood.
Automatic signalling, which had reached Box Hill in 1929, was finally extended to Blackburn on 13 July 1958. However, automatic signalling was not installed between Blackburn and Mitcham
Mitcham railway station, Melbourne
Mitcham is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Mitcham, on the Lilydale and Belgrave railway lines. Mitcham is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard Zone 2.-Facilities:...
stations until 13 November 1960. Boom barriers replaced hand gates at Blackburn Road in 1970.
In 1980, the goods siding was removed and the old station was demolished (although part of the south platform building remains). It was replaced with a three-platform station so trains could terminate there while Box Hill station was being rebuilt. A new ramp from the old tunnel
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
now provides pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
access to the central island platforms. Vic Rail's
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...
plan in the late 1970s was to add the third track to the south, but Nunawading Council
City of Nunawading
The City of Nunawading was a Local Government Area located about east of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The city covered an area of , and existed from 1925 until 1994.-History:...
objected because it would destroy the park there. By 2001, all services that formerly terminated at Box Hill had been extended to Blackburn.
Blackburn was upgraded to a Premium Station in 1996.
In late 2006 and early 2007, grade separation
Grade separation
Grade separation is the method of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a...
works at the nearby Middleborough Road level crossing
Level 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...
led to the closure of the line between Box Hill and Blackburn, and the construction of a temporary bus interchange at Blackburn for the bus services which replaced the trains. The carpark immediately to the north of platform 3 was converted into the interchange, and a walkway was constructed to allow passengers to cross from the central platforms to the interchange. Blackburn again was on that role in early 2010 as grade separation was undertaken near Nunawading station at Springvale road. Setup was similar to the Middleborough Road but without the Temporary walkway.
Congestion
The station and its level crossing is the site of one of Melbourne's more notorious traffic bottlenecks: Metropolitan route 13 (Blackburn and Surrey Roads) has several turns through the central Blackburn area, leading to slow traffic which is then in turn held up by peak hour trains. There is no obvious solution to the problem; grade separation is difficult compared to other recent projects due to the surrounding shops.External links
- Blackburn signal box
- Middleborough Road Grade Separation Project (Vicroads website)