West Footscray railway station

West Footscray
Eastbound view from Platform 1, June 2026
General information
LocationSunshine Road,
West Footscray, Victoria 3012
City of Maribyrnong
Australia
Coordinates37°48′06″S 144°53′07″E / 37.8018°S 144.8853°E / -37.8018; 144.8853
SystemPTV commuter rail station
OwnerVicTrack
OperatorMetro Trains
LineSunbury
Distance7.33 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms3 (1 island, 1 side)
Tracks7
ConnectionsList of bus routes in Melbourne Bus
Construction
Structure type
Ground
Platform levels
2 (ground floor and elevated pedestrian footbridge connecting all platforms)
ParkingYes
Cycle facilities
Yes
AccessibleYes—step-free access
Other information
StatusOperational, unstaffed
Station codeWFY
Fare zoneMyki zone 1
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened1 October 1888 (1888-10-01)
Rebuilt1976
14 October 2013
6 July 2020
ElectrifiedOctober 1921
(1500 V DC overhead)
Former namesFootscray West (1888–1912)
Passengers
2005–2006300,313[1]
2006–2007336,312[1] Increase 11.98%
2007–2008351,421[1] Increase 4.49%
2008–2009392,650[2] Increase 11.73%
2009–2010398,015[2] Increase 1.36%
2010–2011426,490[2] Increase 7.15%
2011–2012355,557[2] Decrease 16.63%
2012–2013Not measured[2]
2013–2014448,029[2] Increase 26%
2014–2015596,277[1] Increase 33.08%
2015–2016671,539[2] Increase 12.62%
2016–2017734,860[2] Increase 9.42%
2017–2018751,584[2] Increase 2.27%
2018–2019733,050[2] Decrease 2.46%
2019–2020515,950[2] Decrease 29.61%
2020–2021213,500[2] Decrease 58.62%
2021–2022283,750[3] Increase 32.9%
Services
Preceding station Railways in Melbourne Metro Trains Following station
Middle Footscray
towards Cranbourne or East Pakenham via Metro Tunnel
 Sunbury line Terminus
Tottenham
towards Watergardens or Sunbury
Track layout
to Middle Footscray
to Tottenham Yard
1
2
3
to Tottenham
Broad gauge, electrified
Broad gauge, non-electrified
Dual gauge, non-electrified
Location

West Footscray is a railway station operated by Metro Trains Melbourne on the Sunbury line, part of the Melbourne rail network. It serves the western suburb of West Footscray, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. West Footscray station is a ground-level unstaffed station, featuring three platforms, an island platform with two faces and one side platform, accessible by a pedestrian footbridge. It opened on 1 October 1888, with the current island platform provided in 2013 and the current side platform provided in 2020.[4]

Initially opened as Footscray West, the station was changed to West Footscray on 1 September 1912.[4]

Two dual gauge tracks run to the north of the station, forming the South Kensington – West Footscray freight line, which links the Port of Melbourne and other freight terminals to the rest of the state. The tracks also form part of the Melbourne – Sydney and Melbourne – Adelaide standard gauge lines. Two Regional Rail Link tracks run to the south of the station.

History

Westbound view of the now demolished station from the concourse, with a Comeng train arriving on Platform 1, September 2010
West Footscray railway station concourse and entrance viewed from the north, June 2023

In 1921, a crossover at the up (city) end of the station was abolished and removed. This crossover was located in the Geelong Road level crossing.[5] In 1927 work began on an overpass. To allow construction works, a temporary level crossing was provided and was used until the completion of the overpass in 1928.[6]

On 21 October 1928, the Independent Goods Line was commissioned between South Kensington and West Footscray, the independent goods line was built to separate passengers services from freight services.[7] As well as a new goods line, a new freight yard was built, Tottenham Yard spans the distance from West Footscray towards Tottenham it opened in 1929.[8]

In 1976, the original station buildings were demolished, and replaced with brick structures.[9] In 2013, the station was rebuilt 200 metres further west, to accommodate two lines to the south as part of the Regional Rail Link project. On 14 October of that year, the new station opened, and the old station was demolished soon after.[10][11][12]

A third platform has been built to the north of the existing island platform, as part of the Metro Tunnel project, to allow services to terminate and return. Work commenced in late 2018 and the new platform was opened on 6 July 2020.[13][14][15]

Platforms, facilities and services

West Footscray has one island platform with two faces and one side platform. It is served by Sunbury line trains, but express services do not stop there.[16] Upon the opening of the Metro Tunnel in 2025, a number of services will terminate here using Platform 2. Access to the platforms is provided by stairs, lifts and ramps from an overhead footbridge, which also includes a cycling path.[10]

Current

West Footscray platform arrangement
Platform Line Destination Via Service Type Notes Source
1  Sunbury line  Westall, Dandenong, East Pakenham, Cranbourne Town Hall Limited express services Services to Westall and Dandenong only operate during weekday peaks [17]
2 [17]
3  Sunbury line  Watergardens or Sunbury All stations and limited express services [17]

CDC Melbourne operates three bus routes via West Footscray station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

  •  411 : Laverton station – Footscray[18]
  •  412 : Laverton station – Footscray[19]
  •  414 : Laverton station – Footscray station[20]

Transit Systems Victoria operates two routes via West Footscray station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

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 "West Footscray". vicsig.net. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "Footscray - Sunbury 1994" (PDF). VRhistory. 1994. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "VICSIG". vicsig.net. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Bunbury Street Tunnel and Maribyrnong River Rail Bridge". vhd.heritage.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Tottenham Yard". Trove. 20 June 1922. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
  9. ↑ Vincent Adams Winter (1990). VR and VicRail: 1962–1983. V.A. Winter. p. 106. ISBN 0-9592069-3-0.
  10. 1 2 West Footscray railway station Regional Rail Link
  11. ↑ New Train Station Opens in West Footscray Minister for Public Transport 13 October 2013
  12. ↑ Byrne, Bridie (14 October 2013). "Brand new train station at West Footscray officially opened". Maribyrnong Leader. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  13. ↑ "Construction at West Footscray station". Metro Tunnel. Victoria State Government. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  14. ↑ Carey, Adam (27 November 2016). "West Footscray next in line for housing boom along Melbourne's railways". The Age. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  15. ↑ Millar, Benjamin (26 April 2016). "Overhaul for new West Footscray station". Star Weekly. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  16. ↑ "Sunbury Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  17. 1 2 3 "Cranbourne, Pakenham & Sunbury Line timetable 2026" (PDF). Transport Victoria. 1 February 2026. Retrieved 29 July 2026.
  18. ↑ "411 Laverton Station - Footscray via Altona Meadows & Altona & Millers Rd". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  19. ↑ "412 Laverton Station - Footscray via Altona Meadows & Altona & Mills St". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  20. ↑ "414 Laverton Station - Footscray via Geelong Rd". Public Transport Victoria.
  21. ↑ "472 Williamstown - Moonee Ponds via Footscray". Public Transport Victoria.
  22. ↑ "947 Footscray - Newport Station via Altona North". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
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