Broadmeadows railway station, Melbourne

Not to be confused with Broadmeadow railway station.

Broadmeadows

Northbound view from Platform 2 in October 2009

Location

Pascoe Vale Road, Broadmeadows

Coordinates

37°40′58″S 144°55′11″E / 37.6829°S 144.9197°ECoordinates: 37°40′58″S 144°55′11″E / 37.6829°S 144.9197°E

Owned by

VicTrack

Operated by

Metro

Line(s)

Craigieburn
North East

Distance

16.80 kilometres from Southern Cross

Platforms

3 side

Tracks

Construction

Structure type

Ground

Parking

151

Other information

Status

Premium station

Station code

BMS

Fare zone

Myki zone 2

Website

Public Transport Victoria

History

Opened

1 February 1873

Electrified

Yes

Services

Preceding station		V/Line	Following station
Jacana toward Flinders Street		Craigieburn line	Coolaroo toward Craigieburn
Essendon toward Melbourne (Southern Cross)		Seymour line	Craigieburn toward Seymour
Essendon toward Melbourne (Southern Cross)		Seymour line (Shepparton line)	Donnybrook toward Shepparton
Melbourne (Southern Cross) Terminus		Albury-Wodonga line	Seymour toward Albury
Preceding station		NSW TrainLink	Following station
Melbourne Terminus	NSW TrainLink Southern Melbourne XPT		Seymour towards Sydney

Broadmeadows railway station is located on the Craigieburn line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the northern Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows opening on 1 February 1873.^[1]

The Melbourne - Sydney standard gauge line is adjacent to the station on the eastern side, and at the southern end the Albion-Jacana freight line branches westward from the main line, providing an alternate route to Melbourne from the suburban lines via Essendon.

History

Northbound view of Platform 3 in March 2012

The railway past the site of Broadmeadows station opened in 1872 as part of the North East railway to Wodonga. At the time of opening the village of Broadmeadows was located some distance from the station, becoming known as "Old Broadmeadows" and now Westmeadows. It was not until the post Second World War housing developments that the gap between the old town and the station were filled.^[2]

The station was initially provided with a 150-foot (46 m) long platform, a goods siding and shed, and a passing loop for trains on the single track. This early station was closer to Camp Road than the station today.^[2] A permanent station building was provided in 1878 along with a longer platform, all on the present site. In 1885 the line was duplicated, and a second platform of timber construction provided.

Electric train services between the city and Essendon were inaugurated in 1919, with electrification extended to Broadmeadows in 1921. However Essendon remained the terminus of most suburban services, with a shuttle service operating beyond until 1925, with all day through services to Broadmeadows not provided until 1941.^[3] The station took the layout it has today in 1969, with the abolition of the centre track, closure of the stand alone signal box, provision of automatic signalling along the line, and replacement of the Buckley Street interlocked crossing gates with boom barriers. Stabling facilities are located at the northern end of the station.

The original 1878 station building was replaced in 1990 as part of a commercial development of the site, with the station upgraded to a Premium station on 21 March 1996.^[4]

In 2007 suburban electric services were extended to Craigieburn, with the siding closest to the standard gauge line being removed.

In 1920 sheds and sidings for bagged wheat were provided to handle the overflow from the Port of Williamstown.^[2]

The level crossing at Camp Road was initially protected by hand operated gates, with boom barriers provided in 1961, and the current overpass in 1978.^[5] Barry Road also had a level crossing but was replaced by the current overpass in the late 1950s as part of the construction of the standard gauge line.^[2]

The lever frame in the signal box was provided in 1889, which was replaced in 1929 when the Albion-Jacana freight line opened. Mechanical signalling along the line to Essendon was abolished in 1965,^[3] but it was not until 2000 that a Westrace solid state interlocking was provided. Control of this was moved to Craigieburn in 2007 as part of the electrification extension.

A third platform on the parallel standard gauge line was completed in late 2009, as part of the North East Rail Revitalisation Project which saw the V/Line Albury service converted to standard gauge operation.^[6]^[7]

An Army siding was provided during the Second World War to Broadstore, located to the north-east of the station,^[2] opening on 12 October 1942, and remaining in place until 1982 however, the track was not lifted until after 1991. The Broadstore Line was a single unelectrified track, and extended in a directly easterly direction for approximately 1.6 kilometres towards the Upfield Line and terminated at the Maygar Barracks on Camp Road. At one time, it also had a further branch that supplied a migrant hostel. The Broadstore branch line is marked on the maps of Victorian Railways (1950,^[8] 1960,^[9] 1970,^[10] and 1980^[11]), terminating in a station marked "Broadstore".

Platforms & services

Broadmeadows has one three side platforms. Platforms 1 and 2 are serviced by broad gauge Metro Trains' Craigieburn line and V/Line Seymour and Shepparton services.^[12]^[13]^[14] Platform 3 is served by standard gauge V/Line Albury and NSW Trainlink Sydney services.^[15]^[16] A few Metro Trains services commence and terminate at Broadmeadows in peak hour.

Platform 1:

Craigieburn line: all stations services to Flinders Street
Seymour line: V/Line services to Southern Cross
<span style="color:#E37012;>Shepparton line: V/Line services to Southern Cross

Platform 2: