Bell railway station, Melbourne

Bell railway station is a commuter railway station on the Mernda line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the north-eastern suburb of Preston, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Bell station is an elevated structure premium station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 8 October 1889, with the current station provided in 2022.^[6]

Bell
PTV commuter rail station
Northbound view from Platform 2, August 2024
General information
Location	Garnet Street, Preston, Victoria 3072 City of Darebin Australia
Coordinates	37°44′44″S 145°00′01″E
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Mernda
Distance	11.70 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Parking	75
Bicycle facilities	6
Accessible	Yes—step free access
Other information
Status	Operational, premium station
Station code	BEL
Fare zone	Myki Zone 1
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	8 October 1889; 134 years ago (1889-10-08)
Rebuilt	5 September 2022 (LXRP)[1]
Electrified	July 1921 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous names	Preston-Bell Street (1889–1905)
Passengers
2005–2006	307,030[2]
2006–2007	355,959[2]  15.93%
2007–2008	393,114[2]  10.43%
2008–2009	508,278[3]  29.29%
2009–2010	549,773[3]  8.16%
2010–2011	532,537[3]  3.13%
2011–2012	523,225[3]  1.75%
2012–2013	Not measured[3]
2013–2014	433,148[3]  17.2%
2014–2015	422,536[2]  2.45%
2015–2016	462,990[3]  9.57%
2016–2017	477,003[3]  3.02%
2017–2018	541,111[3]  13.44%
2018–2019	530,900[3]  1.88%
2019–2020	444,100[3]  16.35%
2020–2021	170,000[3]  61.7%
2021–2022	132,450[4]  22.08%
2022–2023	262,500[5]  98.19%
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station Thornbury towards Flinders Street Mernda line Preston towards Mernda
Track layout Legend to Thornbury 1 2 to Preston

Initially opened as Preston-Bell Street, the station was given its current name of Bell on 1 August 1905.^[6]

History

Bell station opened on 8 October 1889, when the Inner Circle line was extended from North Fitzroy to Reservoir,^[6] Bell station is named after nearby Bell Street, itself named after Francis Bell, a landowner in Coburg who had a property named Bell Manor.^[7][8]

It was located adjacent to the former Bell Street level crossing, which was provided with boom barriers in 1969, replacing interlocked gates.^[9] In 1973, the platforms at the former ground level station were extended at the up end of the station.^[6]

The station once had a goods yard, which was removed in 1986, leaving only a siding at the up end of the station.^[10]

On 17 April 1988, the double line block signalling system between Bell and Reservoir was abolished, and replaced with automatic three position signalling.^[11] Also in that month, pedestrian gates were provided at the former Bell Street level crossing, in combination with the road boom barriers.^[11]

On 31 March 1999, the former ground level station building on Platform 1 was damaged by fire.^[6]

On 25 August 2008, Bell was upgraded to a premium station.^[12]

There were crossovers located at both ends of the station, and a signal box was located on the former ground level Platform 1, which had a signal panel to control lights and switches in an emergency.^[13] In 2012, the panel was abolished.^[13]

In January 2016, the Level Crossing Removal Project announced that the Bell Street level crossing would be removed by grade separation. At the time, it had not been decided how the separation would be achieved,^[14] but the rail-over option was later chosen.^[15] In February 2021, major construction began.^[16]

On 17 May 2022, Oakover Road and Bell Street level crossings and equipment were eliminated and on the same night, the ground level station were closed and demolished.^[17][18] On 30 May 2022, the first part of the new elevated railway opened with only a single track while the second track was under construction. This was temporary until 5 September 2022 when the rebuilt station opened.^[19][20]

Platforms and services

A PID on Platform 2 displaying a Mernda-bound service, August 2024

Bell has two side platforms. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Mernda line services.^[21]

An X'Trapolis train bound for Mernda arrives at Platform 2, August 2024

Platform 1:

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

Platform 2:

•  Mernda line  all stations services to Mernda

Transport links

Dysons operates four bus routes via Bell station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  513 : Eltham station – Glenroy station (via Lower Plenty)^[22]
•  514 : Eltham station – Glenroy station (via Greensborough)^[23]
•  552 : North East Reservoir – Northcote Plaza^[24]
•  553 : Preston – West Preston^[25]

Gallery

• 
  Northbound view from the former ground level Platform 2, March 2007
• 
  Southbound view from Platform 1,
  September 2022
• 
  Southbound view from Platform 2, August 2024
• 
  Station building on Platform 1, August 2024
• 
  Eastern side of the station building, showing stained glass windows and external landscaping, August 2024
• 
  Western side of the station building, showing stained glass windows and external landscaping, August 2024
• 
  The station's northern entrance, August 2024
• 
  The southern station building and entrance, August 2024
• 
  Western side of the elevated railway, landscaping and bicycle lanes at Bell station forecourt, August 2024
• 
  The station's northern Myki readers, fencing, customer service and waiting room, August 2024
• 
  Southbound view of the elevated railway, forecourt and entrance, August 2024
• 
  Northbound view of the station concourse and customer service, August 2024
• 
  The elevated railway and the station's southern car park, August 2024
• 
  The station's pickup and drop off zone, elevated railway and station building, August 2024
• 
  The station's southern entrance, August 2024
• 
  Northbound view of the elevated railway and forecourt, August 2024
• 
  The station's southern forecourt, August 2024
• 
  The station rounded lights, concourse, stairs and stained coloured glass windows, August 2024
• 
  The western side colour glass stained windows seen from Platform 2, August 2024
• 
  The former site of the Bell Street level crossing. The elevated railway and signalised pedestrian crossing in place, August 2024
• 
  Station platform shelter on Platform 1, August 2024
• 
  The bicycle and pedestrian paths near Bell station at Bell Street signalised pedestrian crossing, August 2024
• 
  The eastern side of the elevated railway, drop off and pick up zone and Garnet Street, August 2024
• 
  The station's entrance signage, August 2024
• 
  Bell station Platform 2 signage, August 2024

References

1. "Modern stations at Preston just weeks away". Victoria's Big Build. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
2. Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Archived 17 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Department of Transport
3. Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Archived 17 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Philip Mallis
4. Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Archived 6 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine Data Vic
5. Annual metropolitan train station entries 2022-23 Data Vic
6. "Bell". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
7. "Bell Street Bridge" (PDF). Merri-bek City Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
8. First, Jamie (7 January 2014). "The A-Z story of Melbourne's suburbs". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
9. John Sinnatt (January 1990). "Level Crossing Protection". Somersault. Signalling Record Society Victoria. pp. 9–17.
10. "General News". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. July 1986. p. 213.
11. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. July 1988. p. 220.
12. "Bell Station Becomes a Premium Stop for Commuters". Media Release: Premier of Victoria, Australia. premier.vic.gov.au. 25 August 2008. Archived from the original on 29 October 2008. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
13. "Bell Signal Box". Vicsig. Archived from the original on 1 November 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
14. Carey, Adam (31 January 2016). "End of the line for older Melbourne stations being torn down and rebuilt". The Age. Archived from the original on 6 January 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
15. "Bell Street, Preston". Level Crossing Removal Project. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
16. "Full steam ahead at Preston". Victoria's Big Build. Archived from the original on 28 March 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
17. "Getting the new Preston rail bridge ready for trains". Victoria's Big Build. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
18. "Preston boom gate free". Victoria's Big Build. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
19. "Modern stations at Preston just weeks away". Victoria's Big Build. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
20. "New stations open to passengers today in Preston". Victoria's Big Build. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
21. "Mernda Line". Public Transport Victoria.
22. "513 Eltham - Glenroy via Lower Plenty". Public Transport Victoria.
23. "514 Eltham - Glenroy via Greensborough". Public Transport Victoria.
24. "552 North East Reservoir - Northcote Plaza via High Street". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
25. "553 Preston - West Preston via Reservoir". Public Transport Victoria.

External links

• Media related to Bell railway station, Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons
• Melway map at street-directory.com.au