Broadmeadows railway line, Melbourne

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Caulfield group
Frankston line
Pakenham line
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Cranbourne line
Northern group
Upfield line
Werribee line
Broadmeadows line
Sydenham line
Williamstown line
Flemington Racecourse line
Burnley group
Lilydale line
Glen Waverley line
Belgrave line
Alamein line
Clifton Hill group
Hurstbridge line
Epping line
Greater-metropolitan
Stony Point line
Melton line
Sunbury line
Craigieburn line

Melbourne's public transport
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The Broadmeadows railway line is a suburban electric railway serving the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. It is actually the suburban part of the main north-eastern line to Wodonga and Albury. It has 13 stations, in Metcard ticketing Zones 1 and 2.

1 Description
2 Infrastructure
3 History
4 List of stations
5 External links, maps, and timetables

[edit] Description

The line rises steadily after leaving North Melbourne until after Essendon, then drops a little to cross Moonee Ponds Creek, and soon after encounters the Glenroy Bank, a continuous rising gradient of 1 in 50 for nearly three kilometres that used to tax locomotive-hauled trains in the days of steam. After Glenroy, it continues to rise to the end of the suburban line (and beyond). Earthworks, are, however, generally moderate.

The almost-continuous gradients were a factor when, in 2003, an unmanned suburban train rolled the entire length of the line from Broadmeadows to the city, and crashed into a stationary but loaded passenger train waiting to depart Spencer Street Station. Fortunately, however, no one was killed or seriously injured in the incident.

[edit] Infrastructure

The Broadmeadows line is double track throughout, and controlled by automatic block signalling. It has numerous level crossings as well as many bridges over or under roads.

Terminating facilities are provided at Kensington, Newmarket (by shunting onto the Flemington Racecourse line), and Essendon as well as Broadmeadows itself. However only Essendon and Broadmeadows are normally used. Stabling facilities are provided at Broadmeadows.

[edit] History

The line from North Melbourne to Essendon was opened by the Melbourne and Essendon Railway Co. in November 1860. Soon after, the company also opened a branch from Newmarket to Flemington Racecourse. However, both lines closed after only a short time, in July 1864. The Victorian Railways reopened the Flemington Racecourse line (and therefore the Essendon line as far as Newmarket) in November 1867, and in January 1871 reopened the line to Essendon.

In April 1872, the line was extended to a location near Seymour. In December 1894, through services were provided from Essendon to Brighton Beach on the Sandringham line.

Automatic block signalling started to appear on the line in 1918, with Kensington to Essendon being converted in June of that year, and North Melbourne to Kensington in October of the same year.

In May 1919 Flinders Street to Essendon, along with the Sandringham line, became the first line to be electrified in Melbourne, apart from a test installation on the Flemington Racecourse line.

In January 1924, an extra pair of tracks, including a flyover, was opened between North Melbourne and Kensington. Automatic Block Signalling was extended to Broadmeadows in November 1965.