Ginifer railway station

Ginifer
North-west bound view of the station platforms, September 2024
General information
Location	St Albans Road, St Albans, Victoria 3021 City of Brimbank Australia
Coordinates	37°45′29″S144°48′36″E / 37.7580°S 144.8100°E / -37.7580; 144.8100
System	PTV commuter rail station
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line	Sunbury
Distance	16.19 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Below ground
Parking	157
Bicycle facilities	Yes (Parkiteer cage)
Accessible	Yes—step free access
Other information
Status	Operational, unstaffed
Station code	GIN
Fare zone	Myki Zone 2
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	31 October 1982;43 years ago (1982-10-31)
Rebuilt	1 November 2016 (LXRP)
Electrified	October 1921 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous names	Furlong (during construction)
Passengers
2005–2006	473,299 [1]

Preceding station	Metro Trains			Following station
Albion towards Flinders Street		Sunbury line		St Albans towards Sunbury or Watergardens
Albion towards Westall or East Pakenham via  East Pakenham		Sunbury line Weekends only		St Albans towards Sunbury

Future services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station From 1 February 2026 Albion towards East Pakenham or Cranbourne via  Town Hall Sunbury line St Albans towards Sunbury or Watergardens

Track layout
Legend to Albion Western Ring Road 1 2 to St Albans

Location

Ginifer station is a railway station operated by Metro Trains Melbourne on the Sunbury line, part of the Melbourne rail network. It serves the western suburb of St Albans, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Ginifer station is a below ground unstaffed station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 31 October 1982, with the current station provided in November 2016. ^[4]

History

Ginifer station opened on 31 October 1982. It was first announced in June 1977 by the then Transport Minister Joe Rafferty, and was scheduled for completion by late 1978. ^[5] Originally to be named Furlong, after the nearby arterial road, upon opening it was named Ginifer, in honour of Jack Ginifer, a former local member of State Parliament. ^[4]

In 1984, boom barriers were provided at the former Furlong Road level crossing, which was located nearby in the up direction of the station. ^[6] In 1994, the station was provided with CCTV. ^[7]

On 4 May 2010, as part of the 2010/2011 State Budget, $83.7 million was allocated to upgrade Ginifer to a premium station, along with nineteen others. ^{[8] [9]} However, in March 2011, this was scrapped by the Baillieu Government. ^[10]

Until the extension of the Sydenham Line to Sunbury in 2012, Ginifer was served by two V/Line services a day to and from Sunbury. ^[11]

In June 2015, the Level Crossing Removal Authority announced that the Furlong Road level crossing would be removed by grade separation, with Ginifer to be rebuilt below ground. ^{[12] [13]} During October–November 2016, the level crossing was removed and, on 1 November of that year, the rebuilt station opened. ^[14]

Platforms and services

Ginifer has two side platforms. It is served by Sunbury line trains. ^[15]

Prior to electrification of the line to Sydenham in 2002, selected V/Line services stopped at Ginifer, to pick up/drop off students from the Sydenham Catholic Regional College.

Current (until 1 February 2026)

Ginifer platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type	Notes
1	Sunbury line	Flinders Street	City Loop	All stations and limited express services
	Sunbury line   (weekends only)	Westall or East Pakenham	Town Hall	Limited express services	Between 10:00am and 7:00pm on weekends
2	Sunbury line	Watergardens, Sunbury		All stations
	Sunbury line   (weekends only)	Sunbury		All stations	Between 10:00am and 7:00pm on weekends

From 1 February 2026

Ginifer platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type
1	Sunbury line	East Pakenham, Cranbourne	Town Hall	All stations and limited express services
2	Sunbury line	Sunbury, Watergardens		All stations

Transport links

CDC Melbourne operates two bus routes via Ginifer station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  408 : St Albans station – Highpoint Shopping Centre ^[16]
•  423 : St Albans station – Brimbank Central Shopping Centre ^[17]

Gallery

• 
  North-west bound view from the former ground level Platform 2, November 2005
• 
  The original Met (PTC) information PRIDE box, November 2005
• 
  North-west bound view of the former ground level station platforms and buildings, December 2015
• 
  A Comeng train on a Sunbury-bound service arrives at Platform 2, December 2015
• 
  Former ground level station building on Platform 1, December 2015
• 
  Former ground level station building on Platform 2, December 2015
• 
  North-west bound view of the former ground level station building on Platform 1, December 2015
• 
  Former ground level station buildings on both platforms, December 2015
• 
  Station building and entrance to Platform 1, December 2015
• 
  The former south-eastern pedestrian crossing gates next to Ginifer station, December 2015
• 
  The former ground level waiting room on Platform 1, December 2015
• 
  The former ground level waiting room and machinery on Platform 1, December 2015
• 
  The directional platform signage attached to former ground level Platform 1, December 2015
• 
  North-west bound view from Platform 2, November 2021

References

1. 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. Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Archived 17 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Philip Mallis
3. Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Archived 6 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine Data Vic
4. "Ginifer". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
5. "Works". Newsrail . Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1977. p. 227.
6. "SRS Showday Tour Notes Footscray - Sunbury 1 November 1994" (PDF). VR History by Andrew Waugh. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
7. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. July 1994. p. 218.
8. "New premium stations for Metro". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 May 2010. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
9. "General News". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. June 2010. p. 165.
10. Gardiner, Ashley; Wright, Anne (25 March 2011). "Premier Ted Baillieu says armed guards will create 'culture of safety'". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
11. "Old Timetables Victoria". Under The Clocks. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
12. Willingham, Richard (24 June 2015). "Three suburban train stations to be rebuilt underground: St Albans, Ginifer and Heatherdale". The Age . Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
13. "Facilitating the removal of Furlong Road level crossing". Brimbank City Council. 4 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
14. "St Albans level crossings gone". Victoria's Big Build. 5 December 2022. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
15. "Sunbury Line". Public Transport Victoria.
16. "408 St Albans Station - Highpoint SC via Sunshine Station". Public Transport Victoria.
17. "423 St Albans Station - Brimbank Central SC via Cairnlea". Public Transport Victoria.

External links

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