Lara railway station

Lara
PTV regional rail station
Northbound view of station platform and building with 2 VLocity trains occupying both platforms and a P-class diesel locomotive passing through, March 2008
General information
Location	Hicks Street, Lara, Victoria 3212 City of Greater Geelong Australia
Coordinates	38°01′19″S 144°24′53″E / 38.0220°S 144.4147°E / -38.0220; 144.4147
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	V/Line
Line(s)	Geelong Warrnambool (Warrnambool)
Distance	57.50 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 (1 island)
Tracks	4
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Status	Operational, staffed part-time
Station code	LAR
Fare zone	Myki Zone 2/4 overlap
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	1 November 1856; 168 years ago (1856-11-01)
Rebuilt	1981
Previous names	Duck Ponds (1856-1875)
Services
Preceding station V/Line Following station Little River towards Southern Cross Geelong line Corio towards Geelong or Waurn Ponds Wyndham Vale towards Southern Cross Warrnambool line Weekends only North Shore towards Warrnambool
Location Lara Location within Victoria

Lara railway station is a regional railway station on the Warrnambool line, part of the Victorian railway network. It serves the town of Lara, in Victoria, Australia. Lara station is a ground level unstaffed station, featuring an island platform with two faces. It opened on 1 November 1856, with the current station provided in 1981.^[1][2]

Initially opened as Duck Ponds, the station was given its current name of Lara on 30 June 1875.^[1][2]

When Lara station opened, it was the temporary terminus of the Geelong – Melbourne line.^[3] The present station building was constructed in the 1920s,^[3]: 152 and the existing single platform on the east side of the line was converted into an island platform in June 1981, when the line from Lara to Little River was duplicated.^[1][2] In September of that year, the line to Corio was duplicated.^[4][2]

In 1973, a signal panel was provided at the station, and in 1981, it relocated into the station building.^[4][2] It was abolished in January 2006.^[5] No.2 road (loop siding) was also extended in 1973, providing a crossing loop.^[4][2] The loop siding is generally used by trains serving the Avalon Airshow, which terminate at Lara.

In 1962, flashing light signals were provided at the McClelland Avenue level crossing, located nearby in the down direction of the station,^[4][2] with boom barriers provided later on in 1981.^[4][2]

In 1993, No.2 siding was abolished, along with a dwarf signal.^[4][2] In 1999, the station waiting room received an upgrade, including the installation of glass sliding doors.^[6]

The Western standard gauge line to Adelaide runs immediately west of the station.

Lara has one island platform with two faces. It is serviced by V/Line Geelong line and selected Warrnambool line services.^[7][8]

Platform 1:

•  Geelong line  services to Southern Cross
•  Warrnambool line  weekend services to Southern Cross

Platform 2:

•  Geelong line  services to Geelong, South Geelong, Marshall and Waurn Ponds
•  Warrnambool line  weekend services to Warrnambool

CDC Geelong operates three routes to and from Lara station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  10 : to Lara South (Weekday extension to Corio Shopping Centre)^[9]
•  11 : to Lara East^[10]
•  12 : to Lara West^[11]

• Victorian Railway Stations gallery