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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Hawksburn Railway Station

Hawksburn railway station is a commuter railway station located in the southern Melbourne suburb of South Yarra in Victoria, Australia. Hawksburn is a below ground unstaffed station, featuring four platforms with an island platform and two side platforms accessible by a pedestrian bridge. The station is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, and was opened on 7 May 1879.

The stations' namesake is the locality of Hawksburn, situated 600 metres from the station. The station is only partially accessible due to multiple steep access ramps.

Ramps at Hawksburn station, leading to Platforms 3 and 4, taken in August 2023
The partially accessible steep ramps to Platform 4 and footbridge linking to all platforms
As seen in August 2023
The station footbridge overpass that links to all platforms

There are two principal station buildings, one of which is located on the stations central island platform (platforms 2 and 3) consisting of a small two story brick building, whilst the other is a one story brick structure situated on platform 4. These buildings were provided for the station in 1914, as ticketing and staff offices.

Hawksburn is only served by the Frankston line, part of the Melbourne railway network, although Cranbourne and Pakenham lines do run through the station these services are express and do not stop. Hawksburn doesn’t have any transport connections unlike the majority of Melbourne train stations. The journey to Flinders Street railway station is approximately 5.3 kilometres (3.29 mi) and takes 9 minutes.

Description

North-west view of all four platforms, taken from Williams Road, June 2014

Hawksburn railway station is located in the suburb of South Yarra, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. The station is located nearby to the Hawksburn shopping precinct and the Prahran Housing Commission Estate. The station is owned by VicTrack, a state government agency, and the station is operated by Metro Trains. The station is approximately 5.3 kilometres (3.29 mi), or an 9-minute train journey, from Flinders Street station. The adjacent stations are South Yarra station up towards Melbourne, and Toorak station down towards Frankston.

The station consists of a single island platform and two side platforms with a total of four platform edges. Standard in Melbourne, the platform has an asphalt surface with concrete on the edges. The platforms are approximately 160 metres (524 ft 11 in) long, enough for a Metro Trains 7 car HCMT. The station features a pedestrian bridge, accessed from the centre of the platforms by a ramp. The station features two principal station buildings, both former ticketing offices which are now heritage listed staff facilities. Distinct Edwardian architectural features of the red brick station buildings include ornate parapets, cement banding, tall chimneys with terracotta pots, tiled hip roof with terracotta finials, and stucco walls.

The station building, platform, and overpass are largely the same as when originally built, with the main change being updated signage, technology, and the addition of one new platform canopy amongst other minor building and platform upgrades. There is no car parking available at the station. The station is listed as an "assisted access" station on the Metro Trains website, as the access ramp is too steep and would require assistance for wheelchair customers to traverse.

History

A map of the Hawksburn Estate building sites from 1886.

Hawksburn railway station was opened on 7 May 1879 with the station consisting of a single platform and track for commuter and freight service. Like the locality itself, the station was named after Hawksburn Estate, where the station is located. The first station buildings were opened on the site between 1881 and 1883 to coincide with the duplication of track between the city and Oakleigh. The current station was constructed in 1914 to provide improved and additional facilities to what had become an increasingly busy and important location on the train network. The station rebuild was part of level crossing removal works that removed all level crossings, rebuilt all stations, and quadruplicated the corridor between South Yarra and Caulfield by 1914. Later in 1922, the line was electrified using 1500 V DC overhead wires with three position signalling also introduced.

A HCMT on a Cranbourne-bound service can be seen passing Platform 4. Taken from Platform 1, looking south-east, taken in October 2023
The detail of the distinct Edwardian architectural features on shelters and buildings at Platforms 2, 3 and 4 and a High Capacity Metro Train passing Platform 4
Southbound view from Platform 1, January 2021
The detail of the heritage shelters on Platforms 2 and 3

The station has mostly stayed the same since 1914, with only minor upgrades taking place. In 1972, the island platform (Platforms 2 and 3) was extended at both ends. In 1993, major re-signalling works occurred between South Yarra and Toorak stations. The station underwent minor upgrades with the installation of one new shelter on Platform 1 in the 2010s. In 2021, resignalling works occurred to upgrade the corridor to high capacity signalling as part of the Metro Tunnel project.

Platforms and services

A Comeng train on a Flinders Street-bound service arrives at Platform 1, August 2023

Hawksburn has two side platforms and one island platform with four faces. The station is currently served by the Frankston line—a service on the metropolitan rail network. The Frankston line runs from Frankston station south east of Melbourne, joining the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines at Caulfield station before continuing onto the Werribee or Williamstown lines via Flinders Street station. Despite the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines operating through the station, these services no longer stop at the station due to low station patronage, instead running express through the station.

South-east bound view from Platform 2, August 2023
Platforms 1 and 2, which are used for Frankston line services
North-west bound view from Platform 3, August 2023
Platforms 3 and 4, no services stop at these platforms, but the Gippsland, Pakenham and Cranbourne lines do pass these platforms

Platform 1:

Platform 2:

Platform 3:

  • No services stop at this platform. Cranbourne and Pakenham line services run express through this station.

Platform 4:

  • No services stop at this platform. Cranbourne and Pakenham line services run express through this station.

Rare amongst Melbourne train stations, Hawksburn station has no other transport connections. There are other transport connections on Malvern and Toorak roads, however, these are over 200 metres (656 ft) away from the station. Hawksburn station does however have train replacement bus stops located adjacent to the station.

References

  1. ^ Hawksburn Railway Station Precinct Archived 4 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Hermes No 108116, Place Citation Report, 26 November 2009, Heritage citation report – City of Stonnington
  2. ^ "Hawksburn_Urban_Design_Final_Analysis_report_090215lr". Archived from the original on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  3. ^ Picture:Prahran: Copy of a published photo of the approach to Hawksburn Railway Station, showing regrading work on the line. Workmen stand by the line., PictureVictoria
  4. ^ "THE CAULFIELD RAILWAY. Progress of duplication work at Hawksburn station". The Age. No. 18, 302. Victoria, Australia. 14 November 1913. p. 11. Retrieved 24 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ Malvern railway station, 24 August 1999, Victorian Heritage Database, ...The present station, designed in 1912–13 by James W Hardy, the chief architect for the Department of Way and Works...Malvern Station is one of a group of stations designed by Hardy prior to and during the First World War....Why is it significant?...The other examples which are almost identical in design are at Armadale, Camberwell, Hawksburn, Malvern and Toorak...Hardy was also responsible for the railway stations at Caulfield, Armadale, Toorak and Hawksburn, the group of stations between South Yarra and Caulfield, as well as Camberwell Station . (Full VHD Report PDF)
  6. ^ "A Shocking Accident: Fatality at Hawksburn station". The Age. No. 12870. Victoria, Australia. 30 May 1896. p. 7. Retrieved 24 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "City of Prahran, Hawksburn Railway Station, showing Re-grading Works". Malvern Standard. Vol. 16, no. 12. Victoria, Australia. 21 March 1914. p. 4. Retrieved 24 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Hawksburn Railway Accident". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 18, 812. Victoria, Australia. 1 November 1906. p. 9. Retrieved 24 September 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ FAQ:How old is the Malvern Railway Station?, Malvern Historical Society (Stonnington), ...The first (steam) trains from South Yarra to Caulfield ran through Hawksburn, Toorak, Armadale and Malvern stations in 1879...in 1910, the railway cutting was excavated between Hawksburn and Malvern,...The railway line was electrified in 1922...
  10. ^ Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008–2021 Philip Mallis
  11. ^ Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
  12. ^ Victoria, Public Transport. "Hawksburn Station". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  13. ^ https://stfpbsprodapp01.blob.core.windows.net/amendmentfiles/b023c477-7070-e811-a857-000d3ad11a22_342b7369-f599-4855-aa1b-fcca2980107b_Stonnington%20C278%20Panel%20Report.pdf
  14. ^ "Hawksburn". www.metrotrains.com.au. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  15. ^ http://images.heritage.vic.gov.au/attachment/65175
  16. ^ Ltd, rome2rio Pty. "Hawksburn to Flinders Street Station – 3 ways to travel via , and train". Rome2rio. Retrieved 27 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ "VICSIG". vicsig.net. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  18. ^ https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/inner-east/stonnington-council-says-train-passengers-at-toorak-armadale-malvern-and-hawksburn-could-be-worse-off-with-future-melbourne-metro-rail-tunnel/news-story/2e6384d47ed4efd0f9b545d53d8c360a
  19. ^ "State Library Victoria – Viewer". State Library Victoria. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  20. ^ "Children's Aid Society, San Francisco". The Leader. 1 March 1879. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  21. ^ "Hawksburn Estate". State Library Victoria. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  22. ^ Wong, Marcus (13 September 2016). "More crumbling Melbourne railway stations". Waking Up in Geelong. Retrieved 8 May 2022. ...The first is Hawksburn. The current station building were completed in 1914, as part of the duplication and grade separation of the railway between South Yarra and Caulfield. The main station building is located on the central island platform, with smaller structures sheltering the entrances to platforms 1 and 4.
  23. ^ https://stfpbsprodapp01.blob.core.windows.net/amendmentfiles/b023c477-7070-e811-a857-000d3ad11a22_58723827-8918-44f4-8e7a-6498b6159ba7_Stonnington%20C278%20Supporting%20Doc%20-%20Heritage%20Citation%20Report%20HO137%20Hawksburn%20Railway%20Station%20Precinct%20Exhibition%20Gazetted.pdf
  24. ^ Hawksburn Vicsig
  25. ^ "Way and Works". Divisional Diary. Australian Railway Historical Society. March 1972. p. 6.
  26. ^ Build, Victoria’s Big (18 March 2022). "High Capacity Signalling". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
  27. ^ "Frankston Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  28. ^ "New timetable train line information – Public Transport Victoria". 1 March 2021. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)