Initially opened as Geelong Junction, the station was renamed two times. It was renamed to Williamstown Junction in January 1869, then was given its current name of Newport on 1 November 1881.[5]
In 1857, two years before the station opened, the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company had opened its railway line from Geelong to Newport but, because the line from Melbourne to Newport was not yet complete, a track was constructed along North Road to a temporary terminus on the bank of the Yarra River at Greenwich, from where passengers were conveyed to Melbourne by ferry. In October of that year, the line from Melbourne to Williamstown, via Newport, was opened, and the Geelong line was connected to it.[6]
In 1887, a line from Sunshine to Newport was opened, to allow easier access to the port of Williamstown for trains from the north of Victoria. A number of sidings were also provided in the Newport area: to a flour mill on the Melbourne side, and a goods yard on the western side of the Williamstown line.
In October 1960, the Melbourne Road level crossing, which was just south of the station, was grade separated and replaced with the current road overpass.[4] In 1966, the stabling sidings to the north of the station were provided.[4] On 22 July 1967, a freight line was constructed to the west of Platform 1, so that freight services could bypass the station itself.[4] In 1995, that line was converted to dual gauge, and became part of the Western standard gauge line to Adelaide.[5]
Announced as part of a $57.7 million package in the 2022/23 Victorian State Budget, Newport, along with other stations, will receive DDA-compliant accessibility upgrades.[9] The work was to begin in late 2022, with a timeline for the project to be released once construction began.
Newport has two side platforms. Platform 1 features a large brick building which houses an enclosed waiting area and toilets. Platform 2 has a smaller brick building which also contains toilets.
