Balaclava railway station, Melbourne

Railway station in Australia

Balaclava

PTV commuter rail station

Northbound view from Platform 2, March 2024

General information
Location| Carlisle Street,
Balaclava, Victoria 3183
City of Port Phillip
Australia
Coordinates| 37°52′10″S 144°59′36″E﻿ / ﻿37.8695°S 144.9934°E﻿ / -37.8695; 144.9934
Owned by| VicTrack
Operated by| Metro Trains
Line(s)| Sandringham
Distance| 9.09 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms| 2 side
Tracks| 2
Connections|  Tram
Construction
Structure type| Elevated
Accessible| Yes—step free access
Other information
Status| Operational, premium station
Station code| BCV
Fare zone| Myki Zone 1
Website| Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened| 19 December 1859; 165 years ago (1859-12-19)
Rebuilt| 1981
10 October 2014
Electrified| May 1919 (1500 V DC overhead)
Passengers
2005–2006| 794,072[1]
2006–2007| 893,591[1] 12.53%
2007–2008| 981,598[1] 9.84%
2008–2009| 1,098,892[2] 11.94%
2009–2010| 1,151,160[2] 4.75%
2010–2011| 1,163,197[2] 1.04%
2011–2012| 1,046,436[2] 10.03%
2012–2013| Not measured[2]
2013–2014| 1,106,583[2] 5.74%
2014–2015| 1,098,253[1] 0.75%
2015–2016| 1,212,350[2] 10.38%
2016–2017| 1,271,058[2] 4.84%
2017–2018| 1,309,198[2] 3%
2018–2019| 1,114,565[2] 14.86%
2019–2020| 923,000[2] 17.18%
2020–2021| 416,700[2] 54.85%
2021–2022| 468,900[3] 12.52%
Services
| Preceding station  |  Metro Trains | Following station

|
|

Windsor

towards Flinders Street

|  | Sandringham line |  | Ripponlea

towards Sandringham

Track layout

Legend

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to Windsor

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to Ripponlea

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Location

Balaclava railway station is a commuter railway station on the Sandringham line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the south-eastern suburb of Balaclava, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Balaclava station is a ground level premium station, featuring two side platforms, with a customer service desk on platform 1. It opened on 19 December 1859, with the current station provided in 2014.[4]

Balaclava is an elevated station, and is located above the Carlisle Street rail overpass.

## History

[edit]

Balaclava station opened on 19 December 1859, when the railway line from Windsor was extended to North Brighton.[4] Like the suburb itself, the station was named after the Battle of Balaclava, which occurred during the Crimean War in 1854.[5][6]

On 3 December 1977, the station was damaged by fire.[4] In 1981, the station buildings were rebuilt.[7]

In 1996, two men found $200,000 in a drum buried beneath one of the platforms.[8] They handed the money in to the police and the find was reported in the media. In the same week, another man found a second drum under the platform, containing a similar quantity of money, which he also turned in to the police. Because no one claimed it, the men were granted ownership of the money they found, despite being considered trespassers on land owned by the then Public Transport Corporation.[9]

In June 2012, a $13.3 million upgrade to the station was announced. It involved widening the platforms, improving stair and ramp access, signage, booking office facilities, waiting rooms, wheelchair shelters and toilets, and the provision of new station canopies to increase weather protection.[10] CCTV cameras were added, as well as provision for future lifts. In October 2014, construction works were completed, with Balaclava upgraded to a premium station.[11][12][13][14]

Following a 2019 commitment by the Federal Government, the station was due to receive an upgraded commuter car-park. However, this was scrapped by the same government in 2021.[15]

## Platforms and services

[edit]

Balaclava has two side platforms. It is served by Sandringham line trains.[16]

Platform 1:

* Sandringham line all stations services to Flinders Street

Platform 2:

* Sandringham line all stations services to Sandringham

## Transport links

[edit]

Yarra Trams operates two routes via Balaclava station:

* : Melbourne University – East Malvern[17]
* : Melbourne University – Kew[18]

## Gallery

[edit]

* North-west bound view from Platform 1, January 2007

* Southbound view from Platform 1, October 2017

* Southbound view from Platform 2, October 2021

## References

[edit]

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 c "Balaclava". vicsig.net. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
5. ^ "Balaclava". Victorian Places. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
6. ^ First, Jamie (7 January 2014). "The A-Z story of Melbourne's suburbs". Herald Sun. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
7. ^ Vincent Adams Winter (1990). VR and VicRail: 1962 - 1983. p. 107\. ISBN 0-9592069-3-0.
8. ^ "ABC Radio National - The Law Report Transcript". www.abc.net.au. 6 February 1996. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
9. ^ "ABC Radio National - The Law Report Transcript". www.abc.net.au. 13 July 1996. Archived from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
10. ^ A new look for Balaclava station St Kilda News 4 June 2012
11. ^ Balaclava Station Upgrade Project Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine Public Transport Victoria
12. ^ Balaclava Station Upgrade Archived 20 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Public Transport Victoria
13. ^ Premium experience coming soon to Balaclava station Premier of Victoria 24 September 2014
14. ^ "Premium experience comes to refurbished Balaclava Station" Railway Digest November 2014 page 25
15. ^ "Morrison government pulls $50m promised for station car parks". 17 May 2021.
16. ^ "Sandringham Line". Public Transport Victoria.
17. ^ "3-3a Melbourne University - East Malvern". Public Transport Victoria.
18. ^ "16 Melbourne University - Kew via St Kilda Beach". Public Transport Victoria.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Balaclava railway station, Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons
* Melway map at street-directory.com.au

* v
* t
* e

Public Transport Victoria railway stations

* List of railway stations in Melbourne
* List of regional railway stations in Victoria
* List of closed railway stations in Melbourne
* List of closed railway stations in Victoria

Metro Trains Melbourne services and stations

Sandringham|

* Flinders Street
* Richmond
* South Yarra
* Prahran
* Windsor
* Balaclava
* Ripponlea
* Elsternwick
* Gardenvale
* North Brighton
* Middle Brighton
* Brighton Beach
* Hampton
* Sandringham

* Frankston, Werribee & Williamstown
* Lilydale, Belgrave, Alamein & Glen Waverley
* Pakenham & Cranbourne
* Sandringham
* Mernda & Hurstbridge
* Stony Point
* Sunbury, Craigieburn & Upfield

V/Line services and stations

* Eastern (Gippsland)
* North Eastern (Seymour)
* Northern (Bendigo)
* South Western (Geelong)
* Western (Ballarat)

* Stations and services in italics are planned or under construction
* Stations in (parentheses) are uncommon stops for the listed service

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