Jump to content

Preston railway station, Melbourne

Coordinates: 37°44′19″S 145°00′02″E / 37.7387°S 145.0006°E / -37.7387; 145.0006
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Preston
PTV commuter rail station
Northbound view from Platform 2, June 2023
General information
LocationClinch Avenue,
Preston, Victoria 3072
City of Darebin
Australia
Coordinates37°44′19″S 145°00′02″E / 37.7387°S 145.0006°E / -37.7387; 145.0006
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byMetro Trains
Line(s)Mernda
Distance12.47 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms2 (1 island)
Tracks2
ConnectionsList of bus routes in Melbourne Bus
Construction
Structure typeElevated
Parking254[1]
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes—step free access
Other information
StatusOperational, premium station
Station codePRE
Fare zoneMyki Zone 1/2 overlap
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened8 October 1889; 134 years ago (1889-10-08)
Closed16 May 2022
Rebuilt1973
5 September 2022 (LXRP)
ElectrifiedJuly 1921 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous namesPreston-Murray Road (1889-1905)
Murray (1905-1909)
Passengers
2005–2006591,010[2]
2006–2007643,921[2]Increase 8.95%
2007–2008734,065[2]Increase 13.99%
2008–2009847,792[3]Increase 15.49%
2009–2010860,532[3]Increase 1.5%
2010–2011852,173[3]Decrease 0.97%
2011–2012800,022[3]Decrease 6.11%
2012–2013Not measured[3]
2013–2014859,243[3]Increase 7.4%
2014–2015825,977[2]Decrease 3.87%
2015–2016885,788[3]Increase 7.24%
2016–2017881,885[3]Decrease 0.44%
2017–2018901,943[3]Increase 2.27%
2018–2019862,540[3]Decrease 4.36%
2019–2020648,650[3]Decrease 24.79%
2020–2021317,300[3]Decrease 51.08%
2021–2022238,850[4]Decrease 24.72%
2022–2023398,450[5]Increase 66.82%
Services
Preceding station Railways in Melbourne Metro Trains Following station
Bell Mernda line Regent
towards Mernda
Track layout
to Bell
1
2

Preston railway station is a commuter railway station on the Mernda line, serving the north-eastern Melbourne suburb of Preston in Victoria, Australia. Preston is a premium status elevated structure station featuring two platforms, on an island platform. The station opened on 8 October 1889 as Preston-Murray Road, before being shortened to Murray on 1 August 1905, and finally renamed Preston on 1 December 1909.[6]

History[edit]

Preston station opened on 8 October 1889, when the Inner Circle line was extended from North Fitzroy to Reservoir,[6] Preston station, like the suburb itself, was named after Preston in Sussex, England.[7][8] The name was chosen by Edward Wood, who was originally from Sussex and, in 1850, opened a general store at the corner of the current day intersection of High and Wood Streets.[7]

In 1967, boom barriers replaced hand gates at the former Cramer Street and Murray Road level crossings, which were located in the up and down directions respectively.[9] In 1973, the former ground level station buildings were provided, replacing the original 1889 structures.[10] In 1998, Preston was upgraded to a premium station.[11]

On 30 November 2018, the Level Crossing Removal Project announced that the Murray Road and Cramer Street level crossings would be removed by grade separation,[12][13][14] with the rail line to be elevated over both roads.[15] On 4 October 2020, designs for the rebuilt station were released,[16] with major construction starting in February 2021.[17] On 30 May 2022, the station was closed to allow demolition and construction of the new station. On 5 September of that year, the rebuilt station opened.[18]

Platforms and services[edit]

Preston has one island platform with two faces. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Mernda line services.[19]

Platform 1:

Platform 2:

Transport links[edit]

Dysons operates two bus routes via Preston station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

  •  552 : North East ReservoirNorthcote Plaza[20]
  •  553 : Preston – West Preston[21]

Kinetic Melbourne operates one SmartBus route via Preston station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

Ventura Bus Lines operates one route via Preston station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "New Preston Station fact sheet". Victoria's Big Build. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Archived 17 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Department of Transport
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Archived 17 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Philip Mallis
  4. ^ Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Archived 6 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine Data Vic
  5. ^ Annual metropolitan train station entries 2022-23 Data Vic
  6. ^ a b "Preston". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Preston". Victorian Places. Archived from the original on 17 March 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  8. ^ First, Jamie (7 January 2014). "The A-Z story of Melbourne's suburbs". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  9. ^ John Sinnatt (January 1990). "Level Crossing Protection". Somersault. Signalling Record Society Victoria. pp. 9–17.
  10. ^ "Way and Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. February 1973. p. 34.
  11. ^ "Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1997. pp. 303–315.
  12. ^ "More level crossing removals on the way". Victoria's Big Build. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  13. ^ "Murray Road, Preston". Victoria's Big Build. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Cramer Street, Preston Level Crossing Removal Project". levelcrossings.vic.gov.au. Level Crossing Removal Project. Archived from the original on 23 January 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Eight crossings set to go in the north". Victoria's Big Build. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  16. ^ "First look at new Bell and Preston stations". Victoria's Big Build. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  17. ^ "Full steam ahead at Preston". Victoria's Big Build. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Modern stations at Preston just weeks away". Victoria's Big Build. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  19. ^ "Mernda Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  20. ^ "552 North East Reservoir - Northcote Plaza via High Street". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  21. ^ "553 Preston - West Preston via Reservoir". Public Transport Victoria.
  22. ^ "903 Altona - Mordialloc (SMARTBUS Service)". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  23. ^ "527 Gowrie - Northland via Murray Road". Public Transport Victoria.

External links[edit]