Macaulay railway station explained

Macaulay
Type:PTV commuter rail station
Style:Melbourne
Address:Macaulay Road,
North Melbourne, Victoria 3051
Borough:City of Melbourne
Country:Australia
Coordinates:-37.7946°N 144.9362°W
Distance:3.25 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Other: Bus
Structure:Ground
Platform:2 side
Tracks:2
Rebuilt:1976
Electrified:December 1920
(1500 V DC overhead)
Accessible:Yes—step free access
Code:MAC
Owned:VicTrack
Operator:Metro Trains
Zone:Myki Zone 1
Status:Operational, unstaffed
Former:Macaulay Road (1887–1909)
Website:Public Transport Victoria
Map State:expanded

Macaulay railway station is located on the Upfield line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the inner northern Melbourne suburb of North Melbourne, and it opened on 1 December 1887 as Macaulay Road. It was renamed Macaulay on 1 May 1909.[1]

The station is located beside the Moonee Ponds Creek to its west, and surrounded mainly by factories and warehouses. Kensington, on the Craigieburn line, is only 400m (1,300feet) west of Macaulay, and is significantly closer to the residential area and handles a larger number of commuters.

The station is also located at ground level, beneath the CityLink tollway, which is supported atop concrete columns that are located outside the platform fencing.

History

Macaulay station opened on 1 December 1887, three years after the railway line from North Melbourne was extended to Coburg.[1] The station is named after Macaulay Road, itself named after Thomas Babington Macaulay, a British politician and historian.[2]

To the east of the station were a number of goods sidings, which opened after 1919, and have since been removed.[3] [4]

In May 1972, the suburban train stabling yard near the station, located towards North Melbourne, opened, as part of the City Loop project.[5] Also in that year, automatic signalling was provided between Macaulay and Royal Park, replacing Double Line Block signalling,[1] and boom barriers replacing interlocked gates at the Macaulay Road level crossing, located at the up end of the station,[6] as well as the abolishment of the signal box.[1] On 1 July 1975, parcel facilities at the station were abolished.[7] In 1976, the current station buildings were provided.[8]

On 17 November 1993, a light repair facility officially opened in the stabling yard, as part of the closure of the Jolimont Workshops.[9] In 1997, a crossover at the down end of the station was abolished.[1]

Platforms and services

Macaulay has two side platforms. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Upfield line services.[10]

Platform 1:

Platform 2:

Transport links

Transit Systems Victoria operates one route via Macaulay station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Macaulay. vicsig.net. 10 February 2023.
  2. Web site: Macaulay Road. Melbourne Streets. 25 December 2022.
  3. Web site: Victorian Railways signal diagram: Macaulay to North Fitzroy 27 13. www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com. 15 August 2008.
  4. Web site: Victorian Railways signal diagram: Macaulay to North Fitzroy 12 67. www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com. 15 August 2008.
  5. Book: SE Dornan & RG Henderson. Electric Railways of Victoria. Australian Electric Traction Society. 93. 1979. 0-909459-06-1.
  6. Web site: VR History by Andrew Waugh – Upfield Line. VR History. Andrew Waugh. 24 February 2009.
  7. October 1975. Traffic. Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. 226.
  8. Book: Vincent Adams Winter. VR and VicRail: 1962–1983. 1990. 0-9592069-3-0. 106.
  9. August 1994. News. Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. 251.
  10. train.