Upper Ferntree Gully railway station

Upper Ferntree Gully
Eastbound view from Platform 2, July 2021
General information
Other names	Upper Fern Tree Gully
Location	Burwood Highway, Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria 3156 City of Knox Australia
Coordinates	37°53′34″S145°18′27″E / 37.89265°S 145.30751°E / -37.89265; 145.30751
System	PTV commuter rail station
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line	Belgrave
Distance	37.66 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 (island)
Tracks	6
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	170
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	No—steep ramp
Other information
Status	Operational, premium station
Station code	UFG
Fare zone	Myki Zone 2
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	4 December 1889;135 years ago (1889-12-04)
Rebuilt	21 November 1960 19 February 1962
Electrified	October 1925 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous names	Upper Ferntree Gully (1889-1975)
Passengers
2005–2006	258,755 [1]

Preceding station	Metro Trains			Following station
Ferntree Gully towards Flinders Street		Belgrave line		Upwey towards Belgrave
Ferntree Gully towards Ringwood		Belgrave line Shuttle services

Track layout
Legend to Ferntree Gully Hilltop Road 1 2 to Upwey

Location

Upper Ferntree Gully railway station is a commuter railway station on the Belgrave line, part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the eastern Melbourne suburb of Upper Ferntree Gully in Victoria, Australia. Upper Ferntree Gully is a ground level premium station, featuring an island platform with two faces. It opened on 4 December 1889, with the current station provided between 1960 and 1962 respectively. ^[4]

A number of services each day originate and terminate at Upper Ferntree Gully. The trains are stabled overnight in six of the seven sidings opposite the station.

History

Upper Ferntree Gully station opened on 4 December 1889, when the railway line from Ringwood was extended. ^[4] After December 1900, it became the break-of-gauge station between the broad gauge used in most of Victoria, and the narrow gauge Gembrook line (now the Puffing Billy Railway), one of the five narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways. In 1954, the narrow gauge line was closed. ^[4] However, the line as far as Belgrave was rebuilt as a broad gauge electrified railway, which opened on 18 February 1962. ^[4]

On 21 November 1960, the current island platform and the stabling sidings to the north of the station were provided. ^[4] In 1964, a signal panel was installed at the station. ^[5] It controls the single-track line between Ferntree Gully and Belgrave. The station also monitors, via closed-circuit television, all stations from Heathmont to Belgrave, and answers emergency calls from those stations.

On 4 August 1975, the name of the station was altered slightly to Upper Fern Tree Gully, ^[6] although in more recent times most references have reverted to the original name. In 1978, a siding and a number of points and dwarf signals at the station were abolished. ^[4]

In 1985, boom barriers were provided at the Hilltop Road level crossing, located nearby in the up direction of the station. ^[6] On 2 July 1996, Upper Ferntree Gully was upgraded to a premium station. ^[7]

Platforms and services

Upper Ferntree Gully has one island platform with two faces. It is served by Belgrave line trains. ^[8]

Upper Ferntree Gully platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type
1	Belgrave line	Ringwood, Flinders Street	City Loop	All stations and limited express services
2	Belgrave line	Belgrave		All stations and limited express services

Transport links

Ventura Bus Lines operates three routes via Upper Ferntree Gully station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  688 : to Croydon station ^[9]
•  693 : Belgrave station – Oakleigh station ^[10]
•  732 : to Box Hill station ^[11]

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. "Upper Ferntree Gully". Vicsig. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
5. "Upper Ferntree Gully - Interlocking Information". Vicsig. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
6. "SRS Showday Tour Notes Box Hill - Lilydale & Belgrave 3 November 1998" (PDF). VR History by Andrew Waugh. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
7. "Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station". Newsrail . Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1997. pp. 303–315.
8. "Belgrave Line". Public Transport Victoria.
9. "688 Croydon - Upper Ferntree Gully via Olinda and Tremont". Public Transport Victoria.
10. "693 Belgrave - Oakleigh via Ferntree Gully & Brandon Park". Public Transport Victoria.
11. "732 Box Hill Station - Upper Ferntree Gully via Vermont South & Knox City & Mountain Gate". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 11 February 2024.

External links

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