| Belgrave railway line, Melbourne | |
|---|---|
| Line details | |
| Commenced | 1888 (From Ringwood) |
| Completed | 1889 to Upper Ferntree Gully; 1900 Narrow Gauge through Belgrave to Gembrook; 1962 Broad Gauge to Belgrave |
| Closed | 1954 Narrow Gauge Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook |
| Reopened | 1962 Broad Gauge Upper Ferntree Gully to Belgrave |
| Length | 42.9 km (26.7 mi) |
| Stations | 10 |
| Tracks | Double track to Ferntree Gully, single track with crossing loops beyond |
| Used by | Metro Trains Melbourne |
| Rolling stock | Hitachi, Comeng, X'Trapolis |
| Connections | Lilydale line, Gembrook line |
| Former connections | Gembrook line at Upper Ferntree Gully |
| Railways in Melbourne | |
The Belgrave railway line is a broad gauge electric suburban railway in Melbourne, Australia. It branches from the Lilydale line at Ringwood station. It has eight stations, all of which are in Metlink ticketing Zone 2.
Contents |
The Belgrave line heads south-east from Ringwood, cutting across the Dandenong Creek valley and skirting the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges to Upper Ferntree Gully. This section has a deep cutting at Heathmont and at Boronia where the line has been lowered to pass under an adjacent intersection, but otherwise has moderate earthworks and numerous level crossings.
From Upper Ferntree Gully the line heads east taking the route of the former narrow gauge railway to Belgrave, climbing steeply into the southern part of the Dandenong Ranges. Earthworks are more extensive here, and all roads are crossed by means of bridges. Beyond Belgrave, the narrow gauge line has been restored to working order and runs to the original terminus of Gembrook as the Puffing Billy Railway.
The line is double track to Ferntree Gully, then single track to Belgrave, with passing loops and island platforms at Upper Ferntree Gully, Upwey, and Belgrave. The line is controlled by automatic block signalling.
Intermediate terminating facilities are provided at Bayswater and Upper Ferntree Gully. Bayswater is not normally used for terminating, but is also the location of a repair centre. Stabling facilities are provided at Bayswater, Upper Ferntree Gully, and Belgrave.
The line from Ringwood to Upper Ferntree Gully was opened in December 1889. A narrow-gauge 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) line was opened from there to Gembrook in December 1900, the second of four experimental narrow-gauge lines built by the Victorian Railways.
In 1921, the narrow-gauge section from Upper Ferntree Gully to Belgrave was converted to automatic signalling, the first such instance on single track in the Southern Hemisphere.[1] This section reverted to Staff and Ticket safeworking in 1930.
Electrification of the railway to Upper Ferntree Gully was implemented in November 1925.
Following a landslide in 1953, the narrow-gauge line was formally closed in April 1954, although it was reopened as far as Belgrave for some "farewell specials" and then for the Puffing Billy Preservation Society until again closed in February 1958.
The line was partly duplicated—between Bayswater and Lower Ferntree Gully (now Ferntree Gully)—in February 1957.
The narrow gauge line to Belgrave had been closed so that the line could be rebuilt as part of the suburban electrified system. The new, broad-gauge, electrified extension opened in February 1962. It initially operated on the Staff and Ticket system, but was converted to automatic signalling in March 1964, with the section from Ferntree Gully to Upper Ferntree Gully being converted the following day.
Ringwood to Bayswater was converted to automatic signalling in June 1974, as was Bayswater to Ferntree Gully in July 1977. In December 1982, Ringwood to Bayswater was duplicated.
Bold stations are termini, where some train services terminate; italic stations are staffed.
Branches from the Lilydale line at Ringwood.
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