Connecting lines Pakenham Rolling stock Comeng, Siemens Stations 3 | Former connections South Gippsland Completed 1886 | |
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Type Melbourne suburban service System Metro Trains Melbourne, Pacific National cement trains Services Usually runs express between South Yarra and Caulfield in the day and shuttle from/to Dandenong at night Similar Craigieburn railway line, Lilydale railway line, Glen Waverley railway line | ||
The Cranbourne railway line is a suburban electric railway service operated by Metro Trains Melbourne in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. It operates along the inner section of the former South Gippsland line.
Contents
Description
The line traverses flat country and there is little in the way of earthworks. There are several level crossings along the line. The area around Cranbourne is one of Melbourne's main growth areas, giving the line considerable potential for growing patronage.
Infrastructure
The line, which branches from the Pakenham line at Dandenong, is single track throughout, with a crossing loop at Lynbrook towards the Cranbourne end of the line. Trains can also cross at Cranbourne itself, which has two platforms. Power signalling is provided throughout, being controlled from Dandenong. There are no intermediate terminating facilities, however stabling sidings were recently constructed and opened in Cranbourne.
Beyond Cranbourne there is a siding between Cameron Street and Berwick-Cranbourne Road near the Cranbourne "Shed" and the new Hunt Club Estate. The line then continues to Leongatha, but between Cranbourne and Nyora, the line is unserviceable. Government plans have the line to Leongatha being rebuilt and reopened, but there appears to be little happening in this regard.
Services
On weekdays, Cranbourne line services run express between South Yarra and Caulfield between 7 am and 8 pm, and operates as shuttles to and from Dandenong, connecting with a Pakenham line train, at all other times. During peak, some services will originate and terminate at Westall or Dandenong running express between South Yarra and Caulfield. During the morning peak, these short services may also instead run express between Richmond and Caulfield outbound.
On weekends, Cranbourne line services run express between South Yarra and Caulfield between 10 am and 7 pm, and stops all stations between Flinders Street and Cranbourne from 6:45 am to 10 am (9:30 am to 10 am on Sundays) and from 7 pm to 8:15 pm. At all other times services operate as shuttles to and from Dandenong, connecting with a Pakenham line train.
Weekday morning and weekend services run anticlockwise through the City Loop, while weekday afternoon services run clockwise.
The only freight traffic was cement traffic from Waurn Ponds near Geelong to Lyndhurst, this ended in 2009 after Pacific National increased the costs charged to Blue Circle Southern.
History
The Cranbourne line opened in December 1886 as part of the section to Tooradin. This was the first section of the South Gippsland Railway, with passenger services to Leongatha withdrawn on 24 July 1993. The last train ran on 24 July 1993 with P class locomotive hauling an FSH set to Leongatha and back to Melbourne. Shortly after the Leongatha service was axed, V/Line's then newly introduced Sprinters railcars were tested along the line from Dandenong to Cranbourne for a short period of time until the electrification of the line to Cranbourne was completed in March 1995.
In November 1993, Train Order Working replaced Electric Staff safeworking to Cranbourne, then on 24 March 1995, the electrification and power signalling on the Cranbourne line was commissioned. Funded as part of the Federal Government ‘Building Better Cities’ program, the $27 million project included an upgraded Dandenong station and a new Merinda Park station at Cranbourne North (the line had previously been electrified for a short distance to the Commonwealth Engineering siding).
The last regular train running though and beyond Cranbourne was on 16 January 1998, when the AGM Siding (near Nyora) to Spotswood station sand train ceased operation.
In 2008, work started on the construction of six train stabling sidings at Cranbourne station at a cost of $37 million, to enable more trains to run on the line at peak times without duplicating the line, which was completed in November the same year, along with a major upgrade of the station and the extension of platform 2.
On 3 November 2012, a truck travelling along Abbotts Road, in Dandenong South, was hit by a Cranbourne-bound train at about 11:40am. The accident caused the train to jack-knife, causing severe damage to the train, as well as the track and overhead infrastructure. One passenger died at the scene of the accident, having suffered a heart attack, while at least 13 others, including the train driver, were injured.
Line guide
Bold stations are terminuses, where some train services terminate; italic stations are staffed.
Branches from the Pakenham line at Dandenong.