A host station is a category of railway station on 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...

's suburban rail network

Railways in Melbourne

The Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...

 which is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne

Metro Trains Melbourne

Metro 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...

. In terms of station standards, a host station is a middle standard station which sits between the low standard unmanned stations and the high standard 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...

s.

Host stations have the following facilities available during morning peak times

Rush hour

A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...

 (typically 6 am - 10 am Monday to Friday):

• Open male and female toilets
• Typically two station hosts (customer service staff who assist passengers with queries and ticketing) and/or
• An open, staffed customer service centre (booking office), in most cases providing the same services as those of 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...
  
  s during hours where staff are available.

The Host Station program was introduced by the Victorian Department of Transport in the early 2000s to ensure that over 80 per cent of suburban rail passengers started their journey from a staffed (host or premium) station. Like most other Melbourne railway stations, host stations contain ticketing facilities, Passenger Information Displays, CCTV video survalience cameras and passenger information display boards (displaying timetables, maps, network performance, disruption notices, etc.) which are available from the first train of the day to the last.

Current host stations

There is currently a total of 26 host stations across Melbourne. Once nine stations are upgraded from host to premium and 22 from unmanned to host in the near future, there will eventually be a total of 39 host stations across the network.

Stations to remain as host stations

For the present time, these 16 stations will not receive any upgrades and will remain host stations for the foreseeable future:

Albion Albion railway station, Melbourne Albion is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located on the border of the suburbs of Sunshine and Albion, Victoria, on the Sydenham railway line... Armadale Armadale railway station, Melbourne Armadale is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Armadale, on the Pakenham, Frankston and Cranbourne railway lines... Ascot Vale Auburn Auburn railway station, Melbourne Auburn is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Hawthorn East on the Lilydale, Belgrave and Alamein railway lines...

Fairfield Fairfield railway station, Melbourne Fairfield is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Fairfield, on the Hurstbridge railway line. Fairfield is classed as a Host Station and is in Metcard Zone 1.-Facilities:... Glenhuntly Heatherdale Huntingdale

Jolimont Malvern Middle Brighton Moonee Ponds

Murrumbeena Ripponlea Tooronga Yarraville

Stations to be upgraded to premium stations

These 10 stations will be upgraded to premium station status in the near future:

Balaclava Balaclava railway station Balaclava railway station opened in 1892 and closed in 1992. It served the small town of Balaclava on the Kingston to Montego Bay line and was from the Kingston terminus.... Carnegie Holmesglen Hoppers Crossing

Newmarket Newmarket railway station, Melbourne Newmarket is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Flemington, on the Craigieburn railway line. Newmarket is classed as a Host station and is in Metcard Zone 1.-Facilities:... North Brighton Ormond

Prahran Syndal Windsor Windsor railway station, Melbourne Windsor is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It serves the Sandringham railway line and is located in the suburb of Windsor. The station is near the intersection of Chapel Street and Dandenong Road, and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.-Platforms and services:Platform...

Future host stations

These 22 stations will be upgraded from being unmanned to host station status between June and September 2010:

Burwood Burwood railway station, Melbourne Burwood is a railway station on the Alamein line in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located between Trent Street and Bardolph Street, in the suburb of Glen Iris. It is located from Flinders Street Station in the centre of Melbourne and is in Metcard Zone 1.-Facilities:The station has two... Canterbury Canterbury railway station, Melbourne Canterbury is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Canterbury on the Lilydale and Belgrave railway lines... Gardiner Glenbervie Hawksburn

Hawthorn Hawthorn railway station, Melbourne Hawthorn is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Lilydale, Belgrave, and Alamein lines, at Burwood and Evansdale Roads in the suburb of Hawthorn... Hughesdale Kensington Kensington railway station, Melbourne Kensington is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Kensington, on the Craigieburn railway line. Kensington is unmanned and is in Metcard Zone 1.-Facilities:... Merlynston McKinnon Oak Park

Pascoe Vale Regent Rosanna Royal Park 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:... Sandown Park Sandown Park railway station, Melbourne Sandown Park is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Springvale, on the Pakenham and Cranbourne railway lines. Sandown Park is unmanned and is in Metcard Zone 2.-Facilities:...

Spotswood Strathmore Toorak Tottenham West Footscray