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Melbourne Central railway station

Coordinates: 37°48′36″S 144°57′46″E / 37.81000°S 144.96278°E / -37.81000; 144.96278
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Melbourne Central
General information
LocationLa Trobe Street, Melbourne
Coordinates37°48′36″S 144°57′46″E / 37.81000°S 144.96278°E / -37.81000; 144.96278
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byMetro
Line(s)All Melbourne lines
Platforms4 (2 island)
Tracks4
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Platform levels2
Other information
StatusPremium station
Station codeMCE
Fare zoneMyki zone 1
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened24 January 1981
ElectrifiedYes

Melbourne Central railway station is an underground station on the metro network in Melbourne, Australia. It is one of five stations (and one of three underground) on the City Loop, which encircles the Melbourne CBD. 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, it feeds into Melbourne's main metro network station, Flinders Street and also Southern Cross Melbourne's main regional terminus. In 2011/12 it was the 3rd busiest station in Melbourne's metropolitan network, with 14.3 million passenger movements.[1]

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 (551 ft) long and 22.5 metres (74 ft) wide, 29 metres (95 ft) deep at the Swanston Street end and 22 metres (72 ft) deep at the Elizabeth Street end. Seven layers of struts were used to support the excavation, with 2,600 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. It was the first station on the loop to open,[4] initially services only operated for the Burnley and Caulfield Groups on platforms 2 and 4, with trains from the Clifton Group starting to use platform 1 on 31 October 1982, and trains from the Northern Group starting to use platform 3 on 1 May 1984. The Elizabeth Street entrance to the station opened on 5 April 1982.

The adjoining Melbourne Central Shopping Centre opened in 1991,[5] being built around the existing escalators to street level, with only minor integration between the station concourse and shopping centre. The Melbourne Museum moved in 1995 to its current premises beside the Royal Exhibition Building in the Carlton Gardens, with the station being renamed after the shopping centre on 16 February 1997.[6][7]

The station concourse was redeveloped in 2002/03 as part of the renovation of the wider centre, while the direct escalators from the concourse to Swanston Street closed in November 2003, and were replaced by a path through the shopping centre.[8]

Facilities

Melbourne Central, 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, 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 & services

Platform 1 - Clifton Group

Platform 2 - Caulfield Group

Platform 3 - Northern Group

Platform 4 - Burnley Group

Transdev Melbourne operate seven routes from Lonsdale Street (Melbourne Central side):

Transdev Melbourne operate twelve routes from Lonsdale Street (Myer side):

Transdev Melbourne operate nine routes from Swanston/Lonsdale Streets (QV):

References

  1. ^ Station Patronage Research Public Transport Victoria
  2. ^ SE Dornan & RG Henderson (1979). Electric Railways of Victoria. Australian Electric Traction Society. p. 93. ISBN 0-909459-06-1.
  3. ^ a b History of Melbourne's Underground Rail System Metropolitan Transport Authority
  4. ^ Department of Infrastructure. "Public transport – City Loop history". www.doi.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  5. ^ "Melbourne Central Tower – Building Profile". melbournecentraltower.com.au. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  6. ^ "Museum Becomes Central" Railway Digest February 1997 page 15
  7. ^ "Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society: page 310. October 1997. {{cite journal}}: |page= has extra text (help)
  8. ^ "Melbourne Central set to prey on captive commuters". The Age. 4 November 2003. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  9. ^ Route 200 City - Bulleen timetable Public Transport Victoria
  10. ^ Route 201 City - Doncaster Shoppingtown timetable Public Transport Victoria
  11. ^ Route 203 City - Bulleen timetable Public Transport Victoria
  12. ^ Route 207 City - Donvale timetable Public Transport Victoria
  13. ^ a b Route 250 Garden City - La Trobe University timetable Public Transport Victoria
  14. ^ a b Route 251 Garden City - Northland timetable Public Transport Victoria
  15. ^ a b Route 253 Garden City - North Carlton timetable Public Transport Victoria
  16. ^ a b Route 302 City - Box Hill timetable Public Transport Victoria
  17. ^ a b Route 303 City - North Ringwood timetable Public Transport Victoria
  18. ^ a b Route 305 City - The Pines Shopping Centre timetable Public Transport Victoria
  19. ^ a b Route 309 City - Donvale timetable Public Transport Victoria
  20. ^ a b Route 318 City - Deep Creek timetable Public Transport Victoria
  21. ^ a b Route 905 City - The Pines Shopping Centre timetable Public Transport Victoria
  22. ^ a b Route 906 City - Warrandyte Bridge timetable Public Transport Victoria
  23. ^ a b Route 907 City - Mitcham timetable Public Transport Victoria
  24. ^ a b Route 908 City - The Pines timetable Public Transport Victoria
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