Initially, two trains ran to Lilydale each day and five only to Box Hill. At the time, engineers were unwilling to allow trains to stop at Surrey Hills, claiming potential difficulties with re-starting the gradient, and also that there was not enough traffic to warrant the stop.[4]
In April 1883, a deputation asked for Surrey Hills to be a flag station, so that passengers wishing to alight could inform the guard of that at the previous station, while those wishing to join the train could show a red flag, or a red lamp at night. By August of that year, trains would stop on request. On 1 September of that year, Surrey Hills was brought into regular service. The station first appeared in the Victorian Railways working timetable on 15 October of that year.[4]
On 9 December 1888, a second track opened, combined with a new platform on the north side of the line. By the 1930s, a small goods yard had been provided to the south of the station, in what later became a car-park. The connection to the mainline was at the Box Hill (down) end of the station.[5]
In 1962, boom barriers replaced interlocked gates at the former Union Road level crossing, which was located at the up end of the station.[4] In 1966, the goods yard, a signal box, a number of sidings and a crossover were removed to allow work on a third track to be carried out.[4] At that time, the current station buildings were provided, and the former city-bound platform was converted to an island platform. In December 1971, services on the third track from East Camberwell were extended though the station to Box Hill.[6]
On 14 September 2016, two people were killed when a motor vehicle and an express X'Trapolis train set collided at the Union Road level crossing. Severe damage resulted to the train, and the vehicle was dragged 150 metres (490 ft) before coming to a mangled rest between the station platform and train. The station underpass was also damaged.[7]
In 2020, it was announced by the Level Crossing Removal Project that the level crossings at Union and Mont Albert roads would be removed by 2023. The project will involve the closure of both Surrey Hills and nearby Mont Albert, with a brand new railway station at Union, to be provided between the two current stations.[8] Plans for the grade separation of the Union Road level crossing with a road overpass have dated as far back as the late 1970s.[9][10]
On 17 February 2023, the station was permanently closed for demolition, alongside Mont Albert.[11] The replacement new station, Union, opened on 22 May of that year.[12]
Platforms and services
Surrey Hills had one island platform (Platforms 1 and 2) and a side platform (Platform 3), linked by an underpass. The island platform featured a large brick building with a customer service window, an enclosed waiting room and toilets. There was a small brick building on Platform 3.
