Footscray railway station is the junction station for the Sunbury, Werribee and Williamstown lines in Victoria, Australia. It serves the western Melbourne suburb of Footscray, and it opened on 17 January 1859.[3][4]

Footscray
PTV commuter and regional rail station
Southbound view from Platform 6, with a disused signal box on Platform 5 in the foreground, in April 2010
General information
Location	Irving Street, Footscray, Victoria 3011 City of Maribyrnong Australia
Coordinates	37°48′06″S 144°54′09″E
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Sunbury Werribee Williamstown Serviceton Warrnambool
Distance	5.62 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	6 (2 side, 2 island)
Tracks	6
Connections	Bus Tram
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes—step free access
Other information
Status	Operational, Premium Station
Station code	FSY
Fare zone	Myki Zone 1
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	17 January 1859; 163 years ago (1859-01-17)
Rebuilt	16 September 1900 2012-2014
Electrified	1500 V DC overhead (August 1920)
Passengers
2008-2009	3.705 million[1]
2009-2010	3.648 million[1]  1.54%
2010-2011	3.856 million[1]  5.7%
2011-2012	4.199 million[1]  8.9%
2012-2013	Not measured[1]
2013-2014	3.767 million[1]  10.29%
2014-2015	Not measured[2]
2015-2016	5.01 million[2]  32.99%
2016-2017	5.10 million[2]  1.81%
2017-2018	5.26 million[2]  3.08%
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station Arden towards Cranbourne or Pakenham Sunshine–Dandenong corridor (under construction) Middle Footscray towards Sunbury or Watergardens North Melbourne towards Flinders Street Sunbury line North Melbourne towards Frankston via Flinders Street Werribee line Express services Newport towards Werribee South Kensington towards Frankston via Flinders Street Werribee line Seddon towards Werribee Williamstown line Seddon towards Williamstown Preceding station V/Line Following station Southern Cross Terminus Bendigo line Sunbury towards Bendigo, Epsom or Eaglehawk Watergardens Limited weekday peak services towards Bendigo Echuca line Sunbury towards Echuca Swan Hill line Watergardens towards Swan Hill Ballarat line Sunshine towards Wendouree Ballarat line (Melton line) Sunshine towards Melton or Bacchus Marsh Ararat line Sunshine towards Ararat Geelong line Sunshine towards Wyndham Vale, Geelong or Waurn Ponds Warrnambool line Weekends only Tarneit towards Warrnambool Warrnambool line Weekdays & 1 weekend service Geelong towards Warrnambool

It is also serviced by V/Line Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong services. In 2017/2018, it was the sixth busiest station on Melbourne's metropolitan network, with 5.26 million passenger movements recorded.[2]

A disused signal box is located on the island platform at the Up (Flinders Street) end of Platform 5, while a pair of dual gauge tracks form the mainly freight only South Kensington–West Footscray line under the station, running in a cutting before entering the Bunbury Street tunnel,[5] providing a rail link to the Port of Melbourne and other freight terminals, as well as access to Southern Cross for the NSW TrainLink XPT, The Overland, and V/Line Albury services.

History

On 17 January 1859, the railways arrived in Footscray, when the new Williamstown line opened, with trains running from Spencer Street in Melbourne to the important cargo port of Williamstown. This railway line connected to the 18-month-old Geelong line at the junction near where the current Newport station exists.[6] The line between Melbourne and Footscray, via the new station at North Melbourne, had been made possible with the construction of a railway bridge over the Maribyrnong River. The first station to open in Footscray opened on this line on the first day of service. It was not where the current Footscray station lies, but was located on Napier Street.

Shortly afterwards, Footscray became a junction station, when a second railway line, branching at Footscray, was opened to Sunbury. By 1862, that line had been extended to Sandhurst (later renamed Bendigo). Therefore, on 1 March 1859, less than two months after the first, Footscray's second railway station opened on Nicholson Street, not far from the original Napier Street location, for services on the new line.[7] A signal box was provided at the junction from 1879.

On 16 September 1900, the current station opened, located at the junction of the two lines.[8] The two original stations were then closed.[7]

A number of sidings once existed at the station, but they are now covered by car parking on the eastern side of the Newport-bound lines. The last siding at the station (siding "B") was abolished in 1972.[3]

The dual-gauge lines under the station were opened on 21 October 1928, as part of the South Kensington–West Footscray line, and were dual-gauged in the early 1960s, as part of the construction of the Melbourne–Albury standard gauge line. Quadruplication of the tracks towards Melbourne in November 1976 put an end to the junction and the signal box was closed, but the building is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Footscray was upgraded to a Premium Station on 31 May 1996, although the enclosed waiting area and ticket facilities were built in 1993, as part of the "Travel Safe" program of the early 1990s.[9]

On 5 June 2001, at around 08:30, two suburban Comeng train sets collided on Platform 4. An out-of-service train heading to Newport collided with a Williamstown bound train, carrying around 20 passengers, with three injuries reported.[10]

In 2010, as a part of the Brumby State Government's Footscray renewal program,[11] the existing footbridge over the platforms, which was accessed by ramps, was replaced with a $15 million footbridge. The bridge, named after indigenous activist William Cooper,[12] has stairs and associated lifts. Complaints have been made that the new footbridge is less usable than the one it replaced. It has a roof, but that has not been designed to be weatherproof, and the lifts are prone to breakdown.[13]

Regional Rail Link upgrade

From 2012-2014, Footscray station underwent major upgrade and conservation works as part of the Regional Rail Link project.

An additional two platforms were built to the north of the existing platforms, to separate Metro Trains' Sunbury services from V/Line services to Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong. On 20 January 2014, coinciding with the opening of the new platforms and a new ticket office and waiting area adjacent to Platform 1 on Irving Street, Platforms 1 to 4 were renumbered 3 to 6, with the new platforms commissioned as Platforms 1 and 2.[14] At the same time, Platforms 3 and 4 were closed to be rebuilt as dedicated platforms for V/Line services, reopening along with the commissioning of new Regional Rail Link tracks between Sunshine and Southern Cross on 16 July 2014. A new waiting area and toilet facility for regional services was also opened between Platform's 4 and 5.

The existing footbridge, erected in 2010 at a cost of $15 million, was also partially demolished in 2013, to help accommodate the works.[15] New canopies, stairs and escalators were erected at the Irving and Hyde Street ends of the footbridge, and new wide ramps were built from the footbridge to the platforms and street level, to help people access the platforms with greater ease. New lifts were also added to the structure.

The carpark that used to be on Irving Street was relocated to McNab Avenue, and a new forecourt with greenery and seating areas along with 2 new kiosks were opened, close to the Irving Street entrance to the station. The most famous of these was the former Olympic Hot Doughnuts kiosk, which had a public opening day on 9 July 2014. Former Premier Denis Napthine was in attendance.

All works at the station were complete by November 2014.[16]

Platforms and services

Footscray has two island platforms with four faces, and two side platforms. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Sunbury, Werribee and Williamstown line services,[17][18][19] and V/Line Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong line services.[20][21][22]

Platform 1:

•  Sunbury line  all stations services to Flinders Street

Platform 2:

•  Sunbury line  all station and limited express services to Watergardens and Sunbury

It is planned to connect the Sunbury line to the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines, via the new Metro Tunnel, in late 2025.

Platform 3:

•  Ballarat line  V/Line services to Southern Cross (set down only)
•  Ararat line  V/Line services to Southern Cross (set down only)
•  Bendigo line  V/Line services to Southern Cross (set down only)
•  Echuca line  V/Line services to Southern Cross (set down only)
•  Swan Hill line  V/Line services to Southern Cross (set down only)
•  Geelong line  V/Line services to Southern Cross (set down only)
•  Warrnambool line  V/Line services to Southern Cross (set down only)

Platform 4:

•  Ballarat line  V/Line services to Melton, Bacchus Marsh and Wendouree (pick up only)
•  Ararat line  V/Line services to Ararat (pick up only)
•  Bendigo line  V/Line services to Bendigo, Epsom and Eaglehawk (pick up only)
•  Echuca line  V/Line services to Echuca (pick up only)
•  Swan Hill line  V/Line services to Swan Hill (pick up only)
•  Geelong line  V/Line services to Wyndham Vale, Geelong and Waurn Ponds (pick up only)
•  Warrnambool line  V/Line services to Warrnambool (pick up only)

Platform 5:

•  Werribee line  all station and limited express services to Flinders Street and Frankston
•  Williamstown line  all stations services to Flinders Street and Frankston

Platform 6:

•  Werribee line  all stations and limited express services to Werribee and Laverton
•  Williamstown line  all stations services to Williamstown

Transport links

CDC Melbourne operates six routes via Footscray station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  406 : to Keilor East[23]
•  409 : Yarraville station – Highpoint Shopping Centre[24]
•  410 : Sunshine station – Footscray[25]
•  411 : Laverton station – Footscray[26]
•  412 : Laverton station – Footscray[27]
•  414 : to Laverton station[28]

Kinetic Melbourne operates three routes via Footscray station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  216 : Sunshine station – Melbourne CBD (Queen Street)[29]
•  220 : Sunshine station – Melbourne CBD (Queen Street)[30]
•  223 : Yarraville – Highpoint Shopping Centre[31]

Transit Systems Victoria operates five routes via Footscray station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  402 : to East Melbourne[32]
•  403 : to University of Melbourne Parkville Campus[33]
•  404 : to Moonee Ponds Junction[34]
•  472 : Williamstown – Moonee Ponds Junction[35]
•  Night Bus   947 : Footscray – Newport station (Saturday and Sunday mornings only)[36]

Yarra Trams operates one route to and from Footscray station:

• : to Moonee Ponds Junction[37]

Gallery

• 
  The South Kensington - West Footscray railway line cutting runs beneath the south-western end of what is now Platforms 5 and 6 in September 2008
• 
  Footbridge that links all platforms, taken from Irving Street, in December 2011
• 
  The same view from Irving Street in May 2014
• 
  Westbound view from Platform 2 in May 2014

References

External links

• Media related to Footscray railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Melway map at street-directory.com.au