Melbourne's Phantom Railways

Melbourne is a city of phantom railways.

There are those that were built and then removed, those that were built and then altered and those that were proposed and then left in purgatory, something that Government's of every stripe have done from time to time.

Some of these phantoms have left their mark on the landscape while others have simply disappeared, effectively into the footnotes of history.

A number of phantom railways are captured on this network map, from 1930.

Most of the train lines would be welcome in modern Melbourne, so they stand as a testament to the sometimes short sighted nature of public policy. The following is a brief study of some of these curious industrial artifacts.

THE PORT MELBOURNE LINE

Port Melbourne train station, circa 1890.

Present day.

When the city was founded in the 1830's it was an isolated outpost in the middle of a vast wilderness. The fledgling city's goods, communications and citizens came in via sea routes, lending Melbourne's port a particularly high significance. As the city itself had been built upriver, a link between port and township was also of high importance. Thus, the first major road in Melbourne ran from the city to the sea and the first rail route followed a similar path.

Painting of the Port Melbourne steam train by William Burn, 1870.

Driven by the explosion in Melbourne's population during the gold rush, a rail link to Port Melbourne from Flinders Street was built in 1853, and opened in September 1854. Large crowds turned out to watch the inaugural journey, where Lieutenant Governor Charles Hotham and his wife were presented with copies of the timetable printed on silk.

It was Australia's first steam railway.

The route ran direct from the city to the port, as none of the intervening stations had been built, a trip which took only ten minutes. By 1855, four British made locomotives were servicing the line, with trains running every half hour.

The line crossed the Yarra just east of William Street, over the specially built Sandridge Rail Bridge, and ran along a diagonal corridor of land through South Melbourne. Today, the bridge has been converted into a pedestrian walkway and the path of the railway into a light rail track, which still follows most of the old route.

The Sandridge rail bridge in the 1950's.

The bridge today.

The Port Melbourne railway line was closed in 1987, one of several to go as part of State Government cost cutting. The Heritage listed Port Melbourne station is still in it's original location and is now a cafe.

THE ST KILDA LINE

St Kilda train  station, shortly after opening.

Circa 1885.

The station today.

Sharing a similar origin, life span and fate to the Port Melbourne line, the St Kilda line was built over 1856-7 with both lines sharing the same crossing over the Yarra. Once south of the city, the two train lines diverged near what is now the Westgate Freeway flyover, and there were three more stops (South Melbourne, Albert Park and Middle park) before the end of the line at Fitzroy Street.

Shortly after the line opened, in 1859, an additional loop was added, that allowed trains to continue on from St Kilda to Windsor Station, a short distance away in Prahran. At the time, Windsor station (then called 'Chapel Street Station') was the northern terminus for trains serving the southern beachside suburbs, so the additional loop allowed train passengers direct passage into the city. A wooden bridge was constructed to allow these loop trains to pass over St Kilda and Punt Roads, already busy thoroughfares.

Rail bridge over St Kilda road, circa 1890 (some time after the rail line closed).

A map of Windsor circa 1860, showing a section of the
loop line and the bridge crossing Punt Road (centre left).

But the Brighton line was soon after extended into the city and the St Kilda-Windsor loop fell into disuse, before closing in 1862. The St Kilda line continued well into the 20th century, before being closed as part of the same program of cutbacks that caused the Port Melbourne line closure.

The St Kilda line was also transformed into a cheaper light rail version, and St Kilda station was significantly refurbished and is now home to a variety of up market shops.

THE INNER CIRCLE LINE

A simple map from the 1940's showing the Inner
Circle Line stations; N.Carlton and N.Fitzroy.

Former North Carlton train station, now a community centre.

When Melbourne's train network was first constructed the two central hubs, as now, were the Flinders Street and Spencer Street stations. Trains ran to and from theses stations to different parts of the city, and there was no direct link between the two of them, or the services that they provided. They operated almost like two hemispheres of a brain; connected, inter-related, but quite separate.

Trains servicing the northern suburbs originated from Spencer Street, and traveled through North Melbourne before splitting off in different directions. To service the north east from this starting point, it was necessary to build a line that cut through Carlton and Fitzroy, before continuing onward through Northcote and Preston.

This was the Inner Circle line, built in 1888, prominent traces of which are still visible in the fashionable inner north.

Train tracks still visible, crossing Brunswick Street.

Signal posts still visible near Royal Park.

The Inner Circle line was also used by freight trains, utilising the rail yard in Fitzroy.

The line ran in its original configuration only until 1901, when track connecting Flinders Street and Clifton Hill stations was laid. This more direct route, and easy access provided by trams along St George's Road and Lygon Street, meant much of the original passenger base for the Inner Circle Line was removed. But the line continued to be operated, now trafficking a variety of 'city loop' style services, for another forty years, before being closed to passengers in 1948.

The Fitzroy Goods Yard, 1980.

A small number of freight trains still used the line, which continued until 1981, when the Fitzroy goods yard was closed. No trace of the site remains, an apartment block currently occupies the spot.

A freight train on the Inner Circle Line,
shortly before it' final closure.

The line then fell into disuse and disrepair.

A section of the former railway in 1988

But a vigorous program of public works revitalised this old infrastructure, and it was converted into part of the 'Capital City Trail,' a thirty kilometre bike path and walking track circling the city. While the Inner Circle Line would undoubtedly be popular if it were running today, the scores of people who use it regularly for exercise are grateful for its current incarnation.

THE OUTER CIRCLE LINE

A basic map showing the stops on the Outer Circle Line.

Former train line in Kew, which saw service for just two years.

Black Bridge over Gardiner's Creek, Outer Circle Line.

The Outer Circle Line was a rail curve through the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, running from Fairfield station (formerly 'Fairfield Park') through to Oakleigh. It was first proposed in 1867, initially as a method of connecting the suburban rail network with the rural line to Gippsland, but was not built until the late 1880's, with services commencing in 1891. The line crossed the Yarra near Kew, and serviced 11 new train stations.

The Outer Circle crosses the Yarra.

A train on the Outer Circle near Shenley.

But in the 1890's this part of Melbourne was essentially still farmland, so the new train line attracted very little traffic, with the line running between empty fields. The Gippsland service was also eventually connected to the city by a different route, running direct through Caulfield. 

The Outer Circle was broken up into sections, with different train services running for a few stops on each, but this also proved unsuccessful. By 1893, sections of the railway had been closed down, and by 1897 the whole ten kilometre length was out of service.

In 1900, the growing suburban population caused one section to re-open. The track between Riversdale and Deepdene came back into service, with a steam train known as the Deepdene Dasher running between these stations at 90 minute intervals.

This was to be the last steam train to work a passenger route in Melbourne.

The Deepdene Dasher.

The electrification of Melbourne's rail network began in the 1920's and was completed by 1924, which spelled the end for urban steam trains. Due to low passenger numbers, it was decided not to electrify the section of track that the Dasher ran on, and this service continued until October 1926, when it was retired for good. It was replaced by a bus service.

Freight trains continued to use the Outer Circle Line until 1943, when these services were re-routed through more modern tracks, after which the line fell into final disuse. Today, the Outer Circle Rail Trail re-traces some of the old route, which clearly stands out on a modern map.

Before Federation Square

Location: Corner Flinders and Swanston Streets

The site currently known as 'Federation Square' has a short history, as it was built only in the late 1990s. But the space itself, right at the heart of the city alongside both the Yarra  River and Flinders Street Station, has undergone many different incarnations stretching deep into the history of Melbourne.

The corner location was the site of the first Melbourne City Morgue, established in 1871. Prior to it's construction, dead bodies in the growing city had been simply laid out in public rooms, often times in Government buildings, while they awaited burial. Growing concern over public hygiene, and Melbourne's booming population, lead to the construction of the morgue.

The Melbourne Morgue, centre left, circa 1871.

But having such a macabre building so prominently situated proved unpopular and the morgue was only in operation for 12 years before it was relocated (although the morgue building would remain, unused, until 1890 before being demolished). From 1883 the corner location was incorporated  into Melbourne's burgeoning public transport network.

Princes Bridge Railway Station was built on the corner in 1859 (and can be seen next to the morgue above), but in the 1880s it would expand considerably. After the closure of the morgue, Princes Bridge would serve as the terminus for all East bound trains, as well as housing administration offices for the railway corporation. By 1910, it was linked to the previously separate Flinders Street Station by an underground tunnel.

A train at Princes Bridge Station, 1885 (looking towards Flinders St Station)

The same station in 1918, now considerably expanded. Also note the dome
of Flinders Street Station now visible in the  background, constructed
after the first photo above was taken.

The station  would continue to serve these functions for several decades.

In the 1960's, with the growing demand for prime real estate in the CBD accelerating, the State Government would undertake a dramatic revamp of the corner location. 

Princes Bridge Station in 1964, three years before being demolished.

Wanting to modernise the look of Flinders Street the State Government demolished Princes Bridge Station and moved it underground. The revamped station would share some platforms with Flinders Street Station, while still operating as a stand alone station for some services, and be topped with a shopping arcade and public square. The land where the station had previously stood was sold for corporate development. In 1967, twin office towers were constructed on the site. Known as the Princes Gate Towers, from their opening they were tenanted by Victoria's Gas and Fuel Corporation.

The new development, shortly after completion.

And almost from the moment the redevelopment was finished, it drew criticism. The office buildings themselves were derided as ugly and accused of blocking views of the river and overshadowing St Paul's Cathedral, while the concrete square adjacent was thought to be windswept and uninviting. Neither would garner much affection from the local population.

More popular was the arcade below the public square, which provided a last minute shopping option for commuters. The arcade was also home to Central Station Records, whose shopfront was on Flinders Street, and which became a hub for Melbourne's music community (and which is fondly missed, based on the research I've done).

Central Station Records shopfront.

A crowd outside the record store queues in the rain to see an
in store appearance by heavy metal band 'Wasp.'

But overall, the office and shopping complex on Flinders Street remained unpopular.

By 1980, the gradual process of Princes Bridge Station being swallowed by the larger Flinders Street Station across the road was complete. Three platforms of the old station would be fully incorporated into Flinders Street (platforms 14, 15 and 16) and the rest would be abandoned. The 'City Circle' train which had run from Princes Bridge, servicing only the city loop stations continually, would be made defunct, and replaced by a tram service. The closure of the train station meant that the next redevelopment of the site could be undertaken in an uninhibited fashion.

But some years would pass before any plans for updating the site were put forth.

In 1996, outspoken Liberal Premier Jeff Kennett would announce a major redevelopment proposal, essentially demolishing everything on site and starting again from scratch. Calling the Gas and Fuel towers a 'dreadful eyesore' and a 'blot on the city,' Kennett promoted a mixed use option for the land; featuring a cultural centre, cutting edge office suites, shops and a public space that could be used for a variety of events. He also wanted to cover the train tracks, from the corner of Swanston Street back to Russell Street, to allow easier access between the city and the Yarra and to free up more space on the site. The ambitious proposal was budgeted at a hefty $450 million and would require cooperation between local, state and federal branches of government to realise.

The new site would be called 'Federation Square,' in honour of a hundred years of Australian federation, and it was initially hoped it would be completed in time for the centennial on January 1, 2001. But a change of Government during construction lead to changes in the plan for the site, and the resulting delays meant construction was not finished until October 2002.

The heart of the new square would be the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), a combined cinema and display space, and the Ian Potter Gallery, an offshoot of the National Gallery of Victoria on St Kilda Road. Some of ACMI's underground gallery space would utilise parts of the old Princes Bridge Station. They would be joined by the offices of SBS and numerous bars and restaurants. Labor Premier Steve Bracks oversaw the opening, his speech on that day indicating the high hopes the Government had for the finished square:

'This space will change the face of Melbourne forever, making us truly a riverside city.'

Response to the Square's design was mostly positive, although some rejected the modern stylings of the architecture. The Sunday Age captured some first impressions from people who came to the opening:

Despite these misgivings, the rumblings of which continue to this day, Premier Bracks was right, the new Federation Square certainly had changed the city indelibly. 

Federation Square site in the 1970s.

Same site, 2004

Crowd in Federation Square gathers to watch Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's
apology speech to Australia's stolen generations.

Whether or not it remains the final reinvention the corner undergoes, remains to be seen.