Whittlesea railway line

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 (1888-10-08)
Opened	Flinders Street to Princes Bridge on 18 December 1865 (1865-12-18) Collingwood to Inner Circle South Junction on 8 May 1888 (1888-05-08) Inner Circle North Junction to Reservoir on 8 October 1889 (1889-10-08) Reservoir to Whittlesea on 23 December 1889 (1889-12-23) Princes Bridge to Collingwood on 21 October 1901 (1901-10-21) Rushall to Merri on 5 December 1904 (1904-12-05)
Completed	5 December 1904 (1904-12-05)
Reopened	Lalor to Epping on 29 November 1964 (1964-11-29) Epping to South Morang on 27 November 2011 (2011-11-27) South Morang to Mernda on 2 July 2018 (2018-07-02)
Electrified	Princes Bridge to Reservoir on 31 July 1921 (1921-07-31) Reservoir to Thomastown on 16 December 1929 (1929-12-16) Thomastown to Lalor on 30 November 1959 (1959-11-30) Lalor to Epping on 30 November 1964 (1964-11-30) Epping to South Morang on 27 November 2011 (2011-11-27) South Morang to Mernda on 2 July 2018 (2018-07-02)
Closed	Lalor to Whittlesea on 29 November 1959 (1959-11-29)
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 km Multiple lines via North Melbourne City Loop 1.2 Southern Cross ●●●●●●● 2.5 Flagstaff ●●● 3.1 Melbourne Central 4.3 Parliament ●●●●●●● 0.0 Flinders Street ●●●●●●●●●● 0.1 Princes Bridge (closed) Multiple lines via Richmond City Loop 1.7 Jolimont ■■ 2.0 Jolimont Tunnel 2.2 West Richmond Tunnel 2.4 West Richmond 2.9 North Richmond ■■ 3.0 Victoria Street 3.6 Collingwood 4.1 Johnston Street 4.2 Victoria Park 4.5 Eastern Freeway 5.4 Clifton Hill ● 5.6 Heidelberg Road Hurstbridge line to Hurstbridge 5.8 High Street 6.1 Rushall Inner Circle line to Royal Park (dismantled) 6.4 Merri Creek 6.6 Merri Parade 6.8 Merri ■■ 7.7 Northcote ■■ 8.4 Croxton ■■ 9.4 Thornbury ■■ Miller Street (tram only) 10.5 Bell 10.5 Bell Street 11.2 Preston 12.4 Regent 13.7 Reservoir 13.9 High Street 14.7 Ruthven 16.2 Keon Parade (Removing by 2025) 16.3 Keon Park 17.3 Western Ring Road 17.9 Thomastown ~18.9 RMSP 8 (2nd) (demolished) 19.6 Lalor ~20.5 RMSP 8 (1st) (demolished) 21.6 Epping 21.9 Darebin Creek 24.7 South Morang 24.9 McDonalds Road ~24.9 RMSP 39 (demolished) 26.7 Middle Gorge 27.9 Plenty Road ~28.2 RMSP 33 (demolished) 29.5 Hawkstowe ~30.5 RMSP 9 (demolished) 30.7 Mernda 32.0 Bridge Inn Road 32.9 end of Metro area ~33.8 RMSP 26 (demolished) 35.4 Yan Yean (demolished) ~37.0 RMSP 10 (demolished) ~42.6 RMSP 17 (demolished) 41.5 Whittlesea (demolished) km This diagram: view talk edit

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2023)

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

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.

• Mernda railway line