Roxburgh Park railway station, Melbourne

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Roxburgh ParkRoxburgh Park
Looking towards Melbourne from the station platform
Station information
Code RXP
Distance from
Flinders St		 23 km
Lines Albury,
Craigieburn,
Shepparton
# Platforms 2 (BG)
# Tracks 4 (2 BG, 2 SG)
Status Unmanned station
Melway map Link
Metcard Zone 2

Roxburgh Park is a suburban railway station located on the Craigieburn railway line near Somerton Road in Roxburgh Park, Victoria, Australia. Built on the site of the former Somerton station which closed to passengers in 1960,[1] the adjacent goods yard and standard gauge crossing loop retain the Somerton name.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Somerton

Somerton opened to traffic as a single platform on May 15, 1881.[1] In 1889 Somerton became a junction, when what is now the Upfield line was opened from North Melbourne station northwards though Coburg. This line was closed to traffic from the Somerton end in 1903.[1] The line though Coburg, then terminated at Fawkner station, was reopened in 1928 but no junction was provided at Somerton, instead the A.E.C. railmotor that operated the service used a turntable to the south of the station.[1] This situation remained until 1956 when the line from Fawkner was again closed.

The next round of change involved freight services. In 1959, the line from Somerton to Upfield station was reopened to freight traffic to the Ford Motor Company factory, with suburban services extended to Upfield from the city side.[2] On December 6, 1960 Somerton was closed to passengers, but additional freight sidings were provided in the Somerton area throughout the 1960s.[1]

Construction of the Melbourne - Sydney standard gauge line also commenced at this time, opening for goods traffic in 1962, and the freight line to Upfield being converted to dual gauge in 1963.[1] In 1988 a dual gauge siding was provided to cement silos,[1] and in recent years a container terminal has also opened in the area. Today the area to the east of the main line contains a complicated arrangement of broad, standard, and dual gauge track.

[edit] Suburban services

Roxburgh Park station was opened on September 30, 2007 as part of the Craigieburn Rail Project.[3] Located slightly to the north of the former passenger platforms., the down line (Craigieburn bound) was slewed to the west to permit an island platform to be built between the broad gauge main line. The station has footbridge access from the platform to the carpark and bus interchange located on the western side of the tracks.

[edit] Gallery

Station site before construction

Roxburgh Park Station during construction

Street view of the completed station

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Somerton (HTML). Victorian Signalling Histories. Andrew Waugh. Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
  2. ^ S.E. Doorman and R.G. Henderson. Electric Railways of Victoria. Australian Electric Traction Society, 62. ISBN 0 909459 06 1. 
  3. ^ Craigieburn Rail Project - News and publications


Station Navigation
Craigieburn line
← Previous Station Broadmeadows | Craigieburn Next Station →
Entire network

The proposed Coolaroo station is located between Broadmeadows and Roxburgh Park. Upfield station can be accessed via a now disused branch line to the east.