St Albans railway station, Melbourne

MelbourneRailwayStation1
NAME=St Albans
IMAGELINK=St-albans-station-platform1.jpg
CAPTION=Looking towards the city from the level crossing at the down end of the station
CODE=SAB
DISTANCE=19 km
LINES=Bendigo,
Echuca,
Swan Hill,
Sydenham
PLATFORMS=3
TRACKS=2
STATUS=Premium Station
FACILITIES= [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/stop/view/20002 Link]
TIMETABLES= [http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/stop/view/20002#lineInformation Link]
MELWAY= [http://www.street-directory.com.au/sd_new/genmap.cgi?x=144.800094745927&y=-37.7450880634127&sizex=650&sizey=650&level=6&star=5&circle= Link]
ZONE=2

St Albans is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in the suburb of St Albans, located on the Sydenham line. St Albans is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metcard Zone 2.

Facilities

St Albans is located at the southern end of the Main Road level crossing, with station access from Main and St Albans Road's and McKechnie Street.

The station consists of one side platform and two in a island format: Platform 1 (side platform, Flinders Street bound) has a 'bus stop' style steel shelter, while platforms 2 & 3 (island platform, Sydenham and Flinders Street bound) have a large pebblemix building with an enclosed waiting room, ticket facilities and toilets. A large Metcard machine is situated at the entrance to platform 1, which is able to dispense most ticketing options available and also accept notes and coins. A small coin-only Metcard machine is situated inside the waiting room.

A signal box with a mechanical lever frame is located on the down platform, to control access to the back platform and sidings. [cite web
url=http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&box=St%20Albans
title=VICSIG - Infrastructure - Signalboxes - St Albans
publisher=www.vicsig.net
accessdate=2008-09-11] A disused platform is located across the Main Road level crossing, which was used for Southern Cross bound V/Line trains. It was made redundant when a new platform was built as part of the electrification to Sydenham in 2002.

History

St Albans station opened on February 1 1887. [ [http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=infrastructure&name=St%20Albans VICSIG Infrastructure - St Albans] ] During the steam era trains had operated every hour to Sunshine, with only eight trains continuing to St Albans. The station was made the terminus of suburban electric trains from the city in October 1921, with trains running every 40 minutes by day and hourly at night.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 ]

The original station was located on the country side of the Main Road level crossing, with all terminating electric trains using the down platform. This blocked though country trains, and required the closing of the interlocked level crossing gates twice for each suburban train - onceo n arrival, and again on departure.

In 1959 the station was rebuilt, with a semi island platform build on the city side of the level crossing. One side faced the main line, with the other side formed a dock platform for terminating suburban trains. The old down platform was removed but the up platform remained for inbound country trains.

The station 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 ] In conjunction with the extension of suburban electric services to Sydenham a new up platform was provided across from the down platform.

References

See also

* St Albans City railway station

MetlinkVlineStations
Line1=Sydenham line
VLine=Bendigo, Echuca and Swan Hill lines
Previous1=Ginifer
VPrevious=Ginifer
Here=St Albans
Next1=Keilor Plains
VNext=Watergardens
VICORMELB=Melbourne