Woodville railway station, Adelaide
Encyclopedia
Woodville station is on the suburban rail routes from Adelaide
to Grange
and Outer Harbor
, 7.5 km (4½ miles) from Adelaide. It is the junction station for the Grange branch and is one of the busiest stations on the Outer Harbour and Grange Lines. It has auto pedestrian gates and lights, the only location with these lights on the Outer Harbour/Grange Lines. Platform 3 has a small kiosk that sells refreshments and tickets, built around 2006.
Platform 2: Outer Harbor line trains to Glanville and Outer Harbor
Platform 3: Grange and Outer Harbor lines trains to Adelaide
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All trains are operated by TransAdelaide
. There are no freight train
s through Woodville. Monday to Friday off-peak trains depart every 30 minutes on both the Outer Harbor and Grange lines. Towards Adelaide there are non-stop expresses
every 30 minutes (ex Outer Harbor) and all-stations trains every 30 minutes (ex Grange). Peak hour services are more frequent.
In the evenings and at weekends, there is one train per hour on both the Outer Harbor and Grange lines.
There are three platforms
at Woodville. Platform 1 serves the Grange line and is normally used only for departures to Grange, although trains can also depart in the Adelaide direction if required; platform 2 is for trains to the Outer Harbor line; and all trains to Adelaide normally depart from platform 3.
For many years the Grange line was operated by a shuttle service train at weekends and in the evenings. This terminated at Platform 1 and made connections with Outer Harbor line trains to and from Adelaide. However since about 1996, all Grange trains have operated through to Adelaide.
Woodville
was one of the original stations on the Adelaide
to Port Adelaide
railway, which opened in April 1856. The only other intermediate stations on the new line were at Bowden
and Alberton
.
In the early days, Adelaide to Port Adelaide was a single-track railway
and a passing loop
was provided at Woodville. As traffic on the line increased, the single track was duplicated
throughout in 1881.
In September 1882, a line was opened from Woodville to Grange
, built by the Grange Railway and Investment Company. Unlike the Adelaide to Port Adelaide route, which was built and operated by the South Australian Government, the Grange line was a private venture, constructed to tap into potential development in the area between Woodville and the coast. The new line ran into a bay platform
at Woodville. Although there was a connection to the main line, it was not possible for Grange line trains to conveniently continue into the city.
The Grange railway company, with its rolling stock
of two locomotives and four carriages, was not a financial success and was forced to operate on a shoestring budget right from the start. Following its collapse, the South Australian Railways
took over operation in 1891, using a steam tram in place of the more conventional locomotive and carriages. The Grange line was fully bought out by the State Government in 1893 and in 1894 was extended from Grange southwards to Henley Beach
along Military Road.
The track layout at Woodville station was modified in 1909 and it was then possible for trains from the Henley Beach and Grange line to travel through to Adelaide.
The 1920s and 1930s saw significant development of heavy industry in Woodville and the neighbouring areas. For example, Holdens Motor Body Builders (later GMH
) built a factory in the fork between the Grange and Outer Harbor lines. Sidings
were laid to service the factory and Holdens
) station opened in 1928 a short way along the Grange line. Cars were dispatched by rail from Holdens' sidings to destinations such as Melbourne
.
The Woodville signal cabin became obsolete after a resignalling
project in the late 1980s and has been relocated to the National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide
.
several munitions and armaments factories were opened, which resulted in construction of two new industrial branch lines in the Woodville area.
The Finsbury line
was opened in September 1940 and departed from the main line at Woodville. It headed in a northerly direction and serviced a wartime
munitions works at Cheltenham Park and a Government Supply Depot at Finsbury. The line continued through Pennington
to join the Dry Creek-Port Adelaide railway at Gillman Junction.
The layout at Woodville station was altered in 1942 when a new platform face was constructed on the north-east side of today’s platform 3 to serve Finsbury trains. The original 1856 station building on the Port Adelaide-bound platform was demolished and a new signal cabin was provided adjacent to the Woodville Road level crossing
.
The Hendon line was a short branch that diverged from the Grange line at Albert Park
and ran 1.1 km (¾ mile) to Hendon munitions works. It opened in November 1940. There were no intermediate stations
.
Both of these industrial lines had limited passenger services, designed mainly to cater for workers at factories in the vicinity. After the end of World War II there were no off-peak trains, or weekend services after Saturday lunchtime.
All of these lines are now long dismantled and it is hard to find any trace of where they ran.
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
to Grange
Grange, South Australia
Grange is a coastal suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.-History:Originally called The Grange, the suburb is named after Captain Charles Sturt's cottage, which stood on of farmland...
and Outer Harbor
Outer Harbor, South Australia
Outer Harbor is a north-western industrial suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, located at the northern tip of the Lefevre Peninsula; administratively, it lies in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, 22 km from the Adelaide city centre. It is adjacent to Osborne, North Haven and Pelican Point...
, 7.5 km (4½ miles) from Adelaide. It is the junction station for the Grange branch and is one of the busiest stations on the Outer Harbour and Grange Lines. It has auto pedestrian gates and lights, the only location with these lights on the Outer Harbour/Grange Lines. Platform 3 has a small kiosk that sells refreshments and tickets, built around 2006.
Trains and connecting bus services
Platform 1: Grange line trains to GrangePlatform 2: Outer Harbor line trains to Glanville and Outer Harbor
Platform 3: Grange and Outer Harbor lines trains to Adelaide
Adelaide Railway Station
Adelaide Railway Station is the central terminus of the Adelaide Metro railway system. It is at on the north side of North Terrace, west of Parliament House. The Adelaide Casino is in part of the building that is no longer required for the station....
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All trains are operated by TransAdelaide
TransAdelaide
TransAdelaide was a publicly owned corporation which provided suburban train and tram services in Adelaide, South Australia, under contract to the Government of South Australia....
. There are no freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
s through Woodville. Monday to Friday off-peak trains depart every 30 minutes on both the Outer Harbor and Grange lines. Towards Adelaide there are non-stop expresses
Express train
Express trains are a form of rail service. Express trains make only a small number of stops, instead of stopping at every single station...
every 30 minutes (ex Outer Harbor) and all-stations trains every 30 minutes (ex Grange). Peak hour services are more frequent.
In the evenings and at weekends, there is one train per hour on both the Outer Harbor and Grange lines.
There are three platforms
Railway 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...
at Woodville. Platform 1 serves the Grange line and is normally used only for departures to Grange, although trains can also depart in the Adelaide direction if required; platform 2 is for trains to the Outer Harbor line; and all trains to Adelaide normally depart from platform 3.
For many years the Grange line was operated by a shuttle service train at weekends and in the evenings. This terminated at Platform 1 and made connections with Outer Harbor line trains to and from Adelaide. However since about 1996, all Grange trains have operated through to Adelaide.
History
Woodville, South Australia
Woodville is a suburb of Adelaide, situated about 8 kilometres northwest of the Central Business District of Adelaide. It lies within the City of Charles Sturt. The postcode of Woodville is 5011...
was one of the original stations on the Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
to Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a suburb of Adelaide lying about 14 kilometres northwest of the City of Adelaide. It lies within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and is the main port for the city of Adelaide...
railway, which opened in April 1856. The only other intermediate stations on the new line were at Bowden
Bowden, South Australia
Bowden is an inner northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.-History:The 'Village of Bowden' was established in 1839 by James Hurtle Fisher, who named it after his native village in Northamptonshire....
and Alberton
Alberton, South Australia
Alberton is a metropolitan suburb in Adelaide, South Australia, about 20 minutes drive from the city. Part of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, it is bordered by the suburbs of Rosewater, Queenstown, Cheltenham and Port Adelaide.- History :...
.
In the early days, Adelaide to Port Adelaide was a single-track railway
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
and a passing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
was provided at Woodville. As traffic on the line increased, the single track was duplicated
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
throughout in 1881.
In September 1882, a line was opened from Woodville to Grange
Grange, South Australia
Grange is a coastal suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.-History:Originally called The Grange, the suburb is named after Captain Charles Sturt's cottage, which stood on of farmland...
, built by the Grange Railway and Investment Company. Unlike the Adelaide to Port Adelaide route, which was built and operated by the South Australian Government, the Grange line was a private venture, constructed to tap into potential development in the area between Woodville and the coast. The new line ran into a bay platform
Bay platform
Bay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
at Woodville. Although there was a connection to the main line, it was not possible for Grange line trains to conveniently continue into the city.
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
of two locomotives and four carriages, was not a financial success and was forced to operate on a shoestring budget right from the start. Following its collapse, the South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...
took over operation in 1891, using a steam tram in place of the more conventional locomotive and carriages. The Grange line was fully bought out by the State Government in 1893 and in 1894 was extended from Grange southwards to Henley Beach
Henley Beach, South Australia
Henley Beach is a seaside suburb of Adelaide in the City of Charles Sturt local government area , South Australia.-External links:*...
along Military Road.
The track layout at Woodville station was modified in 1909 and it was then possible for trains from the Henley Beach and Grange line to travel through to Adelaide.
The 1920s and 1930s saw significant development of heavy industry in Woodville and the neighbouring areas. For example, Holdens Motor Body Builders (later GMH
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
) built a factory in the fork between the Grange and Outer Harbor lines. Sidings
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...
were laid to service the factory and Holdens
Holdens railway station, Adelaide
Holdens railway station is a former railway station on the Grange railway line which is located in the western Adelaide suburb of Woodville. It was located 7.8 km by railway from the Adelaide Railway Station...
) station opened in 1928 a short way along the Grange line. Cars were dispatched by rail from Holdens' sidings to destinations such as 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...
.
The Woodville signal cabin became obsolete after a resignalling
Railway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...
project in the late 1980s and has been relocated to the National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide
National Railway Museum (Port Adelaide)
thumb|Conference dinner being held in the rollingstock pavilionThe National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide, South Australia, is the current site of the Port Dock Station Railway Museum's vast Australian Railway Collection.- History :...
.
Branch lines
In the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
several munitions and armaments factories were opened, which resulted in construction of two new industrial branch lines in the Woodville area.
The Finsbury line
Finsbury railway line, Adelaide
The Finsbury railway line is a defunct railway in north western Adelaide which was used mainly for industrial purposes in the 20th century. It ran through the suburbs of Woodville, Woodville North, Pennington and Ottoway, connecting the Outer Harbor railway with the Dry Creek to Port Adelaide...
was opened in September 1940 and departed from the main line at Woodville. It headed in a northerly direction and serviced a wartime
Wartime
The term wartime could refer to:* Wartime, Saskatchewan, a small community in Saskatchewan, Canada.* Wartime Station, Saskatchewan, a small community in Saskatchewan, Canada.* A formal state of war, as opposed to peacetime...
munitions works at Cheltenham Park and a Government Supply Depot at Finsbury. The line continued through Pennington
Pennington, South Australia
Pennington is an outer urban suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.The suburb is residential, apart from a light industrial pocket to the south.-History:...
to join the Dry Creek-Port Adelaide railway at Gillman Junction.
The layout at Woodville station was altered in 1942 when a new platform face was constructed on the north-east side of today’s platform 3 to serve Finsbury trains. The original 1856 station building on the Port Adelaide-bound platform was demolished and a new signal cabin was provided adjacent to the Woodville 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...
.
The Hendon line was a short branch that diverged from the Grange line at Albert Park
Albert Park, South Australia
Albert Park is a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.-History:Named for Prince Albert, Albert Park was laid out in 1877 by a W.R. Cave. The suburb was advertised as:...
and ran 1.1 km (¾ mile) to Hendon munitions works. It opened in November 1940. There were no intermediate stations
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
.
Both of these industrial lines had limited passenger services, designed mainly to cater for workers at factories in the vicinity. After the end of World War II there were no off-peak trains, or weekend services after Saturday lunchtime.
- The Woodville to Henley Beach branch was cut back to Grange on 1 September 1957.
- the Finsbury line closed on 17 August 1979.
- the Hendon line closed on 1 February 1980.
All of these lines are now long dismantled and it is hard to find any trace of where they ran.