Clayton railway station, Melbourne

Clayton
PTV commuter and regional rail station
Clayton station viewed from Clayton Road, September 2023
General information
Location	274 Clayton Road, [1] Clayton, Victoria 3168 City of Monash Australia
Coordinates	37°55′28″S145°07′12″E / 37.9245°S 145.1201°E / -37.9245; 145.1201
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Pakenham Cranbourne Gippsland
Distance	20.51 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 (1 island)
Tracks	2
Train operators	Metro Trains V/Line
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Parking	260 spaces
Bicycle facilities	12 racks
Accessible	Yes—step free access
Other information
Status	Operational, premium station
Station code	CLA
Fare zone	Myki Zone 2
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	6 January 1880;145 years ago (1880-01-06)
Rebuilt	16 April 2018 (LXRP)
Electrified	December 1922 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous names	Clayton's Road (1880–1891)
Passengers
2005–2006	1,047,064 [2]

Preceding station	Metro Trains			Following station
Huntingdale towards Flinders Street		Pakenham line		Westall towards Cranbourne or East Pakenham
		Cranbourne line
Preceding station	V/Line			Following station
Caulfield towards Southern Cross		Gippsland line		Dandenong towards Traralgon or Bairnsdale

Future services

Preceding station	Metro Trains			Following station
Future
Southland Terminus		Suburban Rail Loop East (under construction)		Monash towards Box Hill

Victorian Heritage Register

Official nameClayton Railway StationCriteriaC, D, EDesignated20 August 1982Reference no.H1667 ^[1]

Track layout
Legend to Huntingdale Start CBTC 1 2 End CBTC to Westall

Clayton railway station is a commuter railway station located in the suburb of the same name, in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ^[5] The station opened on 6 January 1880 as "Clayton's Road". ^[6] It did not receive its current name until 1890. ^[6] It is approximately 17 kilometres from Flinders Street, or about 33 minutes by train. ^{[7] [8]} The station was previously at grade but, in 2018, a new, elevated station was opened, as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project. ^[9]

Clayton station is currently served by the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines which are both part of the Melbourne railway network. Additionally, the station is also served by the Gippsland line, which is a part of the Victorian regional railway network, and eight bus routes, including SmartBus route 703. ^[10] The station is approximately 17 kilometres (11.8 mi), or around a 33 minute train ride away, from Flinders Street. ^{[11] [12]}

Description

Main entrance to Clayton station, located on Clayton Road

Clayton railway station is located in the suburb of Clayton. On the north side of the station is Carnish Road, and Clayton Road is to the west. The station is owned by VicTrack, a state government agency, and is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne. ^[10] The station is approximately 19 kilometres (11.8 mi), or around a 33 minute train ride away, from Flinders Street. ^[11]

Clayton station consists of a single island platform which is located above the road, and is connected to Clayton Road through both a lift and an escalator. The length of the platform is approximately 160 metres (520 ft) long enough for a Metro Trains 7-car HCMT. ^[10]

The main car park at the station is located in between both Haughton Road and Carnish Road, just south of the station. ^[10] The station fully complies with the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992, as there is a lift that connects the station entrance with Platforms 1 and 2. ^[13]

History

North-west-bound view from the former ground level Platform 1, July 2015

Clayton station opened just over two years after the line from Oakleigh was extended to Dandenong. The station was originally called Clayton's Road, receiving its current name in 1890. ^[6] The station, like the suburb itself, gets its name from the property Clayton Vale, owned by John Clayton in the 1860s and 1870s, ^[6] which was located near the station. ^{[14] [15]}

Two timber station buildings, now heritage listed, were constructed in 1891, with one on each platform. What sets the buildings apart was their modular design, which included a booking office, a general waiting area and a ladies waiting room. ^[1] When the elevated new station was being constructed, the old station building on platform 2 was relocated and protected due to its historical status. It now contains an archival photographic record of the station. ^[16]

Westbound view of both former ground-level platforms, February 2006

In 1971, boom barriers replaced interlocked gates at the former Clayton Road level crossing, which was located at the up end of the station. ^[17]

In 1998, Clayton was upgraded to a premium station and staffed from early in the morning until the last train. ^{[18] [19]}

Level crossing removal

In March 2014, the Victorian state government announced a grade separation project to replace the Clayton Road level crossing, as well as the Centre Road level crossing, located nearby in the down direction of the station. That necessitated the rebuilding of the station. ^[20]

In 2016, the Andrews government announced that, as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP), 8.3 kilometres (5.2 mi) of elevated rail would be provided, removing nine level crossings on the Pakenham and Cranbourne rail corridor, including the building of five new elevated stations at Carnegie, Murrumbeena, Hughesdale, Noble Park and Clayton. ^[21]

Recreational space underneath Clayton station, September 2023

Dubbed "sky rail" by opponents and some media outlets, the plans for an elevated railway spurred significant local opposition due to concerns over visual and noise impacts. ^{[22] [23]} The project became a political issue in the 2018 state election. ^{[24] [25]}

In April 2018, the new, elevated Clayton station was opened, along with the four other elevated stations on the Caulfield to Dandenong line. ^[9] The removals created a large new section of open parkland, dubbed a "linear park". ^[26] This included 22.5 hectares (56 acres) of new open space, sports courts, playgrounds, new walking and cycling trails, and expanded station forecourts. ^{[27] [28]} As part of the project, the Djerring Trail was created, a 17-kilometre (11 mi) shared-use path along the rail corridor, which runs through the Clayton station precinct. In the year after the elevated rail opened in 2018, the media reported that many residents, including some who were opposed to the project, were happy with the outcome and utilised the new open space. ^{[29] [30]}

Platforms and services

South-east bound view from the new elevated Platform 2, April 2018

Clayton is an elevated premium station, consisting of an island platform connected to the station concourse on Clayton Road via escalators, lifts and a staircase. ^[5] The station is served by both Pakenham and Cranbourne trains, and is also served by V/Line trains on the Gippsland line. ^[8]

Services to East Pakenham and Cranbourne travel together south-east towards Dandenong before splitting into two separate lines. Services to the city run express from Caulfield (Malvern during off-peak) to South Yarra, before stopping all stations to Flinders Street via the City Loop. ^[8] Traralgon and Bairnsdale services run express to Nar Nar Goon, stopping at Dandenong and Pakenham, before stopping all stations after Nar Nar Goon. From Clayton regional services to the city run express to Richmond, stopping at Caulfield, before stopping all stations to Southern Cross. ^[8]

Platform 1:

•   Pakenham line   all stations and limited express services to Flinders Street
•   Cranbourne line   all stations and limited express services to Flinders Street
•   Gippsland line   V/Line services to Southern Cross (drop off only)

Platform 2:

•   Pakenham line   all stations and limited express services to East Pakenham
•   Cranbourne line   all stations services to Cranbourne
•   Gippsland line   V/Line services to Traralgon (pick up only), Sale (one Sunday morning service, pick up only) and Bairnsdale (one weekday service, pick up only)

Transport links

Clayton is served by eight bus routes, including SmartBus route 703. Routes 704, 821, 824, 978, 979 and northbound services on routes 631, 703 and 733 depart from the interchange on Carinish Road, ^[31] whereas southbound services on route 631, 703 and 733 depart from the bus stop on Clayton Road. ^[32]

Carinish Road

•  631 : to Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre ^[33]
• SmartBus  703 : to Blackburn station ^[34]
•  704 : Oakleigh station – Westall station ^[35]
•  733 : to Box Hill station ^[36]
•  821 : to Westfield Southland ^[37]
•  824 : Moorabbin station – Parkmore Shopping Centre ^[38]
• Night Bus  978 : to Dandenong station (via Mulgrave) (Saturday and Sunday mornings only) ^[39]
• Night Bus  979 : to Dandenong station (via Keysborough) (Saturday and Sunday mornings only) ^[40]

Clayton Road

•  631 : to Westfield Southland ^[33]
• SmartBus  703 : to Middle Brighton station ^[34]
•  733 : to Oakleigh station ^[36]

Suburban Rail Loop

Main article: Suburban Rail Loop

In 2018, Clayton station has been chosen as one of the stations to be served by the proposed Suburban Rail Loop. As part of the project, the station will receive a major upgrade, which will involve construction of two new underground platforms, as well as the conversion of the station to a transport superhub. ^[41] In June 2022, construction began just south of the existing station. ^[42] Tunnelling is set to begin in 2026, and the eastern section of the SRL (SRL East) is planned to open in 2035. ^[43] A direct paid-area connection between the new underground station and elevated platforms is planned to be built between the elevated rail tracks. ^{[44] [45]}

•   Sunbury line   express services to Sunbury (2025 onwards)
•   Airport line   express services to Melbourne Airport (2033 onwards)
•   Suburban Rail Loop East   services to Southland and Box Hill

References

1. "Clayton Railway Station". Victorian Heritage Database . Government of Victoria. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2019.
2. "Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005–2006 to 2018–19". Department of Transport. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022.
3. "Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008–2021". Philip Mallis. 9 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 December 2022.
4. "Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries)". Data Vic. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023.
5. "Clayton". www.metrotrains.com.au. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
6. Anderson, Rick (2010). Stopping all stations : Melbourne's unfinished rail network/opportunities lost. Clunes, Victoria.
7. "Pakenham Line". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
8. "Clayton Station". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
9. "Clayton Station opens as two level crossings removed". Level Crossing Removal Authority. Victorian Government. Archived from the original on 5 May 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
10. "Clayton". www.metrotrains.com.au. Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
11. "Pakenham Line". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 11 March 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
12. "Clayton Station". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
13. "Access Guide". www.metrotrains.com.au. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
14. "Clayton and Clayton North". Victorian Places. Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
15. First, Jamie (7 January 2014). "The A-Z story of Melbourne's suburbs". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
16. "Station heritage fact sheet". Victoria’s Big Build. 2 October 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
17. "Way and Works". Divisional Diary. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). January 1972. p. 9.
18. "Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station". Newsrail . Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). October 1997. pp. 303–315.
19. Fowler, Michael (26 February 2021). "'Heavy cost': Patrols at Melbourne train stations slump as police feel pinch". The Age . Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2024. Premium stations are those whose ticket booths are staffed from morning until the last train service
20. "Massive rail investment to benefit millions of Victorians". Premier of Victoria. 6 March 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014.
21. Carey, Adam (8 February 2016). "Melbourne sky rail: Many questions remain about Andrews government plan". The Age. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
22. Woodcock, Ian; Stone, John (22 February 2016). "The 'sky rail' saga: can big new transport projects ever run smoothly?". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
23. Willingham, Richard (16 February 2016). "Sky rail: Premier Andrews stands by consultation process in face of anger". The Age. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
24. Willingham, Richard (4 September 2016). "Sky rail gets strong backing from voters". The Courier. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
25. Szego, Julie (10 February 2016). "Sky rail more an eye opener than an eyesore". The Age. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
26. Woodcock, Ian (January 2020). "On track: Level Crossing Removal Project". Architecture Australia. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
27. Landezine International Landscape Award LILA (2019). "Caulfield to Dandenong Level Crossing Removal Project". Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
28. Jacks, Timna (13 November 2017). "Life under the viaduct: Melbourne's south-east Skyrail will get a 'green up'". The Age. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
29. Sakkal, Paul (12 May 2019). "More than a year on, has 'sky rail' turned suburbs into ghettos?". The Age. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
30. Cowie, Tom (16 April 2018). "New sky rail station opens – and residents are happy about it". The Age. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
31. "Clayton Station/Carinish Rd". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
32. "Clayton Station/Clayton Rd". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
33. "631 Southland - Waverley Gardens via Clayton & Monash University". Public Transport Victoria.
34. "703 Middle Brighton - Blackburn via Bentleigh & Clayton & Monash University". Public Transport Victoria.
35. "704 Oakleigh Station - Westall Station via Clayton". Public Transport Victoria.
36. "733 Oakleigh - Box Hill via Clayton & Monash University & Mt Waverley". Public Transport Victoria.
37. "821 Southland - Clayton via Heatherton". Public Transport Victoria.
38. "824 Moorabbin - Keysborough via Clayton & Westall". Public Transport Victoria.
39. "978 Clayton Station – Dandenong Station via Mulgrave". Public Transport Victoria . Retrieved 16 April 2023.
40. "979 Clayton Station – Dandenong Station via Keysborough". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
41. "New station planned close to trail". Bicycle Network. 11 October 2023. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
42. Duboudin, Tony (10 June 2022). "Work begins on $US 35.62bn Melbourne suburban loop". Archived from the original on 7 January 2024.
43. Kolovos, Benita (12 December 2023). "Victoria announces first large Suburban Rail Loop contract amid 'excessive secrecy' concerns". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
44. "Suburban Rail Loop in Glen Waverley: SRL station and Glen Waverley station not connected | Suburban Rail Loop". Shape Monash. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
45. "Suburban Rail Loop". Infrastructure Pipeline. Retrieved 4 January 2024.

External links

• Media related to Clayton railway station, Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons
• Melway map at street-directory.com.au