Benalla railway station

Benalla
Eastbound view in November 2008
Location	Mackellar Street, Benalla
Coordinates	36°32′41″S 145°59′02″E / 36.5447°S 145.9838°E / -36.5447; 145.9838Coordinates: 36°32′41″S 145°59′02″E / 36.5447°S 145.9838°E / -36.5447; 145.9838
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	V/Line
Line(s)	North East Oaklands Tatong
Distance	195.25 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 (1 island)
Tracks	9
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Status	Staffed
Station code	BEN
Fare zone	Myki zone 16
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	18 August 1873
Services
Preceding station   V/Line   Following station Violet Town toward Melbourne (Southern Cross) Albury-Wodonga line Wangaratta toward Albury Preceding station   NSW TrainLink   Following station Seymour towards Melbourne NSW TrainLink Southern Melbourne XPT Wangaratta towards Sydney

Benalla railway station is located on the North East line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the town of Benalla, opening on 18 August 1873 as the temporary terminus of the line from Violet Town, before it was extended to Wangaratta on 28 October 1873.^[1]

A goods shed and sidings are to the west of the station, while a locomotive depot was formerly located to the north. A turntable remains and until the broad gauge was converted to standard gauge was occasionally used by steam locomotives.

To the north of the station, the Oaklands line towards Yarrawonga branches off. Benalla was also the junction for the now closed Tatong line.

Former station Baddaginnie was located between Benalla and Violet Town, while former stations Winton and Glenrowan were located between Benalla and Wangaratta.

History

The site of the station was a controversial decision at the time, guided by the 1870 flood of the Broken River to the south that engulfed the town. The railway opened on 18 August 1873 but only temporary facilities were provided. The first permanent building was provided in 1874 of identical design to that at Seymour station. It was extended in 1888 including dining and refreshment room facilities and administrative offices, all topped by a large tower, which were demolished by late 1974.^[2][3]

The bridge over the Broken River of iron plate-girder construction was the longest metal girder bridge in Australia at the time of construction, totalling 241.7 metres. Listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, it was the second bridge of its type built in Victoria, and the first metal railway bridge both designed and fabricated within the colony.^[4]

The Oaklands branch line to St James opened in 1883, and was extended to Yarrawonga in 1886. The goods yard was expanded for this extra traffic in 1885, with more sidings added in 1902. At this time the original goods shed was demolished and replaced. The Tatong branch line followed in 1913, and remained until closure in 1947.^[2]

In 1913 Benalla gained a second and third platform, these being a wide island platform with cantilevered verandah located in to the west of the main station building, and linked to it by an iron footbridge provided in 1888 across the station yard. The island platform was removed in 1937 leaving the main platform only.^[2] Two signal boxes were built in 1888, both being extended in 1914,^[2] but only the southern one remains today, unused.

A locomotive shed was provided at Benalla early on, located at the north end of the station yard. Of corrugated iron construction it could house six engines. In 1899 a roundhouse shed was erected, with the old shed used for wagon repairs. In 1908 a 70 feet (21 m) long turntable was provided, replaced in 1953 by an electrically driven unit. After the demise of steam locomotives, usage declined, with several stalls removed in 1960 to permit the passage of the parallel standard gauge track.^[2]

An underpass was provided at the up end of the station in 1979, to replace a footbridge at the down end of the station.

The locomotive depot was hit by a severe storm on 22 November 1994, leaving the shed damaged and destroying two Tait carriages stored inside. The shed was later demolished.^[5]

Platforms & services

Benalla has one island platform with two faces. It is serviced by V/Line Albury line services and NSW TrainLink XPT Sydney to Melbourne services.^[6][7]

Platform 1:

• Albury line: V/Line services to Southern Cross
• NSW TrainLink Southern: XPT services to Southern Cross

Platform 2:

• Albury line: V/Line services to Albury
• NSW TrainLink Southern: XPT services to Sydney Central

References

External links

• Media related to Benalla railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Rail Geelong gallery
• Victorian Railway Stations gallery