Box Hill railway station, Melbourne

MelbourneRailwayStation1
NAME=Box Hill


CODE=BOX
DISTANCE=14.9 km
LINES=Belgrave, Lilydale
PLATFORMS=4 (3 in use)
TRACKS=3
STATUS=Premium Station
FACILITIES= [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/stop/view/20042 Link]
TIMETABLES= [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/stop/view/20042#lineInformation Link]

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&om=1&z=16&ll=-37.819243,145.121434&spn=0.01256,0.019956 Link]
ZONE=2

Box Hill railway station is on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines in Melbourne, Australia. It is located in the Box Hill Central shopping centre near the corner of Whitehorse Road and Station Street in Box Hill. A major bus interchange is part of the same complex, and the 109 tram route terminates nearby. Box Hill station is located 14.9 km from Flinders Street Station , and is the only Melbourne metropolitan station to be located underground besides those forming the City Loop.

History

The original station opened in 1882 at ground level, when the railway line was extended from Camberwell to Lilydale. At the time, Box Hill was a separate town, with several hundred residents. In 1895, a large market was opened next to the station. On December 19, 1922, the section from Flinders Street to Box Hill was electrified, and this was continued to Ringwood the following month.

In early 1983 the current station was built to eliminate the level crossing at Station St. Box Hill Central shopping centre and the bus terminal above it were built over the top of the station. This was completed in 1985.

During January 2007, the line was closed between Box Hill and Blackburn station to facilitate grade separation works at the nearby Middleborough Road level crossing. Buses were operated between the two stations for the duration, and to cater for this a temporary bus interchange was constructed at Box Hill. The interchange was built directly on top of the tracks, which had been paved between the rails, to the east of the station, and was connected to platforms 2 and 3 by a raised walkway. [http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&project=Middleborough%20Road%20Project VICSIG - Middleborough Road project] ] With the completion of the project's major works at the end of January 2007, the bus interchange was removed.

Facilities

Box Hill has been a premium station since 1996cite journal
year = 1997
month = October
title = Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station
journal = Newsrail
publisher = Australian Railway Heritage Society (Victorian Division)
pages = page 310 ] , and as such, is staffed from first to last train and is in Metcard Zone 2. The station office is located above the platforms, selling both suburban and V/Line tickets. The Lilydale/Belgrave line changes from a triple to a double track at Box Hill.

The station has 4 platforms. Platform 4 is used for outbound trains at peak times, with access by ramp or single escalator. All other trains use the island platform (2 & 3), accessed by stairs, lift and escalators.

Platform 1 was used between April 24 1983 and June 9 1984 while the current station was being built, and has been retained for possible future use. The platform has no track or lighting, with a McDonalds Restaurant since opened over the ramp from the station concourse.

Box Hill station is well connected with other forms of public transport. The 109 tram route terminates in Whitehorse Road, and Box Hill bus terminus is located on the roof of the shopping centre. In total, roughly there are more than 20 different routes and about 500 buses go in and out of the terminus every day.

Despite being a premium station, there are no public toilets within the station complex. Toilets for station patrons were originally located out in Main St Mall, however, they have been closed permanently due to vandalism. Station patrons must now used the toilets provided by the adjoining shopping centre, which are only open during trading hours. There have been calls for installation of toilets inside the station complex.

Calls for Upgrade

After a series of events, including faulty escalators, a once off (though nonetheless fatal) stabbing, along with the closure of a bingo centre (located alongside the bus terminal) on safety grounds, the community has been making calls for an upgrade. The upgrades calls are seeking a full refurbishment and redesign of the railway station and adjoining bus terminal to make it safer, improve integration (currently to get between trains and buses requires two sets of escalators and a layer of shops) and to make it more pleasant by improving the overall amenity. The upgrade call is supported by Anna Burke, Federal MP (ALP) for Chisholm, as well as Robert Clark, State MP (Liberal) for Box Hill and the Public Transport Users Association.

ee also

* Box Hill bus terminus, Melbourne

References

External links

* [http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&section=signalboxes&box=Box%20Hill Box Hill signal box]
* [http://www.centroboxhill.com.au Centro Box Hill (Shopping Centre)]

MelbourneStations
Line=Lilydale & Belgrave lines
Here=Box Hill
Previous=Mont Albert
Next=Laburnum