West Footscray railway station

West Footscray
Eastbound view from Platform 1, September 2025
General information
Location	Sunshine Road, West Footscray, Victoria 3012 City of Maribyrnong Australia
Coordinates	37°48′06″S144°53′07″E / 37.8018°S 144.8853°E / -37.8018; 144.8853
System	PTV commuter rail station
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line	Sunbury
Distance	7.33 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	3 (1 island, 1 side)
Tracks	7
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes—step-free access
Other information
Status	Operational, unstaffed
Station code	WFY
Fare zone	Myki Zone 1
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	1 October 1888;137 years ago (1888-10-01)
Closed	November 2012
Rebuilt	1976 14 October 2013 6 July 2020
Electrified	October 1921 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous names	Footscray West (1888–1912)
Passengers
2005–2006	300,313 [1]

Preceding station	Metro Trains			Following station
Middle Footscray towards Flinders Street		Sunbury line		Tottenham towards Sunbury or Watergardens

Future Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station From December 2025 Middle Footscray towards Westall or East Pakenham via  Town Hall Sunbury line Terminus Tottenham Limited weekend services towards Sunbury From 1 February 2026 Middle Footscray towards East Pakenham or Cranbourne via Town Hall Sunbury line Terminus Tottenham towards Watergardens or Sunbury

Track layout
Legend to Middle Footscray to Tottenham Yard 1 2 3 to Tottenham Broad gauge, electrified Broad gauge, non-electrified Dual gauge, non-electrified

Location

West Footscray railway station is a commuter railway station on the Sunbury line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the western suburb of West Footscray, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. West Footscray station is a ground-level unstaffed station, featuring three platforms, an island platform with two faces and one side platform, accessible by a pedestrian footbridge. It opened on 1 October 1888, with the current island platform provided in 2013 and the current side platform provided in 2020. ^[4]

Initially opened as Footscray West, the station was given its current name of West Footscray on 1 September 1912. ^[4]

Two dual gauge tracks run to the north of the station, forming the South Kensington – West Footscray freight line, which links the Port of Melbourne and other freight terminals to the rest of the state. The tracks also form part of the Melbourne – Sydney and Melbourne – Adelaide standard gauge lines. Two Regional Rail Link tracks run to the south of the station.

History

In 1976, the original station buildings were demolished, and replaced with brick structures. ^[5] In 2013, the station was rebuilt 200 metres further west, to accommodate two lines to the south as part of the Regional Rail Link project. On 14 October of that year, the new station opened, and the old station was demolished soon after. ^{[6] [7] [8]}

A third platform has been built to the north of the existing island platform, as part of the Metro Tunnel project, to allow services to terminate and return. Work commenced in late 2018 and the new platform was opened on 6 July 2020. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

Platforms, facilities and services

West Footscray has one island platform with two faces and one side platform. It is served by Sunbury line trains, but express services do not stop there. ^[12] Access to the platforms is provided by stairs, lifts and ramps from an overhead footbridge, which also includes a cycling path. ^[6]

Current (since 21 June 2025)

West Footscray platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type	Notes
1	Sunbury line	Flinders Street	City Loop	All stations and limited express services
2	Sunbury line				This platform is currently used for trains to turn back when doing Metro Tunnel trial services testing at select weekends from 21 June 2025 until early December 2025
3	Sunbury line	Sunbury, Watergardens		All stations

From early December 2025 to 1 February 2026

West Footscray platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type	Notes
1	Sunbury line	Flinders Street	City Loop	All stations
2	Sunbury line	Westall	Metro Tunnel	All stations and limited express services	Trains running services between Westall and West Footscray stations will use the new Metro Tunnel on weekdays between 10:00am to 3:00pm on weekdays and will run between East Pakenham and Sunbury on weekends between 10:00am to 7:00pm both with 20 minute frequencies at the start from early December 2025. Trains running from East Pakenham and Cranbourne will run normally, the same as now to Flinders Street via City Loop until 1 February 2026.
3	Sunbury line	Sunbury, Watergardens		All stations	Trains running services between Westall and West Footscray stations will use the new Metro Tunnel on weekdays between 10:00am to 3:00pm on weekdays and will run between East Pakenham and Sunbury on weekends between 10:00am to 7:00pm both with 20 minute frequencies at the start from early December 2025. Trains running from East Pakenham and Cranbourne will run normally, the same as now to Flinders Street via City Loop until 1 February 2026.

After 1 February 2026

West Footscray platform arrangement
Platform	Line	Destination	Via	Service Type
1	Sunbury line	East Pakenham, Cranbourne	Metro Tunnel	All stations and limited express services
2	Sunbury line	East Pakenham, Cranbourne	Metro Tunnel	All stations and limited express services
3	Sunbury line	Sunbury, Watergardens		All stations

Transport links

CDC Melbourne operates three bus routes via West Footscray station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  411 : Laverton station – Footscray ^[13]
•  412 : Laverton station – Footscray ^[14]
•  414 : Laverton station – Footscray station ^[15]

Transit Systems Victoria operates two routes via West Footscray station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  472 : Williamstown – Moonee Ponds Junction ^[16]
• Night Bus  947 : Footscray – Newport station (Saturday and Sunday mornings only) ^[17]

Gallery

• 
  Westbound view of the now demolished station from the concourse, with a Comeng train arriving on Platform 1, September 2010
• 
  Eastbound view from Platform 2, May 2014
• 
  West Footscray railway station concourse and entrance viewed from the north, June 2023

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. "West Footscray". vicsig.net. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
5. Vincent Adams Winter (1990). VR and VicRail: 1962–1983. V.A. Winter. p. 106. ISBN   0-9592069-3-0.
6. West Footscray railway station Regional Rail Link
7. New Train Station Opens in West Footscray Minister for Public Transport 13 October 2013
8. Byrne, Bridie (14 October 2013). "Brand new train station at West Footscray officially opened". Maribyrnong Leader. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
9. "Construction at West Footscray station". Metro Tunnel . Victoria State Government. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
10. Carey, Adam (27 November 2016). "West Footscray next in line for housing boom along Melbourne's railways". The Age. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
11. Millar, Benjamin (26 April 2016). "Overhaul for new West Footscray station". Star Weekly. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
12. "Sunbury Line". Public Transport Victoria.
13. "411 Laverton Station - Footscray via Altona Meadows & Altona & Millers Rd". Public Transport Victoria . Retrieved 15 May 2023.
14. "412 Laverton Station - Footscray via Altona Meadows & Altona & Mills St". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
15. "414 Laverton Station - Footscray via Geelong Rd". Public Transport Victoria.
16. "472 Williamstown - Moonee Ponds via Footscray". Public Transport Victoria.
17. "947 Footscray - Newport Station via Altona North". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 27 December 2022.

External links

• Media related to West Footscray railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Rail Geelong gallery