Main entrance to Clayton station, located on Clayton Road
Clayton railway station is located in the suburb of Clayton. On the north side of the station is Carnish Road, and Clayton Road is to the west. The station is owned by VicTrack, a state government agency, and is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne.[5] The station is approximately 19 kilometres (11.8 mi), or around a 33 minute train ride away, from Flinders Street.[8]
Clayton station consists of a single island platform which is located above the road, and is connected to Clayton Road through both a lift and an escalator. The length of the platform is approximately 160 metres (520 ft) long enough for a Metro Trains 7-car HCMT.[5]
The main car park at the station is located in between both Haughton Road and Carnish Road, just south of the station.[5] The station fully complies with the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992, as there is a lift that connects the station entrance with Platforms 1 and 2.[10]
History
North-west bound view from former ground level Platform 1 at night, July 2015. Prior to the station being rebuilt by the LXRP in 2018
Clayton station opened on 6 January 1880, just over two years after the line from Oakleigh was extended to Dandenong. Clayton station, like the suburb itself, gets its name from the property Clayton Vale, owned by John Clayton in the 1860s and 1870s.[6] The property was located near the present day station.[11][12] The station originally opened as Clayton's Road, with the station receiving its current name, Clayton, in 1890.[6]
Two, now heritage listed, station buildings were constructed in 1891, with one on either platform. These two buildings were constructed with timber. What sets these buildings apart were their modular designs, which included a booking office, a general waiting area and a ladies waiting room.[1] When a elevated new station was built in 2018 the building on platform 2 was relocated and protected due to its historical status. The building was repuroposed and now contains an archival photographic record of the station.[13]
Westbound view of both former ground level platforms, February 2006
In 1998, Clayton was upgraded to a premium station, meaning its ticket booths were staffed from early in the morning until its last train service.[15][16]
Level crossing removal
In March 2014, the Victorian state government announced a grade separation project to replace the Clayton Road level crossing, as well as the Centre Road level crossing, located nearby in the down direction of the station. This included rebuilding Clayton station.[17]
In 2016, the Andrews government announced that the Clayton crossing would be removed by the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) alongside 8.3 kilometres (5.2 mi) of elevated rail in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs, removing nine level crossings on the Pakenham and Cranbourne rail corridor and building five new elevated stations at Carnegie, Murrumbeena, Hughesdale, Noble Park and Clayton.[18]
Recreational space underneath Clayton station, built in 2018 as part of LXRP works, September 2023
Dubbed "sky rail" by opponents and some media outlets, the LXRP spurred significant local opposition due to concerns over visual and noise impacts.[19][20] The project became a political issue in the 2018 state election.[21][22]
In April 2018, the rebuilt elevated station was opened alongside the four other elevated stations on the Caulfield to Dandenong project.[7] The removals created a large new section of open parkland, dubbed a "linear park".[23] This included 22.5 hectares (56 acres) of new open space, sports courts, playgrounds, new walking and cycling trails, and expanded station forecourts.[24][25] As part of the project, the Djerring Trail was created, a 17-kilometre (11 mi) shared-use path along the rail corridor, which runs through the Clayton station precinct. In the year after the elevated rail opened in 2018, the media reported that many residents, including some who were opposed to the project, were happy with the outcome and utilised the new open space.[26][27]
In 2018, Clayton station was chosen as one of the stations that would be served by the Suburban Rail Loop. The station will receive a major upgrade, which will involve construction of two new underground platforms, as well as the conversion of the station to a transport superhub.[28] In June 2022, construction began just south of the existing station.[29] Tunnelling is set to begin in 2026, with SRL East expected to open in 2035.[30] A direct paid-area connection between the new underground station and elevated platforms is planned to be built between the elevated rail tracks.[31]
Platforms and services
South-east bound view from the new elevated Platform 2, April 2018
Services to East Pakenham and Cranbourne travel together south-east towards Dandenong before splitting into two separate lines. Services to the city run express from Caulfield (Malvern during off-peak) to South Yarra, before stopping all stations to Flinders Street via the City Loop.[9]Traralgon and Bairnsdale services run express to Nar Nar Goon, stopping at Dandenong and Pakenham, before stopping all stations after Nar Nar Goon. From Clayton regional services to the city run express to Richmond, stopping at Caulfield, before stopping all stations to Southern Cross.[9]
Gippsland line V/Line services to Traralgon (pick up only), Sale (one Sunday morning service, pick up only) and Bairnsdale (one weekday service, pick up only)
Future services:
In addition to the current services, there are also three proposed services. From 2025, the under-construction Metro Tunnel will link the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines with the Sunbury line.[citation needed] If the proposed Melbourne Airport rail link is built, services will additionally run to Melbourne Airport.[32]
Clayton is served by eight bus routes, including SmartBus route 703. Routes 704, 821, 824, 978, 979 and northbound services on routes 631, 703 and 733 depart from the interchange on Carnish Road,[34] where as southbound services on route 631, 703 and 733 depart from the bus stop on Clayton Road.[35]
