Spring Vale Cemetery railway line

The Spring Vale Cemetery railway line, in Melbourne, Australia, branched from the now Pakenham Line at Springvale railway station, for a short 1.16 mi (1.87 km) journey to the Necropolis. The terminus was a railway station of the same name.

History

The Spring Vale Cemetery branch line and associated station were opened on 7 February 1904 following completion of construction in December 1902. The line was used to transport corpses, funeral cortèges and visitors to the Necropolis. Special hearse vans were constructed to transport the coffins and wreaths. The line was electrified in December 1922. Mortuary services ceased in 1943 and the visitor's service was suspended from the 10 December 1950, following the end of the statewide 55-day coal strike. Formal closure was only a book date, being the 19 December 1951.

Current status

Throughout the first few months of 1951, the line was dismantled back to the western boundary of the Sandown Park Racecourse, and eventually back to the station side of Sandown Park Road. The visible remains of this branch line include the short stub and former electrical sub-station at Springvale where the branch junctioned, a short section of the alignment between Sandown Park Road and the Racecourse boundary, and the tie-down stanchion base at the end of the Downard Lawn in the Necropolis. A commemorative plaque has been placed at the site of the former cemetery station (platform).

Stations

• Springvale
• Spring Vale Cemetery

See also

• List of closed Melbourne railway stations
• List of Melbourne railway stations

External links

• Signal diagram of the station in 1942