Northcote railway station

Northcote 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 Northcote, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Northcote station is a ground level unstaffed station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 8 October 1889.^[4]

Northcote
PTV commuter rail station
Northbound view from Platform 2, July 2024
General information
Location	Herbert Street, Northcote, Victoria 3070 City of Darebin Australia
Coordinates	37°46′11″S 144°59′41″E
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Mernda
Distance	8.97 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Connections	Bus Tram
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	5
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes—step free access
Other information
Status	Operational, unstaffed
Station code	NCE
Fare zone	Myki Zone 1
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	8 October 1889; 134 years ago (1889-10-08)
Electrified	July 1921 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous names	Middle Northcote (1889-1906)
Passengers
2005–2006	288,958[1]
2006–2007	327,813[1]  13.44%
2007–2008	352,563[1]  7.55%
2008–2009	368,597[2]  4.54%
2009–2010	404,749[2]  9.8%
2010–2011	376,031[2]  7.1%
2011–2012	383,902[2]  2.09%
2012–2013	Not measured[2]
2013–2014	326,914[2]  14.84%
2014–2015	344,425[1]  5.35%
2015–2016	352,727[2]  2.41%
2016–2017	369,539[2]  4.77%
2017–2018	413,979[2]  12.03%
2018–2019	400,750[2]  3.19%
2019–2020	308,200[2]  23.1%
2020–2021	151,500[2]  50.84%
2021–2022	150,400[3]  0.72%
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station Merri towards Flinders Street Mernda line Croxton towards Mernda
Track layout Legend to Merri 1 2 Arthurton Road to Croxton

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

History

Northcote station opened on 8 October 1889, when the Inner Circle line was extended from North Fitzroy to Reservoir.^[4] Like the suburb itself, the station is believed to be named after Stafford Henry Northcote, who was British Chancellor of the Exchequer between 1874 and 1880, Foreign Secretary between 1885 and 1886, and a co-author of the Northcote–Trevelyan Report in 1853.^[5][6]

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

In 1986, the former goods sidings, located at the down end of the station, were abolished.^[7] A crossover, also located at the down end, was spiked out of use around that time,^[7] and was removed at a later date.

During October 1987, the double line block system between Northcote – Merri and Northcote – Thornbury was abolished, and replaced with three position signalling.^[8] Also occurring in that year, boom barriers replaced interlocked gates at the Arthurton Road level crossing, located at the down end of the station.^[9] The signal box for the level crossing was also abolished during that time.^[4]

On 4 May 2010, as part of the 2010/2011 State Budget, $83.7 million was allocated to upgrade Northcote to a premium station, along with nineteen others.^[10][11] However, in March 2011, this was scrapped by the Baillieu Government.^[12]

Platforms and services

A PID on Platform 2 displaying a Mernda service, August 2018

Northcote has two side platforms. It is served by Mernda line trains.^[13]

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 one bus route via Northcote station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  508 : Alphington station – Moonee Ponds Junction^[14]

Yarra Trams operates two routes via Northcote station:

• : West Preston – Victoria Harbour (Docklands)^[15]
• : Bundoora RMIT – Waterfront City (Docklands)^[16]

Gallery

• 
  Southbound view from Platform 2 looking at station building on Platform 1, May 2014
• 
  Southbound view from Platform 2, August 2018
• 
  Western entrance and building to Platform 2, August 2018

References

1. Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Department of Transport
2. Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Philip Mallis
3. Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
4. "Northcote". vicsig.net. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
5. "Northcote". Victorian Places. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
6. First, Jamie (7 January 2014). "The A-Z story of Melbourne's suburbs". Herald Sun. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
7. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). March 1987. p. 91. ISSN 0310-7477.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
8. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). January 1988. p. 27.
9. John Sinnatt (January 1990). "Level Crossing Protection". Somersault. Signalling Record Society Victoria. pp. 9–17.
10. "New premium stations for Metro". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 May 2010. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
11. "General News". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. June 2010. p. 165.
12. Gardiner, Ashley; Wright, Anne (25 March 2011). "Premier Ted Baillieu says armed guards will create 'culture of safety'". Herald Sun. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
13. "Mernda Line". Public Transport Victoria.
14. "508 Alphington - Moonee Ponds via Northcote & Brunswick". Public Transport Victoria.
15. "11 West Preston - Victoria Harbour Docklands". Public Transport Victoria.
16. "86 Bundoora RMIT - Waterfront City Docklands". Public Transport Victoria.

External links

• Melway map at street-directory.com.au