Anstey railway station explained

Anstey
Type:PTV commuter rail station
Style:Melbourne
Address:Albion Street,
Brunswick, Victoria 3056
Borough:City of Merri-bek
Country:Australia
Coordinates:-37.7611°N 144.9606°W
Distance:8.04 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Other:
  • Bus
  • Tram
Structure:Ground
Platform:2 side
Tracks:2
Parking:Yes
Electrified:December 1920
(1500 V DC overhead)
Accessible:Yes—step-free access
Code:ASY
Owned:VicTrack
Operator:Metro Trains
Zone:Myki Zone 1
Status:Operational, unstaffed
Former:North Brunswick (1926–1942)
Website:Public Transport Victoria
Map State:expanded

Anstey railway station is a commuter railway station on the Upfield line, part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the northern suburb of Brunswick in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Anstey station is a ground-level unstaffed station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 15 December 1926.[1]

Initially opened as North Brunswick, the station was given its current name of Anstey on 1 December 1942.[2]

History

Anstey station was renamed in honour of former member of parliament, Frank Anstey, who represented the local area in the seats of East Bourke Boroughs and Brunswick in the state parliament, and Burke in the federal parliament, between 1902 and 1934.[3]

In 1971, the station platforms were lengthened.[1] In 1998, boom barriers replaced interlocked gates at the Albion Street level crossing, at the down end of the station.[4] The signal box controlling the level crossing was also abolished during that time.[4]

In 2020, the station became a temporary terminus while level crossing removals occurred at Coburg and Moreland.[5] A temporary crossover was provided at the up end of the station, to allow trains to terminate and return to Flinders Street.[1]

On 19 September 2022, it was announced that the Albion Street level crossing would be removed by grade separation as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project and would be elevated, along with seven other level crossings in Brunswick.[6]

On 19 September 2024, it was announced that Anstey station, along with Brunswick and Jewell stations would be replaced by two new stations located approximately 200 metres to 450 metres from all three existing stations. Anstey station would be replaced by a new station located next to Hope Street, just 200 metres and south of the existing station and the eight level crossings to be elevated and removed by 2030. It was also announced that some heritage listed interlocking hand gates at some closed level crossings will be kept and located at its current spot.[7]

The decision to build two stations in different locations instead of rebuilding Jewell, Brunswick and Anstey generated significant criticism from residents and the local council. Local newspaper Brunswick Voice reported that the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Danny Pearson, claimed "the decision to build two stations followed 18 months of technical and engineering assessments which found fewer stations would boost capacity on the line in the future and deliver more open space", noting that "[the government claimed] the plan would also minimise the impact to heritage in the area, but [the politician] provided no detail about whether the three station buildings and the historic boom gate operators' cabins would be preserved".[8]

Platforms and services

Anstey has two side platforms. It is served by Upfield line trains.[9]

Platform 1:

Platform 2:

Transport links

Dysons operates one route via Anstey station:

Yarra Trams operates one route via Anstey station:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Anstey . vicsig.net . 10 February 2023 . 7 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230107103922/https://vicsig.net/infrastructure/location/Anstey . live.
  2. Web site: Anstey . vicsig.net . 10 February 2023 . 7 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230107103922/https://vicsig.net/infrastructure/location/Anstey . live.
  3. Web site: Brunswick and Brunswick City . Victorian Places . 25 December 2022 . 30 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221130222427/https://www.victorianplaces.com.au/brunswick-and-brunswick-city . live.
  4. January 1999 . Signalling Alterations . Somersault . Signalling Record Society (Victoria) . 5.
  5. https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/news/biggest-level-crossing-removal-blitz-in-victorias-history Biggest level crossing removal blitz in Victoria's history
  6. Web site: Eight More Dangerous Level Crossings To Go By 2027 Premier of Victoria . 19 September 2022 . www.premier.vic.gov.au . en . 19 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220919000058/https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/eight-more-dangerous-level-crossings-go-2027 . live .
  7. Web site: 19 September 2024 . Have your say on Brunswick level crossing removals . 19 September 2024 . Victoria's Big Build . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20240919074236/https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/news/level-crossing-removal-project/have-your-say-on-level-crossing-removals-in-melbournes-north . 19 September 2024 .
  8. Web site: Phillips . Mark . 19 September 2024 . Station to be axed under skyrail revamp . 24 September 2024 . Brunswick Voice . en-AU.
  9. train.
  10. tram.