Belgrave station originally opened on 18 December 1900 as Monbulk, and was renamed Belgrave on 21 November 1904.[5] The station was on the Upper Ferntree Gully – Gembrooknarrow gauge line, and was located approximately where the modern station car park is situated.[4]
Following a landslide between Selby and Menzies Creek in the previous year,[6] on 30 April 1954, the station closed, along with the rest of the line.[5][6] From 9 April 1955 until 23 February 1958, the Victorian Railways resumed operations between Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave, which was provided under a guarantee against losses by a citizens committee.[6]
On 21 July 1962, a new station for the narrow gauge line was provided, along with the re-opening of the line as far as Menzies Creek as the Puffing Billy Railway.[4][5][6] The Belgrave narrow gauge station is approximately 100 metres north of the metropolitan broad gauge station, and serves as the starting point for the Puffing Billy Railway.[6] A short footpath under Belgrave-Gembrook Rd provides a pedestrian connection between the two stations.
Broad gauge station
Belgrave station opened in its current configuration on 19 February 1962, after the line from Upper Ferntree Gully had been converted to broad gauge and electrified.[4] The rebuilt station is located further down the line than the original narrow gauge station.
In the early hours of 23 November 1989, Hitachi carriage 219M was destroyed in an arson attack whilst stabled at the station.[7][8]
In 2018, the Victorian Government announced it would fund the construction of a multi-deck car park at the station, along with better pedestrian access and an improved bus interchange.[10][11] Construction on the new four-storey, 670-space station began in March 2022,[12] and was completed in January 2024.[13] The new car park provides an additional 470 spaces, taking capacity from 170 to 670. This includes 16 accessible spaces, and 6 charging spaces for electric vehicles.[14]
