Essendon railway station

Essendon opened as the terminus of the private Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company line. The station closed with the line on 1 July 1864, but was reopened on 9 October 1871, under government ownership.[3] The line to the north was opened in 1872, as part of the North East line to Wodonga. A completely new station, with a single platform, was provided in 1878, on the site of the present island platform, with passenger subways and footbridges added in 1886, along with conversion of the island platform to the current layout. It was also at that time that a rail overpass was provided at Mount Alexander Road, in what was one of the first grade separation projects to be carried out in the state. In 1909, the present buildings were provided, along with a centre track between Platforms 1 and 2.[3]

Electric train services between the city and Essendon were inaugurated in 1919, with electrification extended to Broadmeadows in 1921. However, Essendon remained the terminus of most suburban services, with a shuttle service operating beyond until 1925, with all-day through services to Broadmeadows not provided until 1941.[4]

In 1965, the double line block signalling between Broadmeadows and Essendon was abolished, and was replaced with three position signalling.[2] The station took the layout it has today in 1969, with the abolition of the centre track, the closure of the stand-alone signal box, the provision of automatic signalling along the line, and the replacement of the interlocked gates with boom barriers at the former Buckley Street level crossing. A signal panel was provided within the station office in the same year,[2] which was abolished on 7 June 2014.[5]

Harris motor 518M and Tait motor 368M were destroyed by fire whilst stabled at the station on 7 March 1973.[6] Tait trailer 85G was also damaged in the fire.[6]

Stabling of suburban trains at Essendon ceased on 8 June 1987, with the overhead wiring of all sidings removed just over a year later.[7] The former sidings near Rose Street were removed on 1 September 1988.[7]

On 20 September 2016, the Victorian State Government announced the grade separation of the Buckley Street level crossing.[8] Construction began in 2018, and the level crossing was removed and Buckley Street reopened on 28 September 2018. Buckley Street now runs under the railway line in a trench.[8]

As part of the Melbourne Metro Rail Tunnel, it is expected that the turnback facilities at the station will be upgraded, to allow services to start at Essendon when the tunnel opens in 2025.[9]

Essendon has one island platform with two faces and one side platform. Platform 1 is rarely used because it is unable to accommodate a 6-car train,[2] but it is used by V/Line services to overtake Metro Trains' services, or when 3-car trains are terminating.

The station is served by Craigieburn line trains[10] and some V/Line Seymour services.[11]

Platform 1:

• Passing loop only for V/Line services. Only used for 3-car passenger services during major disruptions.

Platform 2:

•  Craigieburn line  all stations services to Flinders Street
•  Seymour line  three weekday morning peak only V/Line services to Southern Cross (set down only)
•  Shepparton line  one weekday morning peak only V/Line service to Southern Cross (set down only)

Platform 3:

•  Craigieburn line  all stations services to Craigieburn
•  Seymour line  four weekday evening peak only V/Line services to Seymour (pick up only)
•  Shepparton line  one weekday evening peak only V/Line service to Shepparton (pick up only)

CDC Melbourne operates one bus route via Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  477 : Moonee Ponds Junction – Broadmeadows station[12]

Kastoria Bus Lines operates three bus routes via Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  469 : Moonee Ponds Junction – Keilor East[13]
•  476 : Watergardens station – Moonee Ponds Junction[14]

Kinetic Melbourne operates one SmartBus route via Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  SmartBus   903 : Altona station – Mordialloc station[15]

Moonee Valley Coaches operates one bus route to and from Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  503 : to Brunswick East[16]

Moreland Buslines operates one bus route to and from Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  510 : to Ivanhoe station[17]

Ryan Brothers Bus Service operates two bus routes to and from Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  465 : to Keilor Park[18]
•  468 : to Highpoint Shopping Centre[19]

Sunbury Bus Service operates one bus route via Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  483 : Sunbury station – Moonee Ponds Junction[20]

Ventura Bus Lines operates one bus route via Essendon station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  Night Bus   959 : Melbourne CBD (Queen Street) – Broadmeadows station (Saturday and Sunday mornings only)[21]

Yarra Trams operates one route via Essendon station:

• : Westfield Airport West – Flinders Street station (Elizabeth Street Melbourne CBD)[22]

• 
  H 220 leads the northbound Albury Express past the signal box at Essendon, circa 1949
• 
  Northbound view from Platform 1 in April 2005

Media related to Essendon railway station at Wikimedia Commons

• Melway map at street-directory.com.au