Echuca railway station

Echuca
The Station shortly after refurbishment
Station statistics
Coordinates	36°07′50″S 144°45′13″E / 36.1306°S 144.7535°E / -36.1306; 144.7535Coordinates: 36°07′50″S 144°45′13″E / 36.1306°S 144.7535°E / -36.1306; 144.7535
Platforms	1
Tracks	3
Other information
Station code	ECH
Owned by	VicTrack
Station status	Part time staffed
Melway map	Link
Website	Link
Services
Preceding station   V/Line   Following station Rochester toward Melbourne (Southern Cross) Bendigo line (Echuca line) Terminus

Echuca is a railway station on the Bendigo - Echuca - Deniliquin railway, located in the town of Echuca, Victoria, Australia. It is the terminus of the V/Line Echuca line passenger service, and is 249 km (233 km via Seymour) from Southern Cross Station in Melbourne. Freight sidings and a silo exist at this station, which is located on Sturt Street.

Platforms and services

Platform 1:

• Echuca line - terminating services; returning as intercity services to Southern Cross

History

The railway reached Echuca in 1864 and transformed the town into a major river port, with a famous wharf and substantial urban growth in the 1870s.^[1] In 1876 the Deniliquin and Moama Railway Company opened their 71 km (44 mi) long private railway northwards to Deniliquin, New South Wales.^[2]

The brick station building at Echuca was provided on opening of the line, along with a double gable roofed brick goods shed, and three road locomotive depot. The station building was expanded in 1877, a large water tower being erected in the same year, and the iron footbridge was added in 1880.^[3] The concrete rail bridge over the Murray River to the north of the station opened in 1989, replacing a road and rail bridge opened in 1878.^[4]

A short branch line between Echuca and the port opened with the line, but was closed in 1971. $150,000 funding for the reconstruction of the line was provided in 2000,^[5] By 2002 work was underway, with the cost increased to $330,000. However by 2007 the branch was out of use and disconnected from the main line.^[6]

There are now 18 single-Trip V/Line train services going to Bendigo per week as of december 2013. The train is only able to travel at 80 km/h between Echuca and Bendigo, due to the poor track condition. Furthermore, the train is required to slow down at level crossings which increases travel time.

• 

  Looking up the platform of Echuca Railway Station

• 

  Platform Sign at the station

• 

  Goods Shed

References