Eltham railway station is a commuter railway station on the Hurstbridge line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the north-eastern suburb of Eltham, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Eltham station is a ground level premium station, featuring an island platform. It opened on 5 June 1902, with the current platforms provided in 1960 and the upgrades in 2013.[4]
Eltham is the terminus for a number of peak and off-peak services on the line. Five stabling sidings are located to the west of Platform 2, with the site previously having been a goods yard. The last timber trestle bridge on the Melbourne suburban network is located to the south of the station.
History
Eltham station opened on 5 June 1902, when the railway line from Heidelberg was extended.[4] It remained a terminus until June 1912, when the line was extended to Hurstbridge.[4] Like the suburb itself, the station is named after the district of Eltham in Kent, England.[5]
In 1960, Platform 1 was converted from a south-facing bay platform to a through platform, with a connection to the main line provided at the down end of the station.[4] Also in that year, the current station building was provided.[6] In 1969, flashing light signals were provided at the Diamond Street level crossing, located nearby in the down direction from the station.[4]
In 1977, a ramped goods platform was abolished, with a goods shed believed to be demolished around the same time.[6] By 1984, goods traffic to and from the station ceased.[6] In 1987, boom barriers were provided at the Diamond Street level crossing.[7]
On 4 July 1996, Eltham was upgraded to a premium station.[6] A minor refurbishment of the station also occurred during this time.[6]
On 25 December 2011, following a large storm and subsequent flooding, parts of the line at the down end of the level crossing were washed away.[4][8] The flooding also eroded a culvert, exposing a small timber bridge.[4][8]
Eltham was one of the last stations in Melbourne to be controlled by mechanical safeworking, including the use of semaphore signals. It was also a break between two different types of safeworking: Greensborough to Eltham was controlled by miniature electric staff, whilst Eltham to Hurstbridge was controlled by train staff and ticket. Both safeworking systems were converted to Automatic Track Control (ATC) in early 2013.[9] A new amenities building for train drivers was constructed around that time, as well as an upgrade to the stabling sidings.[4]
On 15 May 2019, the Level Crossing Removal Project announced that planning for the duplication of 3 kms of track between Eltham and Greensborough was underway, with early works began in 2021, with major construction started in 2022.[10] The Eltham Trestle Bridge would not be affected by the project. The project was completed in 2023.[11][12]
Platforms and services
Eltham has one island platform with two faces. Trains in either direction can depart from either platform, although Hurstbridge bound services almost always depart from Platform 1, and Flinders Street bound services usually depart from Platform 2.
