- Craigieburn railway line
-
Craigieburn railway line, Melbourne 
Line details Commenced 1860 Completed 1872 Stations 15 Tracks Double track throughout Used by Metro Trains Melbourne, V/Line, freight Service pattern Stopping all stations Rolling stock Hitachi, Comeng, Siemens Connections Flemington Racecourse, Albion-Jacana lines Former connections Upfield line at Somerton (Roxburgh Park) Railways in Melbourne List of stations
Freight railways
Closed railways
Proposed railwaysThe Craigieburn railway line is a suburban electric railway inner section of the main North East railway line serving the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. It has 15 stations and in Metcard ticketing Zones 1 & 2. Prior to electrification to Craigieburn the line was known as the Broadmeadows railway line.
Contents
Description
The line rises steadily after leaving North Melbourne until after Essendon, then drops a little to cross Moonee Ponds Creek, and soon after encounters the Glenroy Bank, a continuous rising gradient of 1 in 50 for nearly 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) that used to tax locomotive-hauled trains in the days of steam. After Glenroy, it continues to rise to the end of the suburban line (and beyond). Earthworks, are, however, generally moderate.
The almost-continuous gradients were a factor when, in 2003, an unmanned suburban train rolled the entire length of the line from Broadmeadows to the city, and crashed into a stationary but loaded passenger train waiting to depart Southern Cross Station (then Spencer Street Station). No one was killed or seriously injured in the incident.
Infrastructure
The Craigieburn line is double track throughout, and controlled by automatic block signalling. It has numerous level crossings as well as many grade-separated road and rail bridges. Terminating facilities are provided at Kensington, Newmarket (by shunting onto the Flemington Racecourse line), Essendon, Broadmeadows, as well as Craigieburn itself. However only Essendon, Broadmeadows, and Craigieburn are normally used. Train stabling facilities are provided at Broadmeadows and Craigieburn.
History
H 220 leads the Albury Express out of Melbourne, past the signal box at Essendon, circa 1949. (Victorian Railways photograph)
The line from North Melbourne to Essendon was opened by the Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company in November 1860. Soon after, the company also opened a branch from Newmarket to Flemington Racecourse. However, both lines closed after only a short time in July 1864. The Victorian Railways reopened the Flemington Racecourse line (and therefore the Essendon line as far as Newmarket) in November 1867, and in January 1871 reopened the line to Essendon.
In April 1872, the line was extended to a temporary terminus outside Seymour, awaiting completion of a bridge over the Goulburn River. In December 1894, through services were provided from Essendon to Brighton Beach on the Sandringham line.
Automatic Block Signalling started to appear on the line in 1918, with Kensington to Essendon being converted in June of that year, and North Melbourne to Kensington in October of the same year. In May 1919, Flinders Street to Essendon, along with the Sandringham line, became the first line to be electrified in Melbourne, apart from a test installation on the Flemington Racecourse line.
In January 1924, an extra pair of tracks, including a flying junction, was opened between North Melbourne and Kensington, enabling the separation of passenger and freight traffic in the busy section. Further works were carried out in 1929, when the double track Albion - Jacana freight line was opened,[1] permitting freight trains to avoid the line via Essendon altogether. Automatic Block Signalling was extended to Broadmeadows in November 1965.
On 30 September 2007 electrified trains between Broadmeadows station to Craigieburn commenced regular service.[2] Previously, passengers for Craigieburn travelled on V/Line operated diesel services, however Metcards were accepted for fare payment.
Broadstore Branch Line
A branch line was provided during the Second World War to Broadstore, commencing at the north-east of Broadmeadows station, opening on 12 October 1942,[3] and remaining in place until 1982;[3] however, the tracks were not lifted until after 1991.[3] The Broadstore Line was unelectrified, and extended in a directly easterly direction for approximately 1.6 km towards the Upfield Line terminating at the Maygar Barracks in Campbellfield. At one time, according to Forsberg, it also had a further branch that supplied a migrant hostel.[3] The Broadstore Line itself is clearly marked on the 1980 map of Victorian Railways, terminating in a station marked "Broadstore". .[4]
Line guide
Brick buildings at Kensington station
The line near Ascot Vale
Terminus of the line at CraigieburnBold stations are termini, where some train services terminate; italic stations are staffed; and stations with an asterisk (*) are manned only during morning peak.
Branches from the City Loop at Southern Cross and Flagstaff.
Craigieburn railway line Legend
0.0 km Flinders Street (FSS) Zone 1 
Flinders Street Viaduct 
1.2 km Southern Cross (SSS) Zone 1 
City Loop 2.9 km North Melbourne (NME) 
Upfield line 
Moonee Ponds Creek 
CityLink 
Sydenham and Werribee lines 
4.7 km Kensington (KEN) 5.6 km Newmarket (NKT)* Zone 1 Flemington Racecourse line 7.0 km Ascot Vale (ASV)* 8.1 km Moonee Ponds (MPD)* 9.2 km Essendon (ESD) Zone 1 10.4 km Glenbervie (GBV) 11.0 km Strathmore (SME) Moonee Ponds Creek CityLink 12.5 km Pascoe Vale (PVL) 14.1 km Oak Park (OKP) 
15.8 km Glenroy (GRY) 16.6 km Jacana (JAC) 
Western Ring Road 
Albion - Jacana freight line (standard gauge) 
Albion - Jacana freight line (broad gauge) 
18.1 km Broadmeadows (BMS) 
Broadstore branch line 19.3 km Coolaroo (CLO) 
Upfield line 
23.0 km Roxburgh Park (RXP) 
Aitkens Creek 27.0 km Craigieburn (CGB) 
North East railway References
- ^ "VR History". www.victorianrailways.net. http://www.victorianrailways.net/vr%20history/history.html. Retrieved 22 June 2008.
- ^ "Public transport - Craigieburn Rail Project - News and publications". www.doi.vic.gov.au. http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/DOI/Internet/transport.nsf/AllDocs/07288AED1C6F3EF3CA25730D000908B5?OpenDocument. Retrieved 22 June 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Broadstore Line 1991". Mike Forsberg. http://www.flickr.com/photos/29565670@N06/sets/72157613223800455/. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
- ^ "Railway Map of Victoria, 1980". www.vrhistory.com/. http://www.vrhistory.com/VRMaps/Vic1980.pdf. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
External links
- Timetables
- Statistics and detailed schematic map at the vicsig enthusiast website
Railway Lines in Victoria Main lines
Bendigo Line · Mildura line · North East Line · (Melbourne-Sydney) · Orbost Line · Port Fairy Line · Portland line · Serviceton Line · South Gippsland Line · Tocumwal line · Western SG line (Melbourne-Adelaide)Branch linesAlexandra line · Alvie line · Balranald line · Bolangum line · Briagolong line · Bright line · Buninyong line · Carpolac line · Casterton line · Cobram line · Cohuna line · Coleraine line · Cudgewa line · Daylesford line · Deniliquin line · Forrest line · Grampians line · Heathcote line · Kulwin line · Lancefield line · Maffra line · Mansfield line · Mortlake line · Mirboo North line · Navarre line · Noojee line · Oaklands line · Outtrim line · Patchewollock line · Peechelba East line · Picola line · Portland line · Redesdale line · Red Hill line · Robinvale line · Skipton line · Strzelecki line · Stony Crossing line · Tatong line · Thorpdale line · Timboon line · Wahgunyah line · Waubra line · Wedderburn line · Wonthaggi line · Woodside line · Yackandandah line · Yanac line · Yaapeet line ·
Cross Country linesAvoca line · Geelong-Ballarat line · Eaglehawk–Inglewood line · Moolort Line · Toolamba–Echuca line
V/Line servicesGeelong Line · Warrnambool Line · Ballarat Line · Maryborough Line · Ararat Line · Bendigo Line · Swan Hill Line · Echuca Line · Seymour Line · Shepparton Line · Albury-Wodonga Line · Traralgon Line · Bairnsdale Line
Melbourne suburban servicesCity Loop · Werribee line · Williamstown line · Sydenham line · Craigieburn line · Flemington Racecourse line · Upfield line · Epping line · Hurstbridge line · Lilydale line · Belgrave line · Alamein line · Glen Waverley line · Pakenham line · Cranbourne line · Frankston line · Stony Point line (unelectrified) · Sandringham line
Inner Circle line · Outer Circle line · Rosstown Railway · St Kilda - Windsor line · Spring Vale Cemetery line · Mont Park line · Kew line · Red Hill line · Whittlesea line · Warburton line · Mornington line · Healesville line · St Kilda line · Port Melbourne line Tourist railwaysNarrow gauge branch linesWhitfield line · Gembrook line · Crowes line · Walhalla line
Melbourne goods linesNewport-Sunshine line · Albion-Jacana line · South Kensington-West Footscray line
Categories:- Railway lines in Melbourne
- Railway lines opened in 1860
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