- Melbourne Central railway station
-
Melbourne Central 
Station information Code MCE Distance from
Flinders Street3.2 km (via Southern Cross)
2.4 km (via Parliament)Operator Metro Trains Melbourne Lines All lines # Platforms 4 # Tracks 4 Status Premium station Metlink profile Link Melway map Link Google map Link Metcard / Myki Zone 1 Melbourne Central is an underground station in the metro railway network of Melbourne, Australia. It is one of five stations (and one of three underground) on the City Loop, which encircles the central business district. The station is under La Trobe Street, between Swanston and Elizabeth Streets, on the northern edge of the CBD. The station is named after the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre it is beneath, and is not the city's main station — Flinders Street is the main suburban station, and Southern Cross is the regional terminus. It is the second busiest metropolitan railway station in Melbourne, in 2009 there was an average of 47,700 passenger boardings per day.[1]
Contents
History
The station was built using cut and cover construction. In December 1973 to permit excavation of the station, La Trobe Street and its tram tracks were temporarily relocated to the south onto the site of what is now the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, and moved back on completion of the work in 1978.[2] The pit was 168 metres long and 22.5 metres wide, 29 metres deep at the Swanston Street end and 22 metres at Elizabeth Street. Seven layers of struts were used to support the excavation, with 2600 tonnes of steel temporary supports required.[3]
The station opened as Museum on 24 January 1981 after the adjacent Melbourne Museum in the State Library of Victoria complex on Swanston Street. The first station on the loop to open,[4] initially services only operated for the Burnley and Caufield Groups on platforms 2 and 4, with trains starting to use platform 1 on 31 October 1982, and platform 3 on 1 May 1984. The Elizabeth Street entrance to the station was opened on 5 April 1982.
The adjacent Melbourne Central Shopping Centre shopping centre opened in 1991,[5] being built around the existing escalators to street level, and only minor integration between the station concourse and shopping centre. The Museum moved in 1995 to its current premises beside the Royal Exhibition Building in the Carlton Gardens, with the station being renamed for the shopping centre on 16 February 1997.[6]
The station concourse was redeveloped in 2002-03 as part of the renovation of the wider centre, with the direct escalators from the concourse to Swanston Street was closed in November 2003, and replaced by a path through the shopping centre.[7]
Facilities
Melbourne Central, like the other two underground City Loop stations (Parliament and Flagstaff) has an underground concourse and two levels of platforms below it (2 island platforms and four tracks). Each platform serves a separate group of rail lines that leave the Loop and radiate out into the city's suburbs. At peak times with a train arriving every 2.5 minutes, the station has a passenger flow of 30,000 per hour. Three elevators were initially provided, as well as 21 Escalators.[3] Melbourne Central is a premium station, meaning that it is staffed from first to last train and provides extra customer services.
The concourse has two sections separated by the shopping centre food court:
- The Elizabeth Street concourse has stairs and three escalators providing access to the street, a walkway to the Swanston Street concourse, a booking office, ticket barriers, toilets (which have finally been reopened), and stairs and five escalators leading down to the platforms.
- The Swanston Street concourse was altered in the early 2000s when redevelopment works were carried out at the adjacent Melbourne Central Shopping Centre. Inside the ticket barriers there are toilets, and two lifts and five escalators going to the platforms. Outside is a food court, an exit to La Trobe Street and Level LG of the shopping centre (which passes under Little Lonsdale Street). There is also a lift and four escalators to the shopping centre level above. On the next level up (Level G) there is access to Little Lonsdale and La Trobe Streets via the shopping centre. Access to Swanston Street is via three escalators rising another floor (or the lift to level 1 and a 70m walk), and a walk through the shopping centre past the shot tower.
Platforms and services
Platform 1:
- Epping line - all stations services to Epping
- Hurstbridge line - all stations and limited stops services to Heidelberg, Macleod, Greensborough, Eltham and Hurstbridge
- City Loop - all stations services to Flinders Street
Platform 2:
- Pakenham line - all stations and limited stops services to Oakleigh, Westall, Dandenong, and Pakenham
- Cranbourne line - all stations services to Cranbourne
- Frankston line - all stations and limited stops services to Cheltenham, Mordialloc, Carrum and Frankston
- City Loop - all stations services to Flinders Street
Platform 3:
- Craigieburn line - all stations services to Broadmeadows and Craigieburn
- Upfield line - all stations services to Gowrie and Upfield
- Sydenham line - all stations and limited stops services to Sunshine, St Albans and Watergardens
- Werribee line - all stations and limited stops services to Werribee
- City Loop - all stations services to Flinders Street
Platform 4:
- Lilydale and Belgrave lines - all stations and limited stops services to Box Hill, Blackburn, Ringwood, Lilydale, Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave
- Glen Waverley line - all stations and limited stops services to Glen Waverley
- Alamein line - all stations services to Riversdale, Ashburton and Alamein
- City Loop - all stations services to Flinders Street
Connecting bus services
From Lonsdale St (Melbourne Central side):
- 200 to Bulleen
- 201 to Doncaster Shoppingtown
- 203 to Bulleen
- 207 to Donvale
- 250 to La Trobe University
- 251 to Northland Shopping Centre
- 253 to Carlton North
From Lonsdale St (Myer side):
- 250 to Garden City
- 251 to Garden City
- 253 to Garden City
- 302 to City Queen St
- 303 to City Queen St
- 305 to City Spencer/Lonsdale Streets
- 309 to City Queen St
- 318 to City Spencer/Lonsdake Streets
- 905 to City Spencer/Lonsdale Streets
- 906 to City Spencer Street
- 907 to City Spencer Street
- 908 to City Spencer Street
From Swanston/Lonsdale Streets (QV):
- 302 to Box Hill
- 305 to The Pines
- 309 to Donvale
- 318 to Deep Creek
- 905 to The Pines Shopping Centre
- 906 to Warrandyte Bridge
- 907 to Mitcham
- 908 to The Pines Shopping Centre
Gallery
-
Melbourne Central Station seen from The Swanston Street
-
One of the Melbourne Central platforms
-
XTrapolis train departing the station
References
- ^ Clay Lucas (September 9, 2010). "Stopping all stations as minister backs down". www.theage.com.au. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/stopping-all-stations-as-minister-backs-down-20100908-151c2.html. Retrieved 2010-10-23.
- ^ S.E. Dornan and R.G. Henderson (1979). Electric Railways of Victoria. Australian Electric Traction Society. p. 93. ISBN 0 909459 06 1.
- ^ a b Metropolitan Transport Authority. "MURL Booklet" (PDF). www.doi.vic.gov.au. http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/doi/doielect.nsf/2a6bd98dee287482ca256915001cff0c/44507f9d12a4406cca25700c0012fe36/$FILE/MURL%20booklet.pdf. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
- ^ Department of Infrastructure. "Public transport - City Loop history". www.doi.vic.gov.au. http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/Doi/Internet/transport.nsf/AllDocs/74164766E0CEAF95CA25700500122952?OpenDocument. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
- ^ "Melbourne Central Tower - Building Profile". melbournecentraltower.com.au. http://www.melbournecentraltower.com.au/Core/Content/Building-Profile/Content3174.aspx. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
- ^ "Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station". Newsrail (Australian Railway Heritage Society (Victorian Division)): page 310. October 1997.
- ^ "Melbourne Central set to prey on captive commuters". The Age. November 4, 2003. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/03/1067708134221.html?from=storyrhs. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
Station Navigation "City Loop" Flagstaff Anti - Clockwise | Clockwise Parliament Alamein, Belgrave, Cranbourne, Epping, Frankston Glen Waverley, Hurstbridge Lilydale, Pakenham, and Sandringham lines Previous Station Flagstaff | Parliament Next Station Craigieburn, Flemington Racecourse, Sydenham, Upfield, Werribee, Williamstown lines Previous Station Flagstaff | Parliament Next Station Entire network Coordinates: 37°48′41.25″S 144°58′21.90″E / 37.8114583°S 144.97275°E
Categories:- Railway stations in Melbourne
- Premium Melbourne railway stations
- Railway stations opened in 1981
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
