Merri railway station

Merri
Northbound view from Platform 2, September 2025
General information
LocationRailway Street,
Northcote, Victoria 3070
City of Darebin
Australia
Coordinates37°46′40″S 144°59′35″E / 37.7778°S 144.9931°E / -37.7778; 144.9931
SystemPTV commuter rail station
OwnerVicTrack
OperatorMetro Trains
LineMernda
Distance8.04 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms2 side
Tracks2
Connections
  • List of bus routes in Melbourne Bus
  • List of Melbourne tram routes Tram
Construction
Structure type
Ground
Parking6
AccessibleYes—step free access
Other information
StatusOperational, unstaffed
Station codeMER
Fare zoneMyki zone 1
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened8 October 1889 (1889-10-08)
Rebuilt1910
ElectrifiedJuly 1921 (1500 V DC overhead)
Former namesNorthcote (1889-1906)
Passengers
2005–2006192,755[1]
2006–2007202,653[1] Increase 5.13%
2007–2008211,789[1] Increase 4.5%
2008–2009220,480[2] Increase 4.1%
2009–2010242,520[2] Increase 10%
2010–2011246,079[2] Increase 1.46%
2011–2012222,770[2] Decrease 9.47%
2012–2013Not measured[2]
2013–2014176,555[2] Decrease 20.75%
2014–2015181,403[1] Increase 2.74%
2015–2016185,671[2] Increase 2.35%
2016–2017194,309[2] Increase 4.65%
2017–2018208,180[2] Increase 7.14%
2018–2019196,550[2] Decrease 5.59%
2019–2020153,450[2] Decrease 21.93%
2020–202170,400[2] Decrease 54.1%
2021–202272,550[3] Increase 3.05%
Services
Preceding station Railways in Melbourne Metro Trains Following station
Rushall
towards Flinders Street
 Mernda line Northcote
towards Mernda
Track layout
to Rushall
1
2
Charles Street
to Northcote
Location

Merri station is a railway station operated by Metro Trains Melbourne on the Mernda line, which is part of the Melbourne rail network. It serves the north-eastern suburb of Northcote, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Merri station is a ground level unstaffed station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 8 October 1889, with the current station provided in 1910.[4]

Initially opened as Northcote, the station was given its current name of Merri on 10 December 1906.[4]

History

The original 1889 station building on Platform 1, May 2014

Merri station opened on 8 October 1889, when the Inner Circle line was extended from North Fitzroy to Reservoir.[4] The original conception of the station was to act as a major junction in a planned "North Suburban Railway System. The Argus reported in 1887 that; "The Station at Union-street, as shown on our plan, must necessarily be the most important in the Northern System, as lines branch from this point to Preston and Whittlesea on the north ; Heidelberg, Kew, &.c., on the east; Carlton, Royal-park, North Melbourne, and Spencer-street on the south-west; Fitzroy, East Melbourne, and Flinders-street on the south; and if the alternative route is adopted, Clifton-hill, Collingwood, Richmond, and Flinders street on the south east.",[5] while land sale plans advertised the upcoming construction of the Grand Central Junction Station".[6]

In 1910, the station building was rebuilt to accommodate an increased population in the area.[7]

The nearby level crossing at Charles Street had hand-operated gates until 1924, when they were replaced with interlocked gates, operated from the nearby signal box, following several serious traffic accidents.[8] In 1986, these gates were replaced with boom barriers.[9][10] In 1987, the signal box was abolished.[4]

Northbound view from Platform 1, prior to safety and accessibility upgrades done to the station, November 2022

In 1973, both platforms were extended at the down end of the station.[4]

During October 1987, the double line block system between Merri – Northcote was abolished, and replaced with three position signalling,[11] with all two position signals between Merri – Thornbury also abolished.[11]

Merri was part of a $21.9 million package in the 2022/23 Victorian State Budget, alongside other stations, to receive improvements for safety and accessibility. As of 2026, Merri has received new accessible platform shelters on both platforms, new CCTV cameras and real-time passenger information displays.[12][13]

Platforms and services

Merri has two side platforms. It is served by Mernda line trains.[14]

Merri platform arrangement
Platform Line Destination Service Type Source
1  Mernda line  Flinders Street All stations and limited express services [15]
2  Mernda line  Mernda All stations [15]

Dysons operates one bus route via Merri station:

  •  506 : Moonee Ponds Junction – Westgarth station[16]

Yarra Trams operates two routes via Merri station:

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 3 4 5 "Merri". vicsig.net. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  5. ↑ The Argus 9 December 1887
  6. ↑ "Fitzroy Junction Estate" land sale advertisement 1887
  7. ↑ Darebin Heritage Study 2000 - Merri - Northcote
  8. ↑ The Argus, 13 Nov 1924
  9. ↑ "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. March 1987. p. 89.
  10. ↑ John Sinnatt (January 1990). "Level Crossing Protection". Somersault. Signalling Record Society Victoria. pp. 9–17.
  11. 1 2 "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. January 1988. p. 27.
  12. ↑ "Merri". www.metrotrains.com.au. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Better Stations Amenity Upgrades". Transport Victoria. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Mernda Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  15. 1 2 "Mernda Line timetable" (PDF). Transport Victoria. 1 February 2026. Retrieved 28 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "506 Moonee Ponds - Westgarth Station via Brunswick". Public Transport Victoria.
  17. ↑ "11 West Preston - Victoria Harbour Docklands". Public Transport Victoria.
  18. ↑ "86 Bundoora RMIT - Waterfront City Docklands". Public Transport Victoria.
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