Sunshine railway station, Melbourne

Sunshine
Westbound view from Platform 2 in May 2014
Location	Station Place, Sunshine
Coordinates	37°47′17″S 144°49′57″E / 37.7881°S 144.8325°E / -37.7881; 144.8325Coordinates: 37°47′17″S 144°49′57″E / 37.7881°S 144.8325°E / -37.7881; 144.8325
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro
Line(s)	Sunbury Serviceton
Distance	12.25 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	4 (1 island, 2 side)
Tracks	5
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	250
Bicycle facilities	26
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Status	Premium station
Station code	SUN
Fare zone	Myki zone 1/2 overlap
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	7 September 1885
Rebuilt	2012-2014
Electrified	Yes
Services
Preceding station   Metro Trains   Following station Tottenham toward Flinders Street Sunbury line Albion toward Sunbury Preceding station   V/Line   Following station Footscray toward Melbourne (Southern Cross) Ballarat line Ardeer toward Wendouree or Ararat Footscray toward Melbourne (Southern Cross) Ballarat line (Maryborough line) Bacchus Marsh toward Maryborough

Sunshine railway station is located on the Sunbury line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the western Melbourne suburb of Sunshine opening on 7 September 1885 as Braybrook Junction being renamed Sunshine on 15 July 1907.^[1] It is also served by V/Line Ballarat services.

It is the junction for the Serviceton line to the state's west. The Melbourne - Sydney standard gauge line passes to the north of the station. In 2013/14, the station was rebuilt as part of the Regional Rail Link project.

History

The Melbourne & Murray River Railway (now named the Bendigo line) originating from Spencer Street station was built in the late 1850s from Footscray station to Sunbury and Bendigo, however no station was built at that time on the current site; the closest station was Albion & Darlington on the site of the current Albion station.^[2]

In 1885 the Serviceton line from Melbourne to Ballarat via Bacchus Marsh was built, branching off from the Bendigo line, and a station at the junction of the two lines was built. The station opened on 7 September 1885, as Braybrook Junction, named such as it was at the junction of the two lines and lay in the Shire of Braybrook.

In 1887 the Sunshine - Newport line, connecting the new station at Braybrook Junction to Newport and Williamstown, Victoria's major cargo port at the time, was opened.

In 1907 Braybrook Junction station was renamed Sunshine when Hugh McKay moved his Sunshine Harvester Works adjacent to the station.^[1] On 20 April 1908 Sunshine was the scene of the worst train crash in Victorian railway history, the Sunshine train disaster.

The Albion-Jacana line opened in 1929 connecting Sunshine station with the North East line allowing freight trains to avoid the steeper grades and suburban traffic on the suburban line between North Melbourne, Essendon and Broadmeadows.

The road level crossing at Sunshine was removed when grade separation was carried out in 1961.^[3] Boom barriers were provided at the Anderson Road level crossing with the Bendigo line in the same year.^[4]

A fourth platform was opened in January 1963 on the adjacent Melbourne - Sydney standard gauge line, to enable passengers to transfer between the interstate Sydney and Adelaide expresses.^[3] In 1965 control of signals at Albion station was transferred to the signal box at Sunshine.^[3] Boom barriers were provided at the Anderson Street level crossing with the Ballarat line in 1977.^[4]

It was categorised as a Premium station on 26 July 1996.^[5]

As part of the Regional Rail Link project the station was rebuilt.^[6] Works included:

• a new bus interchange completed in September 2013^[7]
• constructing a new footbridge and concourse completed in January 2014^[8]
• upgrading Platforms 1 and 2 with new canopies
• rebuilding Platform 3 and a new Platform 4 both completed in April 2014^[9][10]

From June 2015, V-Line Geelong and Warrnambool services will call at Sunshine when the Regional Rail Link opens.^[11]

Facilities, platforms & services

Sunshine has two side platforms and a centre island platform. Access is provided to the platforms using stairs, lifts and ramps from an overhead footbridge and concourse featuring a customer service window, an enclosed waiting room and toilets. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Sunbury line and V/Line Ballarat services.^[12][13]

Platform 1:

• Sunbury line: services to Flinders Street

Platform 2:

• Sunbury line: services to Sunbury

Platform 3:

• Ballarat line: V/Line services to Southern Cross

Platform 4:

• Ballarat line: V/Line services to Ballarat

Transport links

CDC Melbourne operate three routes via Sunshine station:

• 400: to Laverton station (shared with Sita Buslines)^[14]
• 408: St Albans - Highpoint Shopping Centre^[15]
• 410: to Footscray station^[16]

Sita Buslines operate five routes to and from Sunshine station:

• 420: to Watergardens station^[17]
• 427: to Sunshine West^[18]
• 428: to Sunshine West^[19]
• 456: to Melton^[20]
• 471: to Williamstown^[21]

Transdev Melbourne operate four routes via Sunshine station:

• 216: Caroline Springs - Brighton Beach station^[22]
• 219: Sunshine Park - Gardenvale^[23]
• 220: to Gardenvale^[24]
•  SmartBus  903: Altona station - Mordialloc station^[25]

References

External links

• Media related to Sunshine railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Rail Geelong gallery
• Melway