Williamstown railway line, Melbourne

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Melbourne's railway lines
City Loop
Caulfield group
Frankston line
Pakenham line
Sandringham line
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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Modes of Transport
Trains	Trams	Buses


Transport Routes
Railway stations	Tram routes	Bus routes

Operating Companies
V/Line	Connex Melbourne	Yarra Trams

The Williamstown railway line is a suburban railway in Melbourne, Australia. It has 10 stations, all in Metcard ticketing Zone 1.

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

[edit] Operation

Services on the Williamstown line travel all the way to the inner city only during peak hours. Trains also do not always enter the underground portion of the City Loop, often travelling directly to Flinders Street and then changing directions and returning along the direct route. The line is operated as a shuttle service between Newport and Williamstown stations during off-peak periods.

[edit] Description

The Williamstown line runs across flat coastal land and therefore has no significant earthworks. From the junction at Newport to the next station of North Williamstown, it runs beside the Newport Railway Workshops, and from there through mainly old residential areas. The line used to continue a short distance to Williamstown Pier, around which there is heavy industrial areas including ship-building.

[edit] Infrastructure

The line is double track throughout, and provided with automatic block signalling. There are no intermediate terminating facilities. Stabling facilities are provided within the grounds of the Newport workshops.

[edit] History

Although it is now operated as a branch from the main Werribee/Geelong line at Newport, the line was originally built from the city, with the Geelong line being the branch. The line officially opened in January 1859, but the section between the vicinity of the Newport workshops and Williamstown Pier was in use by Geelong-line trains from October 1857 (see the history of the Werribee line for more information).

The line was electrified in August 1920, but little further change to the infrastructure took place until the section from Williamstown to Williamstown Pier closed in March 1987. Automatic Block signalling was provided in August 1997.

With the electrification of the Werribee line in 1983, Many of the Williamstown Pier services became shuttle services from Newport instead of through services from Flinders Street.