Westall railway station, Melbourne

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Westall
Station information

Code	WTL
Distance from Flinders St	21.4 km
Lines	Cranbourne, Pakenham
# Platforms	2
# Tracks	2
Status	Unmanned station
Metlink profile	Link
Melway map	Link
Google map	Link
Metcard Zone	2

Station building after fire damage

Westall is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Clayton South, on the Pakenham and Cranbourne railway lines. It is in Metcard Zone 2. The station is located at the western end of the Westall Road overpass and next to Rayhur Street.

[edit] Facilities

The station consists of two side platforms. Platform 1 contains a large weatherboard building while platform 2 contains a small shelter. A large Metcard machine is located at the entrance to platform 1, which is able to dispense most ticketing options available and also accept notes and coins. A small Metcard machine is located at the entrance to platform 2. Both platforms can be accessed via Rayhur Street.

[edit] History

Westall station was originally opened as a workers only platform on October 16, 1954.^[1] It was provided for the adjacent Martin and King railway coachbuilding factory.^[1] The station was opened to the public on June 1 1959 when all trains on the line were altered to stop there.^[1]

The station had a rail yard located at the Down (Dandenong) end, as well as a number of industrial sidings serving nearby factories.^[2] In 1997 the Westall train maintenance centre was opened in the former goods yard, as part of the decentralisation of train stabling and maintenance from the former Flinders Street yards.^[3]

On July 26, 2006, a fire started in the waiting room of the station building on platform one, causing major damage to half of the station building, ticket machines,^[4] seats and a section of the platform. The city bound platform was closed off and passenger services heading towards Melbourne ran express from Springvale to Clayton bypassing Westall until temporary fencing was placed around the building. ^[5] The damaged part of the building was subsequently demolished and rebuilt.

On May 6, 2008, the Government of Victoria announced as part of the 2008-2009 state budget that Westall station would receive a $151 million upgrade which will include a new third platform along with triplicating 2.6 kilometres of existing double track between Centre Road and Springvale Road. Construction will commence in 2009.^[6]