Sunshine railway station, Melbourne

MelbourneRailwayStation1
NAME=Sunshine
IMAGELINK=Sunshine-station-platform.jpg
CAPTION=Buildings on platform 1
CODE=SUN
DISTANCE=13.5 km
LINES=Ararat,
Echuca,
Melton,
Swan Hill,
Sydenham
PLATFORMS=3
TRACKS=3
STATUS=Premium Station
FACILITIES= [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/stop/view/20021 Link]
TIMETABLES= [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/stop/view/20021#lineInformation Link]
MELWAY= [http://www.street-directory.com.au/sd_new/genmap.cgi?x=144.832764603177&y=-37.7883629682521&sizex=650&sizey=650&level=6&star=1&circle= Link]

http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&om=1&z=16&ll=-37.788098,144.832549&spn=0.009852,0.017209 Link]
ZONE=1 & 2 overlap

Sunshine is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Sunshine, on the Sydenham railway line. It is the junction for the line west to Ballarat. The Melbourne - Sydney standard gauge line is also adjacent to the station.

Classed as a Premium Station, Sunshine is in the Metcard Zones 1+2 overlap.

Facilities

Sunshine is located between Monash Street and Durham Road, with station access from both.

The station consists of three platforms, one side platform and two in an island format: Platform 1 (Flinders Street bound) has a large weatherboard building with an enclosed waiting room, a ticket office and toilets, while platform 2 & 3 (island platform, Sydenham and Ballarat bound) has a small brick building. A large Metcard machine is located inside the waiting room, which is able to dispense most ticketing options available and also accept notes and coins. A small coin-only Metcard machine is located at the entrance to the island platform. A signal box is situated at the Sydenham end of the station, whist a disused SG platform is adjacent to platform 1. An underpass is also situated at the Sydenham end of the station.

History

Sunshine station opened on September 7 1885 as "Braybrook Junction". It was renamed to "Sunshine" in 1907. [ [http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&name=Sunshine VICSIG Infrastructure - Sunshine] ] The station was upgraded to Premium Station status on July 26 1996.cite journal
year = 1997
month = October
title = Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station
journal = Newsrail
publisher = Australian Railway Heritage Society (Victorian Division)
pages = page 310 ]

On the night of April 20, 1908, 44 people were killed and over 400 injured when a Melbourne-bound train from Bendigo collided with the rear of a train from Ballarat, which was just leaving the station. Around 1,100 people were aboard the two trains. Almost all of the casualties were from the Ballarat train, as the Bendigo train was cushioned by its two AA class locomotives. A temporary mortuary was set up at Spencer Street Station (Melbourne's regional terminus), and flags at the station flew at half-mast. The disaster was the worst train crash in Victorian railway history.

The road level crossing at Sunshine was removed when grade separation was carried out in 1961.cite book | author = S.E. Doorman and R.G. Henderson | title = Electric Railways of Victoria | publisher = Australian Electric Traction Society | page = page 68| year = 1979 | isbn = 0 909459 06 1 ] A fourth platform was opened at the station in January 1963 on the adjacent North East standard gauge line, to enable passengers to transfer between the interstate Sydney and Adelaide expresses. In 1965 control of signals at Albion station was transferred to the signal box at Sunshine.

References

MetlinkVlineStations
Line1 = Sydenham line
Next1 = Tottenham
Previous1 = Albion
Line2 = Melton line (V/Line service)
Next2 = Ardeer
Previous2 = Footscray
VLine = Bendigo, Echuca & Swan Hill lines
VNext = Ginifer
VPrevious = Footscray
VLine2 = Ballarat and Ararat lines
VNext2 = Ardeer
VPrevious2 = Footscray
VICORMELB=Melbourne

White City Station, now demolished, was located between Sunshine and Tottenham stations.