Eltham railway station, Melbourne

Eltham

Station information
Code	ELT
Distance from Flinders Street	28.2 km[citation needed]
Operator	Metro Trains Melbourne
Lines	Hurstbridge
# Platforms	2
# Tracks	5
Status	Premium station
Metlink profile	Link
Melway map	Link
Google map	Link
Metlink ticket zone	2

Eltham is a railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, located in the suburb of Eltham, on the Hurstbridge railway line. Eltham is classed as a Premium Station and is in Metlink Zone 2.

Eltham is the terminus for some peak and off-peak services on the line.

Station overview

Facilities

Eltham station is located between Main Road and Youth Road, with station access from Main Road.

The station consists of two platforms, in an island format, with a large building at the Hurstbridge end of the station. The building houses an enclosed waiting area, ticket facilities and toilets. Two Metcard ticket vending machines are located inside the waiting area, which are able to dispense most ticketing options available and also accept notes and coins. A myki ticket vending machine is also located inside the waiting area. Stabling facilities consisting of three sidings, providing enough space for three six-carriage trains, are located adjacent to the station, whilst an underpass is situated at the Hurstbridge end of the station.

The two platforms are bi-directional, allowing trains to depart in either direction from either platform. Eltham is one of the only stations in Melbourne still to be controlled by mechanical safeworking, including semaphore signals.

The railway station is a crossing loop in the middle of a 15 km long section of single track, which can cause 'snowballing' delays to services. It is also the break between two different types of safeworking; Greensborough to Eltham is controlled by Miniature Electric Staff, whilst Eltham to Hurstbridge is controlled by Train Staff and Ticket.

A goods yard was located on the west side of the station but that has since been converted to a stabling yard for suburban trains.

History

Eltham station opened on 5 June 1902. Electrification of the line from Melbourne reached Eltham on 15 April 1923. Boom barriers were provided at the Diamond Street crossing in 1987. Eltham was upgraded to a Premium Station on 4 July 1996.

The Youth Street side of the station was originally a goods yard, with a goods shed. The track layout has changed many times over the years, changing from a maximum of 5 sidings, to the current 3 sidings.

The current platform 1 (changed from platform 2 in the 1990s) was originally a back platform (terminating platform, only accessible from the city end).

The last wooden trestle bridge on the Melbourne suburban network is located at the Flinders Street end of the station.

Platforms

Platform 1:

• Hurstbridge line - all stations and limited stops services to Flinders Street.
• Hurstbridge line - all stations services to Hurstbridge.

Platform 2:

• Hurstbridge line - all stations services to Hurstbridge.
• Hurstbridge line - all stations and limited stops services to Flinders Street.

(Trains in either direction can and do depart from either platform, although Hurstbridge-bound services only normally depart platform 2 once or twice a day.)