Watergardens railway station

Watergardens
PTV commuter and regional rail station
North-west bound view from Platform 3, December 2017
General information
Other names	Sydenham
Location	Watergardens Circular Road, Sydenham, Victoria 3037 City of Brimbank Australia
Coordinates	37°42′03″S144°46′26″E / 37.7008°S 144.7738°E / -37.7008; 144.7738
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Sunbury Bendigo Swan Hill (Deniliquin)
Distance	23.18 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	3 (1 side, 1 island)
Tracks	3
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	588
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes—step free access
Other information
Status	Operational, premium station
Station code	WGS
Fare zone	Myki Zone 2
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	1 March 1859;165 years ago (1859-03-01)
Rebuilt	26 January 2002
Electrified	January 2002 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous names	Keilor Road (1859-1887) Sydenham (1887-2002)
Passengers
2005–2006	891,461 [1]

Preceding station	Metro Trains			Following station
Keilor Plains towards Flinders Street		Sunbury line		Diggers Rest towards Sunbury
				Terminus
Preceding station	V/Line			Following station
Footscray towards Southern Cross		Bendigo line Limited weekday peak services		Sunbury towards Bendigo
		Swan Hill line		Gisborne towards Swan Hill

Track layout
Legend to Keilor Plains 1 3 2 Sydenham Drain Victoria Road Drain Calder Park Drive (Removing by 2025) Taylors Creek to Calder Park Stabling Yard to Diggers Rest

Watergardens railway station is located on the Sunbury line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the western Melbourne suburb of Sydenham, and it opened on 1 March 1859. It opened as Keilor Road and was renamed to Sydenham in 1887, it was rebuilt at its current location as Watergardens on 26 January 2002. ^{[4] [ better source needed ]}

A stabling yard is located at the down (Sunbury) end of the station.

History

Sydenham

Sydenham station originally opened on 1 March 1859, shortly after the railway line was extended from Sunshine to Sunbury. ^{[5] [6]} When it opened, it was named Keilor Road. On 1 April 1887, it was renamed Sydenham. ^{[6] [5] [ better source needed ]}

In 1926, interlocked gates were provided at the former Melton Highway level crossing, which was located at the down end of the station. In 1987, they were replaced with boom barriers. ^[6] In 1989, a rail siding at the station was abolished, as well as a number of signal posts. ^{[5] [ better source needed ]}

Watergardens

In 2002, as part of the extension of the electrified network from St Albans, Sydenham was closed, and a new station was built approximately 600 m (1,969 ft) in the up direction. ^{[4] [5] [ better source needed ]} Opening on 26 January of that year, the new station was named Watergardens, after the adjacent Watergardens Shopping Centre. ^{[4] [ better source needed ]} The new station was to be called Sydenham, with the name being built into the brickwork of the station building. However, naming rights were sold to the shopping centre. The name "Sydenham" can still be seen on the side of the building adjacent to Platform 3. ^{[4] [ better source needed ]} Around 2012, the Sydenham name was dropped, with the station now generally referred to as Watergardens. ^{[4] [ better source needed ]}

In late 2002, the Melton Highway level crossing was upgraded, in conjunction with the duplication of the highway. ^[7] In 2015, the Level Crossing Removal Authority announced the grade separation of the highway and railway line. In January 2018, the Melton Highway level crossing (down line) was removed and replaced with a bridge for Melton Highway, with the project completed in October. ^[8]

In 2022, all three platforms were extended from 160 m (525 ft) to 163 m (535 ft) long. ^{[4] [ better source needed ]}

Platforms and services

Watergardens has one side platform and one island platform with two faces. It is served by Sunbury line trains, as well as a limited number of V/Line services on the Bendigo and Swan Hill lines. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

Platform 1:

•   Sunbury line   terminating services; all stations and limited express services to Flinders Street
•   Bendigo line   three weekday morning V/Line services to Southern Cross (set down only)
•   Swan Hill line   V/Line services to Southern Cross (set down only)

Platform 2:

•   Sunbury line   terminating services; all stations and limited express services to Flinders Street

Platform 3:

•   Sunbury line   all stations services to Sunbury
•   Bendigo line   one weekday evening V/Line service to Bendigo (pick up only)
•   Swan Hill line   V/Line services to Swan Hill (pick up only)

By June 2025, it is planned that trains on the Sunbury line will be through-routed with those on the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines, via the new Metro Tunnel.

Transport links

CDC Melbourne operates four routes to and from Watergardens station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  419 : to St Albans station ^[12]
•  421 : to St Albans station ^[13]
•  425 : to St Albans station ^[14]
•  461 : to Caroline Springs Town Centre ^[15]

Kastoria Bus Lines operates four routes to and from Watergardens station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  460 : to Caroline Springs station ^[16]
•  462 : to Caroline Springs station ^[17]
•  463 : to Hillside ^[18]
•  476 : to Moonee Ponds Junction ^[19]

Transit Systems Victoria operates three routes to and from Watergardens station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

• Night Bus  420 : to Sunshine station; ^[20] normal service during weekdays, and runs at night on Saturday and on Sunday mornings
• Night Bus  941 : to Sunshine station (Saturday and Sunday mornings only) ^[21]
• Night Bus  943 : to Melton (Saturday and Sunday mornings only) ^[22]

Gallery

• 
  North-west bound view from Platform 2, June 2013

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. "Watergardens (Sydenham)". vicsig.net. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
5. "Sydenham". vicsig.net. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
6. Waugh, Andrew. "SRS Showday Tour Notes Footscray to Sunbury 1 November 1994" (PDF). Victorian Station Histories. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
7. "Works". Newsrail . Australian Railway Historical Society. January 2003. p. 28.
8. Melton Highway, Sydenham - Level Crossing Removal Authority
9. "Sunbury Line". Public Transport Victoria.
10. Bendigo - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria
11. Swan Hill - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria
12. "419 St Albans Station - Watergardens Station via Keilor Downs". Public Transport Victoria.
13. "421 St Albans Station - Watergardens Station via Keilor Plains Station". Public Transport Victoria.
14. "425 St Albans Station - Watergardens Station via Delahey". Public Transport Victoria.
15. "461 Watergardens Station - Caroline Springs Town Centre via Fraser Rise". Public Transport Victoria.
16. "460 Watergardens Station - Caroline Springs Station via Caroline Spring Town Centre". Public Transport Victoria.
17. "462 Watergardens Station - Caroline Springs (south) via Caroline Springs Square SC". Public Transport Victoria.
18. "463 Watergardens Station - Hillside via Langmore Dr". Public Transport Victoria.
19. "476 Moonee Ponds - Watergardens via Keilor". Public Transport Victoria.
20. "420 Sunshine Station - Watergardens Station via Deer Park". Public Transport Victoria.
21. 941 Sunshine Station - Watergardens Station via Keilor Downs Public Transport Victoria
22. 943 Watergardens Station - Melton via Caroline Springs Public Transport Victoria

External links

• Melway map at street-directory.com.au