Whittlesea railway line

Whittlesea
Whittlesea
Overview
Status	Operational with passenger services from Flinders Street to Mernda; Dismantled beyond Mernda;
Owner	Victorian Railways (VR) (1889–1974); VR as VicRail (1974–1983); MTA (The Met) (1983–1989); PTC (The Met) (1989–1997); VicTrack (1997–Current);
Locale	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Termini	Flinders Street; Whittlesea;
Connecting lines	All metropolitan, regional, and interstate
Former connections	Inner Circle
Stations	29 current stations; 11 former stations;
Service
Services	Mernda
History
Commenced	8 October 1888
Opened	Flinders Street to Princes Bridge on 18 December 1865; Collingwood to Inner Circle South Junction on 8 May 1888; Inner Circle North Junction to Reservoir on 8 October 1889; Reservoir to Whittlesea on 23 December 1889; Princes Bridge to Collingwood on 21 October 1901; Rushall to Merri on 5 December 1904;
Completed	5 December 1904
Reopened	Lalor to Epping on 29 November 1964; Epping to South Morang on 27 November 2011; South Morang to Mernda on 2 July 2018;
Electrified	Princes Bridge to Reservoir on 31 July 1921; Reservoir to Thomastown on 16 December 1929; Thomastown to Lalor on 30 November 1959; Lalor to Epping on 30 November 1964; Epping to South Morang on 27 November 2011; South Morang to Mernda on 2 July 2018;
Closed	Lalor to Whittlesea on 29 November 1959
Technical
Line length	41.468 km (25.77 mi)
Number of tracks	Double track
Track gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Electrification	1500 V DC overhead
Operating speed	80 km/h (50 mph) – Electric
Signalling	Automatic block signaling
Maximum incline	1 in 40 (2.5%)
Route map
	Legend
	Multiple lines
	via North Melbourne
	Multiple lines
	via Richmond
	Hurstbridge line
	to Hurstbridge
	Inner Circle line
	to Royal Park
	Keon Parade
	(Removing by 2025)
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

The Whittlesea railway line is a former railway line operating in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The line was opened in 1889, with the line now part of the modern day Mernda line.

History[edit]

The beginnings of the Whittlesea line occurred during its opening on 8 October 1889, as part of railway extensions into the northern suburbs. What became known as the Inner Circle line was opened from Spencer Street station (now Southern Cross station) via Royal Park station, to a station called Collingwood (now called Victoria Park), and then on to Heidelberg. The Epping line branched off at Fitzroy North to Preston Reservoir station (later renamed Reservoir) in 1889, with the line extended to Whittlesea a few months later, on 23 December.^[1]

Trains on the line operated via Fitzroy and the Inner Circle, until the opening of the current connection between Victoria Park and Princes Bridge stations in 1901. Passenger services were operated in two tiers: a local train to Preston Reservoir station via Clifton Hill, and a country mixed train to Whittlesea, via Fitzroy.^[2] The Epping line was electrified to Reservoir in 1921, with an AEC railmotor providing a shuttle service between Reservoir and the terminus at Whittlesea. Preston Reservoir station was renamed Reservoir in 1909.

The line had a number of Rail Motor Stopping Places (RMSP) along the line, these being a mere nameboard beside the railway line at a convenient public access point. The first were RMSP 8, 9 and 10, which opened in May 1927; followed by Epping Quarries Siding RMSP in January 1928, which originally opened as just a siding in 1925 and later became RMSP 34 on 28 February 1933; RMSP 17 in March 1928; RMSP 26 in January 1930; RMSP 33 on 25 July 1932; RMSP 39 in July 1941; and RMSP 77 on 29 September 1947, which was renamed Lalor station in 1952.^[2] The remaining numbered RMSPs (8, 9, 10, 17, 26, 33, 34, and 39) were all closed on 29 November 1959 with the closure of the line past Lalor station. Direct Whittlesea trains from Flinders Street and Spencer Street were withdrawn from 1948.^[3]

Electrification was extended along 4.4 kilometres (2.7 mi) of single track to Thomastown in 1929, paid for by a land developer, who paid for the works, as well as guaranteeing against operating losses.^[2] Keon Park station was opened at the same time, but the Whittlesea shuttle train continued to connect with suburban trains at Reservoir, until 1931. From this time, a double-ended Leyland railmotor was provided, and connections made at Thomastown. Goods trains to Whittlesea were withdrawn in 1955, and goods trains from Epping ended in 1958.^[3]

Electric suburban services were extended to Lalor station in November 1959, in addition to duplication of the line from Reservoir to Keon Park,^[4] with services beyond this point to Whittlesea replaced by bus service,^[5] and the line closed.^[6] The line to Epping itself was reopened and electrified in 1964, with the remaining line dismantled in the 1970s. However, the right-of-way beyond Mernda is still in place, and is retained for a future railway extension.

Station histories[edit]

Station	Opened^[7]	Closed^[7]	Age	Notes^[7]
Flinders Street	12 September 1854		169 years	Formerly Melbourne Terminus
Princes Bridge	8 February 1859	1 October 1866	7 years
Princes Bridge	2 April 1879	30 June 1980	101 years
Jolimont	21 October 1901		122 years
West Richmond	21 October 1901		122 years
North Richmond	21 October 1901		122 years
Collingwood	21 October 1901		122 years	Formerly Collingwood Town Hall
Victoria Park	8 May 1888		135 years	Formerly Collingwood
Clifton Hill	8 May 1888		135 years
Rushall	1 January 1927		97 years
Merri	8 October 1889		134 years	Formerly Northcote
Northcote	8 October 1889		134 years	Formerly Middle Northcote
Croxton	8 October 1889		134 years
Thornbury	8 October 1889		134 years
Bell	8 October 1889		134 years	Formerly Preston – Bell Street
Preston	8 October 1889		134 years	Formerly Preston – Murray Road Formerly Murray
Regent	8 October 1889		134 years	Formerly Preston – Regent Street
Reservoir	8 October 1889		134 years	Formerly Preston – Reservoir
Ruthven	5 August 1963		60 years
Keon Park	16 December 1929		94 years	Formerly Keonpark
Thomastown	23 December 1889		134 years
RMSP No.8 (2nd)	c. 13 March 1928	29 November 1959	Approx. 31 years	Approx. near Mann's Crossing
Lalor	29 September 1947	28 November 1959	12 years	Formerly RMSP No.77
Lalor	30 November 1959		64 years
RMSP No.8 (1st)	c. 10 May 1927	c. 13 March 1928	Approx. 10 months	Approx. near Childs Road
Epping	23 December 1889	28 November 1959	69 years	1st site
	30 November 1964	24 November 2011	46 years	2nd site
	28 November 2011		12 years	3rd site
RMSP No.34	12 May 1925	29 November 1959	34 years	Formerly Epping Quarries Siding
South Morang	22 April 2012		12 years
RMSP No.39	c. 1 July 1941	29 November 1959	Approx. 18 years	Approx. near McDonald's Road
Middle Gorge	23 December 1889	28 November 1959	69 years	Was originally South Morang
Middle Gorge	26 August 2018		5 years	Known as Marymede during construction Reopened as Middle Gorge
RMSP No.33	25 July 1932	29 November 1959	27 years	Approx. near Plenty Road
Hawkstowe	26 August 2018		5 years
RMSP No.9	c. 10 May 1927	29 November 1959	Approx. 32 years	Approx. near Hawkstowe Parade
Mernda	23 December 1889	28 November 1959	69 years	Formerly South Yan Yean
Mernda	28 June 2018		5 years
RMSP No.26	c. 21 January 1930	29 November 1959	Approx. 29 years	Approx. near Masons Road
Yan Yean	23 December 1889	29 November 1959	69 years
RMSP No.10	c. 17 May 1927	29 November 1959	Approx. 32 years	Approx. near Reservoir Road
RMSP No.17	c. 13 March 1928	29 November 1959	Approx. 31 years	Approx. near Cades Road
Whittlesea	23 December 1889	29 November 1959	69 years

References[edit]

^ "VR History". victorianrailways.net. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Jack McLean (November 1995). "Reservoir – Whittlesea: Signalling and Safeworking". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). pp. 333–337.
^ ^a ^b "Extracts of 'The Whittlesea Railway' by Robert Aquilina". The Northcote History Group. home.vicnet.net.au. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.
^ S.E. Dornan and R.G. Henderson (1979). Electric Railways of Victoria. Australian Electric Traction Society. p. 84. ISBN 0-909459-06-1.
^ "Station & stops".
^ "VR History". victorianrailways.net. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Anderson, Rick (2010). Stopping All Stations. Clunes, Victoria: Full Parallel Productions. ISBN 978-0646543635. OCLC 671303814.

[vr-1] "VR History". victorianrailways.net. Retrieved 6 May 2008.

[jml2-2] Jack McLean (November 1995). "Reservoir – Whittlesea: Signalling and Safeworking". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). pp. 333–337.

[ext-3] "Extracts of 'The Whittlesea Railway' by Robert Aquilina". The Northcote History Group. home.vicnet.net.au. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2008.

[elect-4] S.E. Dornan and R.G. Henderson (1979). Electric Railways of Victoria. Australian Electric Traction Society. p. 84. ISBN 0-909459-06-1.

[5] "Station & stops".

[vr2-6] "VR History". victorianrailways.net. Retrieved 6 May 2008.

[Anderson-7] Anderson, Rick (2010). Stopping All Stations. Clunes, Victoria: Full Parallel Productions. ISBN 978-0646543635. OCLC 671303814.

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History[edit]

Station histories[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]