Flemington Bridge Railway Station, Melbourne
Initially opened as Flemington, the station was given its current name of Flemington Bridge on 3 December 1885.
The station is located on an embankment between the Mount Alexander Road and Racecourse Road rail overpasses. An overpass on the CityLink tollway is located a short distance west of the station.
History
The station opened seven months after the railway line from North Melbourne was extended to Coburg, and was named after the nearby bridge on Flemington Road that passes over the Moonee Ponds Creek. Originally built in 1851, to improve the connection for gold prospectors travelling to the Bendigo goldfields, the bridge was named Mains Bridge, after James Patrick Mains, a well-known contractor. It was later renamed Flemington Road Bridge, before being shortened to Flemington Bridge.
In 1886, permanent station buildings were erected at the station, with timber stairs leading to Boundary and Mount Alexander Roads.
In 1891, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways recommended the construction of a spur line from Flemington Bridge to Pascoe Vale, to relieve crowding on the Essendon line at peak times, as well as providing a shorter alternative route to the city, following the route of what is now CityLink. The committee estimated the single track line would cost £93,000 to build, but recommended that only £30,000 be spent, with the remainder to be made up by donated land. However, the proposal was not taken up by government.
In 1944, the current station buildings, with asbestos cement roofs, were provided and, at the same time, the stairs were replaced by asphalted ramps.
In 1997, to allow construction of an elevated section of CityLink between Flemington Bridge and North Melbourne, a temporary crossover was provided near the Mount Alexander Road bridge, to allow Upfield line trains to terminate, and passengers were shuttled by bus to Newmarket station to continue their journey.
Platforms and services
Flemington Bridge has two side platforms. It is served by Upfield line trains.
Platform 1:
- Upfield line all stations services to Flinders Street
Platform 2:
- Upfield line all stations services to Upfield
Transport links
Ventura Bus Lines operates one route via Flemington Bridge station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:
- Night Bus 959 : Melbourne CBD (Queen Street) – Broadmeadows station (Saturday and Sunday mornings only)
Yarra Trams operates two routes via Flemington Bridge station:
: West Maribyrnong – Flinders Street station (via Elizabeth Street)
: Airport West – Flinders Street station (via Elizabeth Street)
Gallery
-
Southbound view from Platform 1, October 2005
References
- ^ Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005–2006 to 2018–19 Department of Transport
- ^ Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008–2021 Philip Mallis
- ^ Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
- ^ "Flemington Bridge". vicsig.net. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ "Flemington". Victorian Places. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
- ^ "Place Names". Essendon Historical Society. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
- ^ Jon Saul and Wendy Moore (May 1990). Down the line to Upfield. Coburg Public Transport Group.
- ^ Waugh, Andrew. "VR History by Andrew Waugh – Upfield Line" (PDF). VR History.com. Retrieved 24 February 2009.
- ^ "Upfield Line". Public Transport Victoria.
- ^ 959 City – Broadmeadows Station via Niddrie and Airport West Public Transport Victoria
- ^ "57 West Maribyrnong - Flinders Street Station & City". Public Transport Victoria.
- ^ "59 Airport West - Flinders Street Station & City". Public Transport Victoria.
External links
Media related to Flemington Bridge railway station, Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons
- Melway map at street-directory.com.au