Bentleigh railway station

Last updated

Bentleigh
PTV commuter rail station
Bentleigh railway station Platform 3 (southern view)(8 March 2025).jpg
Southbound view from Platform 3, March 2025
General information
LocationNicholson Street,
Bentleigh, Victoria 3204
City of Glen Eira
Australia
Coordinates 37°55′03″S145°02′13″E / 37.9175°S 145.0369°E / -37.9175; 145.0369
Owned by VicTrack
Operated by Metro Trains
Line(s) Frankston
Distance16.52 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms3 (1 side, 1 island)
Tracks3
Connections Victoria bus logo.svg Bus
Construction
Structure typeBelow ground
Parking109
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes—step free access
Other information
StatusOperational, premium station
Station codeBEN
Fare zone Myki Zone 1/2 overlap
Website Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened19 December 1881;143 years ago (1881-12-19)
Rebuilt29 August 2016 (LXRP)
ElectrifiedJune 1922 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous namesEast Brighton (1881-1907)
Passengers
2005-2006756,552 [1]
Preceding station Melbourne train logo.svg Metro Trains Following station
McKinnon Frankston line Patterson
towards Frankston
Track layout
BSicon MFADEg.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon MFADEg.svg
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BSicon NULg.g.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STRf.svg
BSicon CSTRa@g(r).svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon CSTRa@g(l).svg
BSicon PSTR(L).svg
1
BSicon CSTR(r).svg
BSicon PSTR(R).svg
3
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BSicon lcCSTR+R.svg
BSicon PSTR(L).svg
BSicon CSTR(r).svg
2
BSicon PSTR(R).svg
BSicon PSTR(L).svg
BSicon lcCSTR+R.svg
BSicon CSTRe@f(r).svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon CSTRe@f(l).svg
BSicon STRg.svg
BSicon NULf.f.svg
BSicon NULg.g.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon STRf.svg
BSicon MFADEf.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon MFADEf.svg
BSicon STR.svg
BSicon MFADEf.svg
BSicon STR.svg

Bentleigh railway station is a commuter railway station on the Frankston line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the south-eastern suburb of Bentleigh, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Bentleigh station is a below ground premium station, featuring three platforms, an island platform with two faces and one side platform. It opened on 19 December 1881, with the current station provided in 2016. [5]

Contents

Initially opened as East Brighton, the station was given its current name of Bentleigh on 1 May 1907. [5]

History

Bentleigh station opened on 19 December 1881, when the railway line from Caulfield was extended to Mordialloc. [5] Like the suburb itself, the station was named after Thomas Bent, former Premier of Victoria between 1904 and 1909. [6] [7]

A goods siding once existed at the station. It closed in 1922, and it and the connections to the siding were removed in that same year. [5] In 1944, a crossover at the down end of the station was abolished. [5]

In 1974, boom barriers replaced interlocked gates at the former Centre Road level crossing, which was located at the down end of the station. [8]

On 28 June 1987, the up face of the former ground level island platform was brought into use. [9] The former pedestrian underpass was also provided during this time.

In 1998, Bentleigh was upgraded to a premium station. [10] Prior to the works, Bentleigh closely resembled McKinnon. Also around this time, the underpass was filled in.

In 2006, the station's former pedestrian level crossing was upgraded as part of a VicTrack trial of new crossing technology. Additional warning devices were also fitted, with the common red pedestrian sign, as well as an LED light box saying "Another Train Coming", which is lit when either an express train is approaching on the southbound line, or when a train is approaching after another train on the northbound line.

In May 2015, the Level Crossing Removal Authority announced a grade separation project to replace the Centre Road level crossing, immediately south of the station. This included rebuilding the station. [11] On 4 June 2016, the station closed for demolition. On 29 August of that year, the rebuilt station opened. [12]

Bentleigh was one of the stations set to receive funding through the Morrison government's controversial Commuter Car Park Scheme, where funding was allocated to stations without consultation with local councils, and which the Auditor-General labelled "pork-barrelling". [13] [14] As of 2021, City of Glen Eira was starting community consultation over the proposal, with concerns that the funding was "tainted". [13]

Platforms and services

Bentleigh has one island platform with two faces, and one side platform. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Frankston line services. [15]

Platform 1:

Platform 2:

Platform 3:

Ventura Bus Lines operates two routes via Bentleigh station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Archived 17 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Department of Transport
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Train Station Patronage FY2008-2014". Public Transport Victoria. 14 May 2015. Archived from the original (XLS) on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016. (access from Archived 3 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine )
  3. 1 2 3 Station patronage in Victoria for 2013-2018 Archived 5 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Philip Mallis
  4. 1 2 3 4 Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Archived 6 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine Data Vic
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bentleigh". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  6. "Bentleigh and Bentleigh East". Victorian Places. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  7. First, Jamie (7 January 2014). "The A-Z story of Melbourne's suburbs". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  8. "Way & Works". Newsrail . Australian Railway Historical Society. February 1975. p. 47.
  9. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. September 1987. p. 282.
  10. "Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1997. pp. 303–315.
  11. First to go level crossings in Melbourne's south-east top Andrew's election promise to-do list The Age 19 May 2015
  12. "Planned Works". metrotrains.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Wilson's council claims car park money 'tainted', goes back to consultation". 11 August 2021. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  14. "Morrison government pulls $50m promised for station car parks". 17 May 2021. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  15. "Frankston Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  16. "701 Oakleigh - Bentleigh via Mackie Road & Brady Road". Public Transport Victoria.
  17. "703 Middle Brighton - Blackburn via Bentleigh & Clayton & Monash University". Public Transport Victoria.