Southern Cross railway station, Melbourne

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Southern Cross

Station information
Code	SSS
Distance from Flinders St	1.2 km
Operator	Connex Melbourne
Lines	All lines V/Line Trains terminate here
# Platforms	16 (14 in use)
# Tracks	22
Status	Premium station
Metlink profile	Link
Melway map	Link
Google map	Link
Metcard Zone	1

The main concourse of Southern Cross Station.

Interior of Southern Cross Station at the trailing end of rush hour.

Southern Cross (formerly Spencer Street) is a major railway station and transport hub in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located on Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district. The Docklands Stadium sporting arena is 500 metres north-west of the station.

The station is the terminus of the state's regional railway network operated by V/Line, The Overland rail service to Adelaide, and the Countrylink XPT service to Sydney. It is one of five stations on the City Loop, a mostly underground railway that encircles the CBD.

Southern Cross Station also has a coach terminal under the Direct Factory Outlet from which operates the Skybus Super Shuttle service to Melbourne Airport and Sunbus Shuttle service to Avalon Airport; Greyhound Australia, Firefly Express Coaches, Premier Motor Service interstate coach services; and V/Line coach service to Yarram, Mansfield and other non rail served towns.

[edit] History

Opened as Spencer Street in 1859^[1], five years after Flinders Street; the station was a dead end terminus, running parallel to Spencer Street^[2] (not on an angle like today) with a single main platform and a dock platform at the north end.^[3] It was not until 1874 that an extra platform was provided.^[3]

The two stations were not linked until 1879, when a single-track ground-level line was opened. It operated only at night, and only for goods trains. In the 1880s, it was proposed that Spencer Street station be removed in order to facilitate the westward expansion of the city. The plan was subsequently rejected, although it was discussed at a Royal Commission.^{[citation needed]}

From 1888 to 1894 the layout of the station was altered, with new country platforms being built on the angle they are today. The current coach terminal location was the site of a number of new platforms built for suburban services.^[2]

In 1888 work started on the double-track Flinders Street Viaduct linking the station to Flinders Street, the line opening to goods traffic in 1891 and in 1894 to passenger trains.^[4] It was at this time that the first through platform was provided at the station, for suburban trains from Essendon and Williamstown.^[3] The viaduct to Flinders Street was expanded to four tracks in 1915,^[4] and in conjunction with the electrification works on the suburban network today's platforms 11 though 14 were opened between 1918 and 1924, along with the pedestrian subway providing access to them.^[3]

In October 1960 work on the 'modern' Spencer Street Station commenced, sparked by the construction of the interstate standard gauge railway link to Sydney.^[3] A new station building was constructed, a new 413 metres (1,350 ft) main platform was built, and the subway from the 1918 works was extended to country platforms.^[3] In connection with the construction of the underground loop, platforms 9 and 10 were rebuilt as part of the suburban section, and a new double-track viaduct was constructed next to the original one, bringing to six the number of tracks connecting the two stations. At the same time, the older four tracks were resignalled for bi-directional operation.

At one stage, a short underground narrow-gauge line transferred mail between the station and the old mail sorting office across Spencer Street. This line has since been closed and the tunnel filled in.

The mechanically interlocked signal box at the station was opened in 1887,^[5] and was decommissioned in June 2008 as part of an upgrade to signalling.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Redevelopment

Work on the station in 2004

Work on the new roof in January 2005

Construction work inside the station in late 2005

Southern Cross was redeveloped by the Civic Nexus consortium, following an innovative design by Grimshaw Architects which features an undulating roof. ^[6] Construction began in October 2002 and was completed in late 2006, with the majority of the transport facilities finished in time for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The central features of the design include a wave-shaped roof, a new entrance and concourse on Collins Street, a new bus interchange, a new food court, a bar/restaurant, separate retail outlets inside the station and a separate shopping complex between Bourke and La Trobe Streets.

This new shopping complex comprises a Direct Factory Outlets centre, a Virgin Megastore, along with food courts. This opened on 30 November 2006, although not all tenancies were occupied, and stage 2 was opened in March 2007.

In addition to the station's physical modifications, its name was changed from Spencer Street on 13 December 2005.^[7]

By July 2004 the project had fallen behind schedule and over budget by $200 million.^[8] This was covered extensively in the media. As a result of over-runs and design issues, some elements of the original design, including an additional proposed footbridge connecting Lonsdale Street with Docklands Stadium, were scrapped.^[9]

Complaints about access to platforms, empty trains occupying space during the day and lack of government support were raised by Leighton Holdings, the construction firm overseeing the project. This led to concerns that the station might not be ready in time for the Commonwealth Games, and the government arranged with the railway operators to provide more access to the work site.

The station's redevelopment is part of the wider Melbourne Docklands development. The architect responsible for the design is Nicholas Grimshaw. The structural engineering design was performed by Winward Structures, a consulting structural engineering design firm. The station has been awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects' Lubetkin Prize for most outstanding building outside the European Union.^[10] The other buildings nominated were the Des Moines Public Library and the Hearst Tower, New York City.^[11]

[edit] Platforms/Services

Overlooking platforms 6,7,8 (from the right)

Overlooking platforms 9,10 (from the left)

The northern ("B") platforms as seen from the Bourke Street footbridge. Platform 3B is in the foreground and Etihad Stadium is visible in the background.

Southern Cross' platforms are numbered from east to west, with Platform 1 being the furthest east. Concourses are provided at Bourke and Collins Streets. Platform 1 is north of Bourke Street, while Platform 8 South is south of Collins Street. The remainder of platforms are located between Bourke and Collins Streets, with access from both concourses. Both concourses are further divided into an open access regional section for platforms 1 though 8, and a closed access suburban section for platforms 9 though 14.

Platforms 2 to 8 are numbered as two sections: section A from the Collins Street concourse to the Bourke Street Footbridge (formerly known as 2C to 8C) and section B after the Bourke Street Footbridge (formerly known as 2N to 8N).

Platforms 1 and 2 are fitted with dual gauge track, permitting both standard gauge interstate trains and V/Line broad gauge trains. The remainder of the platforms are solely broad gauge. A motorail dock is located at the northern end of the platform, with standard gauge access only.

[edit] Standard gauge

Platforms 1 and 2:

• CountryLink Southern - terminating services; interstate CountryLink XPT services returning to Sydney
• The Overland - interstate services to Adelaide
• Albury/Wodonga line - intercity services to Albury

[edit] Broad gauge

Platforms 1 to 8:

• Seymour/Shepparton line - intercity services to Kyneton, Seymour and Shepparton
• Bendigo/Swan Hill/Echuca line - intercity services to Sunbury, Bendigo, Echuca and Swan Hill
• Ballarat/Ararat line - intercity services to Bacchuss Marsh, Ballarat and Ararat
• Geelong/Warnambool line - intercity services to Geelong, South Geelong, Marshall and Warnambool

Platform 9:

• Epping line - all stations services to Epping
• Epping line - weekend direct services to Flinders Street
• Hurstbridge line - all stations and limited stops services to Heidelberg, Macleod, Greensborough, Eltham and Hurstbridge
• Hurstbridge line - weekend direct services to Flinders Street
• City Circle - weekday morning all stations services around the City Loop to Flinders Street

Platform 10:

• Lilydale/Belgrave line - all stations and limited stops services to Box Hill, Blackburn, Ringwood, Lilydale, Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave
• Lilydale/Belgrave line - weekday morning direct services to Flinders Street
• Glen Waverley line - all stations and limited stops services to Glen Waverley
• Glen Waverley line - weekday morning direct services to Flinders Street
• Alamein line - peak hour all stations services to Riversdale, Ashburton and Alamein
• Alamein line - peak hour direct services to Flinders Street

Platform 11:

• Craigieburn line - all stations services to Broadmeadows and Craigieburn
• Craigieburn line - direct services to Flinders Street
• Upfield line - all stations services to Coburg, Gowrie and Upfield
• Upfield line - direct services to Flinders Street
• Sydenham line - all stations and limited stops services to Sunshine, St Albans and Watergardens
• Sydenham line - direct services to Flinders Street
• Werribee line - off peak all stations and limited stops services to Werribee
• Werribee line - off peak direct services to Flinders Street

Platform 12:

• Dandenong line - all stations and limited stops services to Oakleigh, Westall, Dandenong, Pakenham and Cranbourne
• Dandenong line - direct services to Flinders Street
• Frankston line - all stations and limited stops services to Cheltenham, Mordialloc, Carrum and Frankston
• Frankston line - direct services to Flinders Street
• Sandringham line - weekend all stations services to Sandringham
• Sandringham line - weekend direct services to Flinders Street

Platform 13:

• Werribee line - all stations services to Flinders Street
• Williamstown line - all stations services to Flinders Street
• Gippsland line - intercity services to Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale
• Sandringham line - peak hour all stations services to Sandringham

Platform 14:

• Williamstown line - all stations services to Williamstown
• Werribee line - all stations and limited stops services to Werribee
• Geelong line - intercity services to Geelong, South Geelong and Marshall
• Gippsland line - terminating services; continuing as Geelong line services

Platforms 15 & 16:

• Partially constructed but with no tracks, was for future expansion as part of the redevelopment works. In late 2009 work will start to commission them for use by V/Line services, as part of the Regional Rail Link project.^[12]

[edit] Services

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Southern Cross Station

• Southern Cross Station project
• Diagram of the track layout at Southern Cross Station
• Construction images: 2003 - 2004 and 2005 - 2008

Coordinates: 37°49′6.09″S 144°57′8.70″E / 37.8183583°S 144.9524167°E / -37.8183583; 144.9524167