St Kilda railway line, Melbourne
Encyclopedia
The St Kilda railway line is a former suburban railway
in Melbourne
, Australia
.
in 1857. It ran for 4.5 km from the Melbourne
(or City) Terminus (on the site of modern day Flinders Street Station
), crossing the Yarra River
on the original Sandridge Bridge to branch off from the Port Melbourne line and finished in St Kilda, after stopping at the 3 other stations along the line.
For a short time early in the line's history there was a short connection provided to the then Brighton Line at Windsor from St Kilda, however this link was removed shortly after the direct link was provided to Brighton from Richmond. The line was taken over by the Government of Victoria
in 1878 to become part of Victorian Railways
. The line was electrified in the 20th century.
Melbourne tram route 96
now operates on the converted track. The section from Southbank Junction to St Kilda was converted to light rail
, requiring the conversion from broad gauge
used by the Melbourne rail network
to standard gauge
tram track as well as reducing the overhead
voltage from 1500V DC
to 600V DC required for the trams. The new tram route now continues down Fitzroy Street and the Esplanade to terminate at Acland Street
.
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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...
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...
.
Operation
The line was opened by the Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway CompanyMelbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company
The Melbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company was a railway company in Victoria, Australia. The company was founded on 20 January 1853 to build Australia's first railway broad gauge line from Melbourne to the port of Sandridge...
in 1857. It ran for 4.5 km from the 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...
(or City) Terminus (on the site of modern day 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...
), crossing 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...
on the original Sandridge Bridge to branch off from the Port Melbourne line and finished in St Kilda, after stopping at the 3 other stations along the line.
For a short time early in the line's history there was a short connection provided to the then Brighton Line at Windsor from St Kilda, however this link was removed shortly after the direct link was provided to Brighton from Richmond. The line was taken over by the Government of Victoria
Government of Victoria
The Government of Victoria, under the Constitution of Australia, ceded certain legislative and judicial powers to the Commonwealth, but retained complete independence in all other areas...
in 1878 to become part 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...
. The line was electrified in the 20th century.
Closure
The St Kilda line was closed in 1987, along with the Port Melbourne line and replaced with light rail. The last train service ran on 1 July 1987 with the light rail officially commissioned on 21 November 1987.Melbourne tram route 96
Melbourne tram route 96
Melbourne tram route 96 is a public transport tram and light rail route in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.It is one of Melbourne's busiest tram route carrying 39,700 passengers a day with a frequency of every 10 minutes or less during peak...
now operates on the converted track. The section from Southbank Junction to St Kilda was converted to light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
, requiring the conversion from broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
used by the Melbourne 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...
to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
tram track as well as reducing the overhead
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
voltage from 1500V DC
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
to 600V DC required for the trams. The new tram route now continues down Fitzroy Street and the Esplanade to terminate at Acland Street
Acland Street, Melbourne
Acland Street is a street in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda, which enjoys great popularity as a recreational area, mainly due to its many restaurants and its proximity to the entertainment areas along St Kilda beach...
.
Line guide
Bold stations are termini.|}