Newmarket railway station, Melbourne

Newmarket
PTV commuter rail station
Northbound view from Platform 1, December 2021
General information
Location	Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington, Victoria 3031 City of Moonee Valley Australia
Coordinates	37°47′14″S144°55′44″E / 37.7873°S 144.9290°E / -37.7873; 144.9290
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Craigieburn
Distance	4.30 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Connections	Tram
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	No—steep ramp
Other information
Status	Operational, host station
Station code	NKT
Fare zone	Myki Zone 1
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	1 November 1860;163 years ago (1860-11-01)
Closed	1 July 1864;159 years ago (1864-07-01)
Rebuilt	9 October 1871;152 years ago (1871-10-09)
Electrified	May 1919 (1500 V DC overhead)
Passengers
2005–2006	634,775 [1]

Preceding station	Metro Trains			Following station
Kensington towards Flinders Street		Craigieburn line		Ascot Vale towards Craigieburn
Flemington Racecourse line does not stop here

Track layout
Legend to Kensington 1 2 to Showgrounds to Ascot Vale

Newmarket railway station is located on the Craigieburn line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the northern Melbourne suburb of Flemington, and it opened on 1 November 1860. ^[4]

Special services to Flemington Racecourse and Showgrounds pass through the station, but do not stop, with signs on Platform 2 advising passengers of this. The junction for the Flemington Racecourse line is located immediately north of the station.

History

Newmarket station opened on 1 November 1860, just over a week after the railway line to Essendon opened as part of the private Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company. ^[4] The station closed with the line on 1 July 1864, but was reopened on 9 October 1871, under government ownership. ^[5] The name of the station comes from the fact that land was granted in 1858 for the establishment of the Newmarket Saleyards and the Melbourne City Abattoir. ^[6] Both the abattoir and saleyards opened in 1861, with livestock relocating from the "old market" on the corner of Elizabeth and Victoria Streets, near the Melbourne CBD. ^{[6] [7]}

In 1886, a permanent station building was built and, in 1925, the present buildings were provided. In 1880, interlocking and a signal box, for the Flemington Racecourse line junction, were brought into use and, in 1969, became remotely controlled from Kensington. ^[5]

During April and May 1994, the timber decking across Racecourse Road was replaced, with the tracks laid on concrete, and new concrete abutments on both sides of the bridge being laid. ^[8] The current bridge over Racecourse Road is the third bridge on site.

During construction of CityLink in 1997–1998, the station was used for passengers to shuttle to and from Flemington Bridge on the Upfield line, due to services not operating between Flemington Bridge and North Melbourne, and the temporary closure of Macaulay. This was to allow elevated roads, linking the West Gate and Tullamarine Freeways, to be constructed.

On 4 May 2010, as part of the 2010/2011 State Budget, $83.7 million was allocated to upgrade Newmarket to a premium station, along with nineteen others. ^{[9] [10]} However, in March 2011, this was scrapped by the Baillieu Government. ^[11]

In 2014, it became obvious that structural problems were affecting the building on Platform 1, which is elevated and on concrete piers, on which cracks and concrete cancer were evident. The retaining wall at the back of the platform was also exhibiting extensive concrete cancer. Metal props were inserted to shore up the piers, and the cantilevered awning over the platform was demolished, and replaced by a temporary timber structure. Half of the large ramp from street level to the station entrance was removed, partly to allow three steel straps to be bolted to the outside of the building, to support the wall. ^[12] Parts of the building were eventually demolished in that year. ^[13]

Platforms and services

Newmarket has two side platforms. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Craigieburn line services. ^[14]

Platform 1:

•   Craigieburn line   all stations services to Flinders Street

Platform 2:

•   Craigieburn line   all stations services to Craigieburn

Transport links

Yarra Trams operates one route via Newmarket station:

• : West Maribyrnong – Flinders Street station (via Elizabeth Street) ^[15]

Gallery

• 
  Southbound view from Platform 1 in October 2005

References

1. Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Department of Transport
2. Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Philip Mallis
3. Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
4. "Newmarket". vicsig.net. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
5. Turton, Keith W (1973). Six And A Half Inches From Destiny. The first hundred years of the Melbourne-Wodonga Railway 1873-1973. Australian Railway Historical Society. pp. 23, 86. ISBN   0-85849-012-9.
6. "Place Names". Essendon Historical Society. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
7. "Newmarket Saleyards". eMelbourne. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
8. "Works". Newsrail . Australian Railway Historical Society. July 1994. p. 218.
9. "New premium stations for Metro". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 May 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
10. "General News". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. June 2010. p. 165.
11. Gardiner, Ashley; Wright, Anne (25 March 2011). "Premier Ted Baillieu says armed guards will create 'culture of safety'". Herald Sun . Retrieved 18 February 2023.
12. "Crumbling station building at Newmarket". Wongm's Rail Gallery. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
13. Fears over demolition of Newmarket railway station - The Age
14. "Craigieburn Line". Public Transport Victoria.
15. "57 West Maribyrnong - Flinders Street Station & City". Public Transport Victoria.

External links

Media related to Newmarket railway station, Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons

• Melway map at street-directory.com.au