Jolimont Yard
Encyclopedia
Jolimont Yard was an array of railway lines and carriage sidings on the edge of the central business district
of Melbourne
, Australia
. Located between Flinders Street Station
, Richmond Junction
, the Yarra River
and Flinders Street
they were often criticised for cutting off the city from the river, being the site of many redevelopment proposals. The Princes Gate Towers (Gas and Fuel Buildings) were built over part of the yard in the 1960s, which themselves were replaced by Federation Square
in the 1990s. The rail sidings themselves were progressively removed from the 1980s to the 1990s with only running lines today, but the area continues to be referred to as the 'Jolimont railyards' by Melburnians.
was the terminal of the first railway in the city, running to Sandridge (now Port Melbourne). It was later joined by the independent Princes Bridge Station on the eastern side of Swanston Street, which served as the terminal for lines towards Richmond, South Yarra and Hawthorn
. The two stations were not connected together until 1866, with Princes Bridge not reopening until 1879.
As time continued, the area between Princes Bridge and Richmond stations developed into a major yard for the stabling of suburban carriage stock, as well as the servicing of the steam locomotives that hauled them. Freight traffic was based out of Melbourne Yard and most of the country carriage stock was serviced at the Dudley Street sidings, both adjacent to Spencer Street Station. The running lines were arranged into pairs (inbound and outbound for each destination) with multiple sidings located between them.
In 1917 the Princes Bridge locomotive depot was closed, and replaced by the Jolimont Workshops
. Built as part of the electrification
of the Melbourne suburban network
, it was the main storage, servicing and maintenance depot for the new fleet of suburban trains. The workshops was erected to the south along Batman Avenues, with the storage sidings located between the running lines. A footbridge ran from Flinders Street across the entire yard to provide access for train drivers.
An electrical substation
was also erected to the south of the yard, to feed power into the overhead wires. Of 18,000 kilowatt capacity, it was fitted with four 4500 kilowatt rotary converter
s and was the largest substation on the network until demolished in the early 1970s to make room for the City Loop portals for the Caulfield Group
. Additional sidings were also provided in the triangle formed by the lines bound for Richmond and Jolimont. Located on the site of the East Melbourne Cricket Ground
, the ground was acquired by the Victorian Railways and the Essendon Football Club
played their final season there in 1921.
The next major change was construction of the Richmond Flyover beginning in early 1970s. Part of the quadruplication works between Richmond
and Burnley stations, it converts the up (inbound) - down (outbound) - up - down track layout at Flinders Street to an up - up - down - down track layout at Richmond and beyond. Completed in February 1973, it also permits a cross-platform interchange
between City Loop and Flinders Street direct trains at Richmond on platforms 7/8 and 9/10. The flyover necessitated the reconstruction of a footbridge that linked Yarra Park to the Melbourne Cricket Ground
.
Further changes occurred when the City Loop was built. In addition to the relocation of the electrical substation, numerous tracks at Richmond Junction needed to be relocated to make room for the ramps descending into the tunnel, and tracks in the yard itself were slewed as work progressed on the cut and cover tunnels. The Metrol train control complex was also constructed beside the yards on Batman Avenue, to control the loop as well as to replace the five Flinders Street signal boxes. During construction the public discovered that the building would block the view from Russell Street to the Botanic Gardens and Government House, and that it had occurred due to no planning permit being applied for. State Premier Rupert Hamer
responded to public outrage and instructed the half built building to be demolished, and instructed all government departments that they must apply for planning permits, whether they were legally needed or not. The building was redesigned to be lower and resulting in completion being delayed until early 1980.
electric fleet, both multiple unit
s and locomotive
s. Located on the south side of the yard, it was made up of a large brick carshed with tracks leading into if from both the east (Richmond) and west (Flinders Street) ends. In addition to the maintenance of the suburban multiple unit fleet, the E class
suburban freight and L class
mainline electric locomotives were maintained there until the 1960s.
es controlled traffic into Flinders Street Station
. Later replaced by Metrol, four of them were located in Jolimont Yard:
Flinders Street B was located at the Richmond end of Flinders Street platform 8/9 and controlled the southern tracks into and out of the station from Jolimont Yard. Constructed of brick it was of 'traditional' Victorian Railways design, and was demolished when the Federation Square Deck was built.
Flinders Street C was located beyond the Richmond end of Flinders Street platform 4/5 and controlled the northern tracks into and out of the station from the yard. Constructed of brick it was of 'traditional' Victorian Railways design, and was demolished when the Federation Square Deck was built.
Flinders Street D was located at the Richmond end of the Princes Bridge Station island platform
(later renumber to Flinders Street 15/16). Of utilitarian brick construction it remains in place today just outside the Federation Square Deck, but is unused as a signal box.
Flinders Street E was located at Richmond Junction, and controlled the junction as well as access into the Richmond end of the stabling sidings. Of utilitarian brick construction it remains in place today underneath the William Barak
Bridge, but is unused as a signal box.
Only the first bridge remains today, the other bridges being recent additions.
Over the years, various redevelopment plans for Jolimont Yard have been proposed by various parties, including:
1925: Cathedral Square
In 1925 a design competition was held by the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects for redevelopment of the rail yard. The winner was James Smith with his proposal set back from the street line, featuring a paved civic plaza and fountain, railway offices, tourist bureau and a concourse to Princes Bridge station.
1929: Metropolitan Town Planning Commission
The Metropolitan Town Planning Commission was created in 1922 and was chaired by City of Melbourne
councillor and architect Frank Stapley. The initial report included a city square over the yard between Flinders Street and Batman Avenue, running east 33 feet (10.1 m) from Princes Bridge, but was later dropped as unsuitable due to cost and traffic congestion.
1954: MMBW Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme
The MMBW
commenced their Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme in 1949. This scheme involved redeveloping the Yarra River
frontage, partially roofing the rail yards, constructing a bridge from Russell Street to Batman Avenue, and building underpasses below Princes Bridge and Batman Avenue.
1958: Kenneth McDonald
This plan was proposed by Kenneth MacDonald and Associates to the City of Melbourne
, and proposed the roofing of the rail yards between Swanston
and Spring Streets
, with public space, shops, car parking, apartment and hotel towers, a theatre and an office tower built above.
1961: Matthew Flinders Square
This proposal was put promoted by ex Lord Mayor William Lempriere and was prepared by architects Montgomery, King and Trengrove. It aimed to fix the "desecration of the city's southern gateway by the rail yards," and the "'mid-Victorian monstrosity" of Flinders Street Station by roofing the rail yards and relocating the railway station underground. The open space on either side of Princes Bridge would be the home of a new Town Hall, a 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) civic square, concert auditoriums, the railways administration, and other commercial buildings.
1963: Princes Gate
Announced in 1963 by Premier Henry Bolte
, the £5 million project would roof part of the yard and build a plaza and two 15-storey buildings on this structure. Completed in 1967 and commonly known as the Gas and Fuel building, the Princes Gate towers were demolished in 1996-1997.
1973: Jolimont Pleasure Gardens
A City of Melbourne proposal for roofing the yards and reconnect the city with the river and sports and arts precincts beyond.
1979: Landmark Competition
Premier Rupert Hamer
announced a $100,000 competition for designs to roof the remainder of Jolimont Yard. Over 2300 entries were submitted, with 48 finalists selected by a committee chaired by Ron Walker
. No overall winner was chosen, a composite scheme with a tower in a garden setting recommended instead. Each of the finalists receiving a little over $2000 prize money, with designs including hanging gardens, an underwater gallery, a free-standing escalator, a series of 12 transparent arches, a solar-powered earth beam, a Freedom Bird Park, and a Time Tower.
1985: Denton Corker Marshall
By the architecture firm, the Princes Plaza Proposal included demolition of one of the Princes Gate towers, and the construction of a large street level plaza stretching across the yards, and a new building to the east surrounding a formal garden.
1996: Federation Square
A design completion for the site commenced in 1996, resulting in Federation Square
that was opened in October 2002.
The State Government announced the Federation Square
project in 1996, along with additional development of the sports and entertainment precinct and new parklands. Rationalisation of the yard was carried out in 1997-1998 to clear the way, with the stabling sidings and workshops removed and replaced by new facilities located elsewhere, including:
The track rationalisation itself cost $40 million with 53 operating lines between Flinders Street and Richmond were reduced to just 12. The number of points was also reduced, from 164 to 48 and 1 in 9 and 1 in 15 points were used to permit higher speeds. New lower profile masts were installed to support the overhead wiring, and a new electrical substation
erected to supply power to the trains. The main area of new track was between Flinders Street Station, Richmond Junction and the City Loop portals.
Piling works and crash walls for Federation Square were done by October 1998. The deck was completed by mid 1999, with building works atop of it commencing in August 1999. The removal of other buildings along Batman Avenue was carried out at this time, including the Metrol train control facility. Opened at the time of the City Loop opening in 1981, it was moved to a temporary location pending the replacement of the elderly technology with a new system.
The Exhibition Street Extension
was also built, connecting the CBD to Batman Avenue and Swan Street
, permitting the closure of Batman Avenue for Federation Square
and Birrarung Marr. Tolled
as part of the CityLink
project, it was opened in 1998 and carries trams and four lanes of traffic. By June 1999 the route 70
tram had been rerouted from Swan Street
to a new section of reserved track
running between the Tennis Centre and the remaining railway lines, entering the CBD via the Exhibition Street Extension rather than Batman Avenue. A new footbridge from the Multi Purpose Stadium to the MCG Great Southern Stand concourse was built, and existing footbridge from the MCG Pontsford Stand to Scotch Oval was rebuilt and widened.
As part of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games
the 525-metre long William Barak
footbridge was built east-west from Birrarung Marr to Yarra Park. Stated in 2005 and opened in 2006. The bridge is yet to be completed, with scaffolding and formwork still attached to the piers.
Where the lines interconnect outside the MCG was originally known as Jolimont Junction, but was renamed Richmond Junction following the demise of the yard.
From Flinders Street in the west to Richmond Station in the east, bridges over the area include:
On 28 April 2008 Premier John Brumby
announced that his government was proposing a multi-million dollar development to link the sports and arts precincts in Melbourne's CBD. To be funded by a public-private partnership, the railway lines would be roofed and commercial buildings built on top. The next day the Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry
urged the roofing over the railway lines east of Federation Square for the construction of a residence for the Prime Minister of Australia, and as well as for hosting visiting heads of state and business delegations.
In August 2009 the VECCI again brought up the topic of roofing over the railway tracks, an article in The Age
cited that an 2002 costing of $1.4 billion.
Hoddle Grid
The Hoddle Grid is the layout of the streets in the centre of the central business district of Melbourne. Named after its designer, Robert Hoddle, the Grid was laid out in 1837, and later extended...
of 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...
. Located between 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...
, Richmond Junction
Richmond railway station, Melbourne
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.-Facilities:...
, the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
and Flinders Street
Flinders Street, Melbourne
Flinders Street is a notable street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Running roughly parallel to the Yarra River, Flinders Street forms the southern edge of the Hoddle Grid. It is exactly one mile in length and one and half chains in width...
they were often criticised for cutting off the city from the river, being the site of many redevelopment proposals. The Princes Gate Towers (Gas and Fuel Buildings) were built over part of the yard in the 1960s, which themselves were replaced by Federation Square
Federation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
in the 1990s. The rail sidings themselves were progressively removed from the 1980s to the 1990s with only running lines today, but the area continues to be referred to as the 'Jolimont railyards' by Melburnians.
History
The area of the Jolimont Yards had long been a site of railway development. 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...
was the terminal of the first railway in the city, running to Sandridge (now Port Melbourne). It was later joined by the independent Princes Bridge Station on the eastern side of Swanston Street, which served as the terminal for lines towards Richmond, South Yarra and 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...
. The two stations were not connected together until 1866, with Princes Bridge not reopening until 1879.
As time continued, the area between Princes Bridge and Richmond stations developed into a major yard for the stabling of suburban carriage stock, as well as the servicing of the steam locomotives that hauled them. Freight traffic was based out of Melbourne Yard and most of the country carriage stock was serviced at the Dudley Street sidings, both adjacent to Spencer Street Station. The running lines were arranged into pairs (inbound and outbound for each destination) with multiple sidings located between them.
In 1917 the Princes Bridge locomotive depot was closed, and replaced by the Jolimont Workshops
Jolimont Workshops
Jolimont Workshops was a railway workshop operated by the Victorian Railways beside Jolimont Yard in inner city Melbourne, Australia. Opened in 1917 and dedicated to the maintenance and repair of electric multiple units and locomotives, it was the first part of the yard to be closed and relocated,...
. Built as part of the 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...
of the Melbourne suburban 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...
, it was the main storage, servicing and maintenance depot for the new fleet of suburban trains. The workshops was erected to the south along Batman Avenues, with the storage sidings located between the running lines. A footbridge ran from Flinders Street across the entire yard to provide access for train drivers.
An electrical substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
was also erected to the south of the yard, to feed power into the overhead wires. Of 18,000 kilowatt capacity, it was fitted with four 4500 kilowatt rotary converter
Rotary converter
A rotary converter is a type of electrical machine which acts as a mechanical rectifier or inverter. It was used to convert AC to DC or DC to AC power before the advent of chemical or solid state power rectification...
s and was the largest substation on the network until demolished in the early 1970s to make room for the City Loop portals for the Caulfield Group
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...
. Additional sidings were also provided in the triangle formed by the lines bound for Richmond and Jolimont. Located on the site of the East Melbourne Cricket Ground
East Melbourne Cricket Ground
The East Melbourne Cricket Ground was a sports venue located at the corner of Wellington Parade and Jolimont Parade, in East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia...
, the ground was acquired by the Victorian Railways and the Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
played their final season there in 1921.
The next major change was construction of the Richmond Flyover beginning in early 1970s. Part of the quadruplication works between Richmond
Richmond railway station, Melbourne
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.-Facilities:...
and Burnley stations, it converts the up (inbound) - down (outbound) - up - down track layout at Flinders Street to an up - up - down - down track layout at Richmond and beyond. Completed in February 1973, it also permits a cross-platform interchange
Cross-platform interchange
A cross-platform interchange is a type of interchange between different lines in a metro system. The term originates with the London Underground; such layouts exist in other networks but are not commonly so named...
between City Loop and Flinders Street direct trains at Richmond on platforms 7/8 and 9/10. The flyover necessitated the reconstruction of a footbridge that linked Yarra Park to the Melbourne Cricket Ground
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...
.
Further changes occurred when the City Loop was built. In addition to the relocation of the electrical substation, numerous tracks at Richmond Junction needed to be relocated to make room for the ramps descending into the tunnel, and tracks in the yard itself were slewed as work progressed on the cut and cover tunnels. The Metrol train control complex was also constructed beside the yards on Batman Avenue, to control the loop as well as to replace the five Flinders Street signal boxes. During construction the public discovered that the building would block the view from Russell Street to the Botanic Gardens and Government House, and that it had occurred due to no planning permit being applied for. State Premier Rupert Hamer
Rupert Hamer
Sir Rupert James Hamer, AC, KCMG, ED , generally known until he was knighted in 1982 as Dick Hamer, Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 39th Premier of Victoria, serving from 1972 to 1981.-Early years:...
responded to public outrage and instructed the half built building to be demolished, and instructed all government departments that they must apply for planning permits, whether they were legally needed or not. The building was redesigned to be lower and resulting in completion being delayed until early 1980.
Workshops
The Jolimont Workshops were the main maintenance and repair facility for the Victorian RailwaysVictorian 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...
electric fleet, both multiple unit
Multiple unit
The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelled carriages capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still being controlled from one driving cab. The term is commonly used to denote passenger trainsets consisting of more than one carriage...
s and 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...
s. Located on the south side of the yard, it was made up of a large brick carshed with tracks leading into if from both the east (Richmond) and west (Flinders Street) ends. In addition to the maintenance of the suburban multiple unit fleet, the E class
Victorian Railways E class (electric)
The Victorian Railways E class was a class of electric locomotive that ran on the Victorian Railways from 1923 until 1984. Introduced shortly after the electrification of the suburban rail system in Melbourne, Australia, and based on the same electrical and traction equipment as Melbourne's early...
suburban freight and L class
Victorian Railways L class (electric)
The Victorian Railways L class was a class of mainline electric locomotive that ran on the Victorian Railways and its successor V/Line from 1953 until 1987...
mainline electric locomotives were maintained there until the 1960s.
Signal boxes
Five signal boxSignal 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...
es controlled traffic into 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...
. Later replaced by Metrol, four of them were located in Jolimont Yard:
Flinders Street B was located at the Richmond end of Flinders Street platform 8/9 and controlled the southern tracks into and out of the station from Jolimont Yard. Constructed of brick it was of 'traditional' Victorian Railways design, and was demolished when the Federation Square Deck was built.
Flinders Street C was located beyond the Richmond end of Flinders Street platform 4/5 and controlled the northern tracks into and out of the station from the yard. Constructed of brick it was of 'traditional' Victorian Railways design, and was demolished when the Federation Square Deck was built.
Flinders Street D was located at the Richmond end of the Princes Bridge Station 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...
(later renumber to Flinders Street 15/16). Of utilitarian brick construction it remains in place today just outside the Federation Square Deck, but is unused as a signal box.
Flinders Street E was located at Richmond Junction, and controlled the junction as well as access into the Richmond end of the stabling sidings. Of utilitarian brick construction it remains in place today underneath the William Barak
William Barak
William Barak , was the last traditional ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri-willam clan, based around the area of present-day Melbourne, Australia...
Bridge, but is unused as a signal box.
Footbridges
During the heyday of the yard only two footbridges crossed the yard:- The Botanical Gardens Footbridge, located west of Richmond station it links Yarra Park with the MCGMelbourne Cricket GroundThe 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...
. The central span was rebuilt with increased clearances when the Glen Waverley flyover was constructed underneath it in the 1970s, but the original lattice truss approach spans remain.
- A second footbridge ran from Flinders Street, between RussellRussell Street, MelbourneRussell Street is a north-south street in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia, part of the Hoddle Grid laid out in 1837. At its southern end it intersects with Flinders Street and Federation Square, while at its northern end it becomes Lygon Street, a street famous for its...
and Exhibition StreetsExhibition Street, MelbourneExhibition Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The street is named after the World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building, which is located in the Carlton Gardens.- Geography :...
, and ran south over the tracks. It was for railway use only, with stairs running down to the stabling sidings below. The access gate for the bridge remains evident in the Flinders Street fence today.
Only the first bridge remains today, the other bridges being recent additions.
Redevelopment plans
1925: Cathedral Square
In 1925 a design competition was held by the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects for redevelopment of the rail yard. The winner was James Smith with his proposal set back from the street line, featuring a paved civic plaza and fountain, railway offices, tourist bureau and a concourse to Princes Bridge station.
1929: Metropolitan Town Planning Commission
The Metropolitan Town Planning Commission was created in 1922 and was chaired by City of Melbourne
City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. The city has an area of 36 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city's motto is "Vires acquirit eundo" which means "She gathers strength as she...
councillor and architect Frank Stapley. The initial report included a city square over the yard between Flinders Street and Batman Avenue, running east 33 feet (10.1 m) from Princes Bridge, but was later dropped as unsuitable due to cost and traffic congestion.
1954: MMBW Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme
The MMBW
Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works
The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works was a public utility board in Melbourne, Australia set up to provide water supply, sewerage and sewage treatment functions for the city...
commenced their Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme in 1949. This scheme involved redeveloping the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
frontage, partially roofing the rail yards, constructing a bridge from Russell Street to Batman Avenue, and building underpasses below Princes Bridge and Batman Avenue.
1958: Kenneth McDonald
This plan was proposed by Kenneth MacDonald and Associates to the City of Melbourne
City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. The city has an area of 36 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city's motto is "Vires acquirit eundo" which means "She gathers strength as she...
, and proposed the roofing of the rail yards between Swanston
Swanston Street, Melbourne
Swanston Street is a major thoroughfare in the centre of Melbourne, Australia. It is historically one of the main streets of central Melbourne, laid out in 1837 as part of the Hoddle Grid, the layout of major streets that makes up the central business district...
and Spring Streets
Spring Street, Melbourne
Spring Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly north-south, and is the easternmost street in the Hoddle Grid. The street travels from Flinders Street in the south, to La Trobe Street and the Carlton Gardens in the north...
, with public space, shops, car parking, apartment and hotel towers, a theatre and an office tower built above.
1961: Matthew Flinders Square
This proposal was put promoted by ex Lord Mayor William Lempriere and was prepared by architects Montgomery, King and Trengrove. It aimed to fix the "desecration of the city's southern gateway by the rail yards," and the "'mid-Victorian monstrosity" of Flinders Street Station by roofing the rail yards and relocating the railway station underground. The open space on either side of Princes Bridge would be the home of a new Town Hall, a 6 acres (24,281.2 m²) civic square, concert auditoriums, the railways administration, and other commercial buildings.
1963: Princes Gate
Announced in 1963 by Premier Henry Bolte
Henry Bolte
Sir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG was an Australian politician. He was the 38th and longest serving Premier of Victoria.- Early years :...
, the £5 million project would roof part of the yard and build a plaza and two 15-storey buildings on this structure. Completed in 1967 and commonly known as the Gas and Fuel building, the Princes Gate towers were demolished in 1996-1997.
1973: Jolimont Pleasure Gardens
A City of Melbourne proposal for roofing the yards and reconnect the city with the river and sports and arts precincts beyond.
1979: Landmark Competition
Premier Rupert Hamer
Rupert Hamer
Sir Rupert James Hamer, AC, KCMG, ED , generally known until he was knighted in 1982 as Dick Hamer, Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 39th Premier of Victoria, serving from 1972 to 1981.-Early years:...
announced a $100,000 competition for designs to roof the remainder of Jolimont Yard. Over 2300 entries were submitted, with 48 finalists selected by a committee chaired by Ron Walker
Ron Walker
Ronald Joseph Walker AC CBE is a former Lord Mayor of Melbourne and Australian businessman, renowned for his work in managing sporting events.-Biography:...
. No overall winner was chosen, a composite scheme with a tower in a garden setting recommended instead. Each of the finalists receiving a little over $2000 prize money, with designs including hanging gardens, an underwater gallery, a free-standing escalator, a series of 12 transparent arches, a solar-powered earth beam, a Freedom Bird Park, and a Time Tower.
1985: Denton Corker Marshall
By the architecture firm, the Princes Plaza Proposal included demolition of one of the Princes Gate towers, and the construction of a large street level plaza stretching across the yards, and a new building to the east surrounding a formal garden.
1996: Federation Square
A design completion for the site commenced in 1996, resulting in Federation Square
Federation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
that was opened in October 2002.
Rationalisation
The first area of the yard to be removed was the 'Collingwood Sidings' in the northern corner, near the intersection of Wellington Parade South and Jolimont Road. The area was cleared of tracks during 1987 and 1988 and was offered for sale as a development site. Purchased by a company that later collapsed, it was not until the mid 1990s that the present apartment buildings have been built. High-rise apartments featured in the final stage, that ran into opposition in the early 2000s, but was approved in 2005.The State Government announced the Federation Square
Federation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
project in 1996, along with additional development of the sports and entertainment precinct and new parklands. Rationalisation of the yard was carried out in 1997-1998 to clear the way, with the stabling sidings and workshops removed and replaced by new facilities located elsewhere, including:
- Epping stationEpping railway station, MelbourneEpping is a railway station in Melbourne, Australia, located in the suburb of Epping, on the Epping railway line. Classed as a Premium Station, it is in Metcard Zone 2...
received a new major workshop and stabling yard, opened in 1990. - Macaulay received a light maintenance facility located on the site of existing stabling sidings in 1993.
- Melbourne Yard was the site of a replacement washing plant and stabling sidings made operational in May 1995.
- Westall and BayswaterBayswater railway station, MelbourneBayswater is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Bayswater, on the Belgrave railway line. Bayswater is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard Zone 2.-Facilities:...
stations both received new train maintenance facilities and stabling yards at a cost of $16.5m. The yards were constructed on little used goods sidings and house seven or three trains respectively. - Camberwell stationCamberwell railway station, MelbourneCamberwell is a railway station which serves the Belgrave, Lilydale and Alamein lines in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Camberwell, Victoria, Australia...
received new stabling sidings on the site of the former goods yard. - Burnley station received new stabling sidings on nearby unused land.
The track rationalisation itself cost $40 million with 53 operating lines between Flinders Street and Richmond were reduced to just 12. The number of points was also reduced, from 164 to 48 and 1 in 9 and 1 in 15 points were used to permit higher speeds. New lower profile masts were installed to support the overhead wiring, and a new electrical substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
erected to supply power to the trains. The main area of new track was between Flinders Street Station, Richmond Junction and the City Loop portals.
Piling works and crash walls for Federation Square were done by October 1998. The deck was completed by mid 1999, with building works atop of it commencing in August 1999. The removal of other buildings along Batman Avenue was carried out at this time, including the Metrol train control facility. Opened at the time of the City Loop opening in 1981, it was moved to a temporary location pending the replacement of the elderly technology with a new system.
The Exhibition Street Extension
Exhibition Street, Melbourne
Exhibition Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Australia. The street is named after the World Heritage listed Royal Exhibition Building, which is located in the Carlton Gardens.- Geography :...
was also built, connecting the CBD to Batman Avenue and 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....
, permitting the closure of Batman Avenue for Federation Square
Federation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
and Birrarung Marr. Tolled
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
as part of the CityLink
CityLink
CityLink is a system of tolled urban Highways in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company Transurban was awarded the contract to augment two existing freeways and construct two new Toll roads—labelled the Western and Southern Links—directly linking a number of existing freeways to...
project, it was opened in 1998 and carries trams and four lanes of traffic. By June 1999 the 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...
tram had been rerouted from 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....
to a new section of reserved track
Reserved track
In tram transport terminology reserved track is track on ground exclusively for trams. Unlike track on streets and roads, reserved track does not need to take into account the transit of other wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists or horses...
running between the Tennis Centre and the remaining railway lines, entering the CBD via the Exhibition Street Extension rather than Batman Avenue. A new footbridge from the Multi Purpose Stadium to the MCG Great Southern Stand concourse was built, and existing footbridge from the MCG Pontsford Stand to Scotch Oval was rebuilt and widened.
As part of the Melbourne 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 525-metre long William Barak
William Barak
William Barak , was the last traditional ngurungaeta of the Wurundjeri-willam clan, based around the area of present-day Melbourne, Australia...
footbridge was built east-west from Birrarung Marr to Yarra Park. Stated in 2005 and opened in 2006. The bridge is yet to be completed, with scaffolding and formwork still attached to the piers.
Today
Twelve tracks run though the area today, in six pairs named (from north to south):- Burnley though lines
- Burnley local lines
- Caulfield local lines
- Caulfield though lines
- Special lines
- Sandringham lines
Where the lines interconnect outside the MCG was originally known as Jolimont Junction, but was renamed Richmond Junction following the demise of the yard.
From Flinders Street in the west to Richmond Station in the east, bridges over the area include:
- Flinders Street Station concourse
- Swanston Street
- Federation Square
- former yard footbridge (removed on the rationalisation)
- Exhibition Street extension
- William Barak footbridge
- Melbourne Park - MCG footbridge
- Multi-Purpose Arena - MCG footbridge
- Yarra Park footbridge
- Richmond Station sports subway
On 28 April 2008 Premier John Brumby
John Brumby
John Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election...
announced that his government was proposing a multi-million dollar development to link the sports and arts precincts in Melbourne's CBD. To be funded by a public-private partnership, the railway lines would be roofed and commercial buildings built on top. The next day the Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry
VECCI
The Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry , founded in 1851, is Victoria's most influential employer group. Servicing more than 15,000 businesses each year, VECCI is an independent, non-government body....
urged the roofing over the railway lines east of Federation Square for the construction of a residence for the Prime Minister of Australia, and as well as for hosting visiting heads of state and business delegations.
In August 2009 the VECCI again brought up the topic of roofing over the railway tracks, an article in The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
cited that an 2002 costing of $1.4 billion.