Albion railway station, Melbourne

Albion
North-west bound view from Platform 1, June 2026
General information
LocationSt Albans Road,
Albion, Victoria 3020
City of Brimbank
Australia
Coordinates37°46′38″S 144°49′28″E / 37.7772°S 144.8244°E / -37.7772; 144.8244
SystemPTV commuter rail station
OwnerVicTrack
OperatorMetro Trains
LineSunbury
Distance13.65 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms2 (1 island)
Tracks4
ConnectionsList of bus routes in Melbourne Bus
Construction
Structure type
Ground
Parking567
Cycle facilities
18
AccessibleNo—steep ramp
Other information
StatusOperational, host station
Station codeALB
Fare zoneMyki zone 1/2
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened5 January 1860 (1860-01-05)
Closed1 January 1861
Rebuilt24 March 1891
24 November 1919
1961
ElectrifiedOctober 1921
(1500 V DC overhead)
Former namesAlbion and Darlington (1860-1861)
Passengers
2005–2006609,932[1]
2006–2007706,570[1] Increase 15.84%
2007–2008759,149[1] Increase 7.44%
2008–2009785,147[2] Increase 3.42%
2009–2010808,922[2] Increase 3.02%
2010–2011802,370[2] Decrease 0.8%
2011–2012679,577[2] Decrease 15.3%
2012–2013Not measured[2]
2013–2014801,210[2] Increase 17.89%
2014–2015796,442[1] Decrease 0.59%
2015–2016766,337[2] Decrease 3.77%
2016–2017660,670[2] Decrease 13.78%
2017–2018667,975[2] Increase 1.1%
2018–2019686,100[2] Increase 2.71%
2019–2020537,450[2] Decrease 21.66%
2020–2021204,500[2] Decrease 61.95%
2021–2022203,100[3] Decrease 0.68%
2022–2023[4]336,250[5] Increase 65.56%
2022–2023[4]336,250[6] Increase 65.56%
2023–2024433,100[7] Increase 28.8%
2024–2025413,900[8] Decrease 4.43%
Services
Preceding station Railways in Melbourne Metro Trains Following station
Sunshine
towards Cranbourne or East Pakenham via Metro Tunnel
 Sunbury line Ginifer
towards Watergardens or Sunbury
Track layout
to Sunshine
1
2
to Albion–Jacana line
to Ginifer
Broad gauge, electrified
Broad gauge, non-electrified
Dual gauge, non-electrified
Location

Albion station is a railway station operated by Metro Trains Melbourne on the Sunbury line, part of the Melbourne rail network. It serves the suburb of Albion, a western suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Albion station is a ground level host station, featuring an island platform and a pedestrian underpass.

The Melbourne – Sydney standard gauge line passes to the east of the station and, along with the Albion – Jacana freight line, it branches off north of the station.

History

The Melbourne & Murray River Railway (now known as the Bendigo line) opened in January 1859, with trains running from Footscray to Sunbury. On 5 January 1860, a station named Albion and Darlington, named after the surrounding area which was then known as Darlington and the nearby Albion Quarrying Company, opened on the railway at the site of the current Albion station.[9] Albion and Darlington station, however, was in operation for only a year.

In 1891, after the construction of the nearby Braybrook Junction station in 1885, a new station, now simply named Albion, was opened further to the north-west of the Albion and Darlington site.

In 1919, Albion station was relocated again, this time back to its original, and current, site.[9]

In 1961, the former Ballarat Road level crossing was grade separated, and was replaced with a road overpass, just north of the station.[10]

As part of the construction of the North East Standard Gauge line through the site in 1961, a new Albion station was built on the site of the 1919 built station. The new station consisted of an island platform and a new pebble-mix building.[11]

Up until 1961, the station had a signal box to control of the junction with the Albion – Jacana freight line, after which it was replaced by a signal panel, which was moved to the Sunshine signal box in 1965.[10] In 1972, both platforms were extended.[12] In 2022, both platforms were again extended at the up end.[9]

Future

Albion station will be completely rebuilt as part of the Melbourne Airport Rail project. In the first stage of the project, with construction to begin in 2028 and completed by 2030, the current Albion station will be demolished and a new station built slightly further to the south-east.[13] The new station will include a pedestrian overpass with stairs and lifts, while the current pedestrian underpass will remain in place to preserve current walking routes in the suburb for local residents.[14] Passenger access to the station will also be opened to Ferguson St, Albion.

By 2033, in the second and final stage of the project, an 18-metre high railway flyover will be built above the station and across Ballarat Road, carrying airport trains from Sunshine station to the airport.[13] Airport trains will be high above Albion station and thus there will be no possibility to stop there. Passengers will have to travel one stop back to Sunshine to board an airport train.

Platforms and services

Albion has one island platform with two faces. It is served by Sunbury line trains.[15]

Current

Albion platform arrangement
Platform Line Destination Via Service Type Notes Source
1  Sunbury line  Westall, Dandenong, East Pakenham, Cranbourne Town Hall All stations and limited express services Services to Westall and Dandenong only operate during weekday peaks. [16]
2  Sunbury line  Watergardens, Sunbury All stations [16]

Kinetic Melbourne operates two bus routes via Albion station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

  •  215 : Caroline Springs – Highpoint Shopping Centre[17]
  •  426 : Caroline Springs – Sunshine station[18]

Transit Systems Victoria operates one bus route via Albion station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

  •  456 : Sunshine station – Woodgrove Shopping Centre (Melton)[19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Department of Transport
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Philip Mallis
  3. ↑ Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
  4. 1 2 "Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) - 2023-2024".
  5. ↑ "Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) - 2022-2023".
  6. ↑ "Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) - 2022-2023".
  7. ↑ "Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) - 2023-2024".
  8. ↑ "Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) - 2024-2025".
  9. 1 2 3 "Albion". vicsig.net. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  10. 1 2 Dornan, S.E.; Henderson, R.G. (1979). Electric Railways of Victoria. Australian Electric Traction Society. p. 68. ISBN 0-909459-06-1.
  11. ↑ "Albion-Broadmeadows diagram 1961". Victorian Railways. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Weekly Notices-New Works". Divisional Diary. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). September 1972. p. 7.
  13. 1 2 "New Albion Station". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "West Footscray to Albion Rail Upgrade community update – May 2026". Victoria’s Big Build. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "Sunbury Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  16. 1 2 "Cranbourne, Pakenham & Sunbury Line timetable 2026" (PDF). Transport Victoria. 1 February 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  17. ↑ "215 Caroline Springs - Highpoint SC". Public Transport Victoria.
  18. ↑ "426 Caroline Springs - Sunshine Station". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  19. ↑ "456 Sunshine Station - Melton via Caroline Springs". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  • Wikimedia Commons logo Media related to Albion railway station, Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons
  • Melway map at street-directory.com.au
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