Rockbank railway station

Rockbank
Station statistics
Coordinates	37°43′45″S 144°39′03″E / 37.7291°S 144.6508°E / -37.7291; 144.6508Coordinates: 37°43′45″S 144°39′03″E / 37.7291°S 144.6508°E / -37.7291; 144.6508
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	2 April 1884
Station code	RBK
Owned by	VicTrack
Operator	V/Line
Myki zone	2
Station status	Unstaffed Station
Melway map	Link
Website	Link
Services
Preceding station   V/Line   Following station Deer Park toward Melbourne (Southern Cross) Ballarat line (Melton line) Melton toward Ararat or Wendouree

Rockbank is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Rockbank, on the Ballarat railway line. The station is not staffed and is in Myki Zone 2.

Facilities

Rockbank is located at the western end of the Leakes Road level crossing, which also provides station access. The station consists of two side platforms, with both platforms having small steel shelters. Myki card vending machines are provided. A disused platform is located at the Ballarat end of the station, on the north side.

Platforms and services

Platform 1 and 2:

• Ballarat/Ararat line - intercity services to/from Southern Cross, Bacchus Marsh, Ballarat, Wendouree and Ararat

Platform 1 is situated on the main line and is used by most trains. Platform 2 is located on a crossing loop,^[1] the loop permitting trains up to 750 metres long to cross.^[2]

Bus services

• 456 Sunshine – Woodgrove SC via Albion RS, Burnside SC, Caroline Springs, Melton (every day). Operated by Sita Bus Lines.

History

The station opened as Mount Atkinson on 2 April 1884, at the same time as the line though it, and was renamed Rockbank in 1889. Being on a single track railway, it provided a crossing loop for trains, and continues to do so. By 1914 it had a three road yard, passenger platform on the southern track, a goods platform on the northern track, and an interlocked signal box.^[3] The station served the local farming community. With a chaff mill established in the 1890s and the recreation reserve and tennis club located nearby, the station became the focus of the Rockbank community.^[4]

In 1960 the crossing loop was extended for longer trains of up to 2,400 feet (730 m) and a short platform was provided on the loop road. In 1976 centralised traffic control was provided on the line from Sunshine to Rockbank. By the 1970s, the mill was disused and the station building was demolished circa 1985. In 1986 the yard was rationalised to main line and crossing loop, and in 1990 the mechanical signals and points were removed and replaced by remotely controlled signalling operated from the Bacchus Marsh signal box. The current northern platform was not added until more recently, replacing the former short platform. As part of the Regional Fast Rail project, control of the signals was transferred to Ballarat signal box in 2005.^[3]

References