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Newmarket railway station, Melbourne

Newmarket railway station is a commuter railway station on the Craigieburn line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the northern suburb of Flemington, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Newmarket station is an elevated unstaffed station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 1 November 1860, with the current station provided in 1871. It initially closed on 1 July 1864, then reopened on 9 October 1871.[4]

Newmarket
PTV commuter rail station
Northbound view from Platform 1 looking at the track turn-off branch to Flemington Racecourse, December 2021
General information
LocationPin Oak Crescent,
Flemington, Victoria 3031
City of Moonee Valley
Australia
Coordinates37°47′14″S 144°55′44″E / 37.7873°S 144.9290°E / -37.7873; 144.9290
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byMetro Trains
Line(s)Craigieburn
Distance4.30 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms2 side
Tracks2
ConnectionsList of Melbourne tram routes Tram
Construction
Structure typeGround
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleNo—steep ramp
Other information
StatusOperational, host station
Station codeNKT
Fare zoneMyki Zone 1
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened1 November 1860; 164 years ago (1860-11-01)
Closed1 July 1864 (1864-07-01)
Rebuilt9 October 1871 (1871-10-09)
ElectrifiedMay 1919 (1500 V DC overhead)
Passengers
2005–2006634,775[1]
2006–2007702,528[1] Increase 10.67%
2007–2008772,748[1] Increase 9.99%
2008–2009854,899[2] Increase 10.63%
2009–2010839,559[2] Decrease 1.79%
2010–2011849,886[2] Increase 1.23%
2011–2012785,223[2] Decrease 7.61%
2012–2013Not measured[2]
2013–2014854,579[2] Increase 8.83%
2014–2015840,857[1] Decrease 1.6%
2015–2016814,041[2] Decrease 3.18%
2016–2017903,968[2] Increase 11.05%
2017–2018913,241[2] Increase 1.02%
2018–2019893,850[2] Decrease 2.12%
2019–2020675,600[2] Decrease 24.4%
2020–2021302,600[2] Decrease 55.2%
2021–2022339,600[3] Increase 12.22%
Services
Preceding station Railways in Melbourne 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

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

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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

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

Platform 1:

Platform 2:

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Yarra Trams operates one route via Newmarket station:

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  •  
    Southbound view from Platform 1, October 2005

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Department of Transport
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Philip Mallis
  3. ^ Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
  4. ^ a b "Newmarket". vicsig.net. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  5. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "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.
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  Media related to Newmarket railway station, Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons

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