Clifton Hill railway station

Clifton Hill
PTV commuter rail station
Southbound view from Platform 1, August 2024
General information
Location	Hoddle Street, Clifton Hill, Victoria 3068 City of Yarra Australia
Coordinates	37°47′19″S 144°59′43″E / 37.7887°S 144.9954°E / -37.7887; 144.9954
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Mernda Hurstbridge
Distance	6.60 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	90
Bicycle facilities	17
Accessible	No—steep ramp
Other information
Status	Operational, premium station
Station code	CHL
Fare zone	Myki Zone 1
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	8 May 1888; 136 years ago (1888-05-08)
Rebuilt	1990
Electrified	July 1921 (1500 V DC overhead)
Passengers
2005–2006	772,225[1]
2006–2007	802,205[1]  3.88%
2007–2008	842,750[1]  5.05%
2008–2009	1,001,215[2]  18.8%
2009–2010	1,029,502[2]  2.82%
2010–2011	1,087,791[2]  5.66%
2011–2012	982,055[2]  9.72%
2012–2013	Not measured[2]
2013–2014	964,101[2]  1.82%
2014–2015	916,334[1]  4.95%
2015–2016	911,537[2]  0.52%
2016–2017	1,066,417[2]  16.99%
2017–2018	1,264,801[2]  18.6%
2018–2019	990,096[2]  21.71%
2019–2020	709,000[2]  28.39%
2020–2021	347,000[2]  51.05%
2021–2022	454,200[3]  30.89%
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station Victoria Park towards Flinders Street Mernda line Rushall towards Mernda Hurstbridge line Westgarth towards Hurstbridge
Track layout Legend to Victoria Park Ramsden Street 1 2 to Rushall Merri Creek to Westgarth

Clifton Hill railway station is a commuter railway and junction station on the Mernda and Hurstbridge lines, which are both part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the north-eastern suburb of Clifton Hill, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Clifton Hill station is a ground-level premium station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 8 May 1888, with the current station provided in 1990.^[4]

Immediately to the north of the station, the Mernda and Hurstbridge lines diverge.

Clifton Hill station opened on 8 May 1888, when a railway line between Collingwood and Heidelberg was provided.^[4][5] Like the suburb itself, the station was named after the farm Clifton, which was named in 1841 by early landowner John Docker.^[6] Land speculator John Knipe later named the area Clifton Hill.^[6]

In December 1981, the station building was damaged by fire, although the heritage-registered verandah escaped serious damage. In 1990, the station was renovated, with a matching verandah built on the western platform (Platform 2).^[7] In 1992, boom barriers replaced interlocked gates at the Ramsden Street level crossing, located nearby in the up direction of the station.^[8] Signal boxes "A" and "B" were also abolished in May of that year, with semaphore signals replaced by coloured light signals.^[8] On 25 June 1996, Clifton Hill was upgraded to a premium station.^[7]

Clifton Hill is listed on the Register of the National Estate^[9] as an intact example of a Victorian Tudor-style suburban railway station, and is one of eleven that were originally built between 1887 and 1889. It is the only example that still retains the original corrugated iron wings on either side of the main building. The timber verandah on the eastern platform (Platform 1) is also considered architecturally rare. Other features of the complex include two timber-framed gabled roofed signal boxes (built in 1888 and 1901 respectively), located on either side of Platform 2, and the original swinging railway gates (out of use since 1992).^[10] One signal box was for the operation of the former level crossing gates across Heidelberg Road, which was replaced by a road overpass in 1957. The other signal box controlled the level crossing gates at Ramsden Street.

Clifton Hill was once part of the Inner Circle line. The Hurstbridge line, between Clifton Hill and Westgarth, was duplicated during late 2008 and early 2009, and included a second bridge over the Merri Creek. On 27 January 2009, it was opened by former premier, John Brumby, and former transport minister, Lynne Kosky.^[11]

In the early hours of 25 December 2011, a corrugated iron extension to the Platform 2 station building was damaged by fire.^[12] By 12 January 2012, the extension was demolished and removed.^[12]

Clifton Hill has two side platforms, connected by an underpass. Platform 1 contains an enclosed waiting area, while Platform 2 contains a semi-enclosed waiting area and toilets.

The station is serviced by Metro Trains' Mernda and Hurstbridge line services.^[13][14]

Platform 1:

•  Mernda line  all stations and limited express services to Flinders Street
•  Hurstbridge line  all stations and limited express services to Flinders Street

Platform 2:

•  Mernda line  all stations services to Mernda
•  Hurstbridge line  all stations and limited express services to Macleod, Greensborough, Eltham and Hurstbridge

Dysons operates two bus routes via Clifton Hill station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  504 : to Moonee Ponds Junction^[15]
•  546 : Heidelberg station – University of Melbourne (off-peak extension to Queen Victoria Market)^[16]

Kinetic Melbourne operates one route via Clifton Hill station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  246 : Elsternwick station – Clifton Hill^[17]

• 
  An X'Trapolis set departs Platform 1 on a
  City-bound service, June 2024
• 
  Station building on Platform 2, August 2024
• 
  Station building and entrance to Platform 2, facing from Hoddle Highway, August 2024
• 
  Station building and entrance to Platform 1, August 2024
• 
  Northbound view from Platform 2, August 2024
• 
  The ramps, station building, verandah and PIDS on Platform 2, August 2024
• 
  The station's pedestrian underpass under Hoddle Highway, August 2024
• 
  The station's eastern car park and pedestrian underpass entrance, August 2024
• 
  The railway tracks where the Mernda and Hurstbridge lines diverge north of the station

• Media related to Clifton Hill railway station at Wikimedia Commons
• Melway map