Parkville railway station

Parkville railway station is an under-construction rapid transit railway station on the Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines, serving the inner-northern Melbourne suburb of Parkville in Victoria, Australia. When opened as part of the Metro Tunnel project, Parkville will be an underground premium station, featuring an island platform with two faces. Major construction commenced in April 2018, and was completed in May 2024, with minor finishing works to continue until its opening in 2025.^[1][2][3]

Parkville
Future PTV rapid transit station
The completed main and eastern entrance on Grattan Street, outside Melbourne University, September 2024
General information
Location	Grattan Street, Parkville, Victoria City of Melbourne Australia
Coordinates	37.7998872°S 144.9591705°E / -37.7998872; 144.9591705
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Sunshine–Dandenong
Distance	8.08 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2
Tracks	2
Connections	Tram Bus
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Bicycle facilities	250
Accessible	Yes—step free access
Other information
Status	Under construction
Station code	PKV
Fare zone	Myki Zone 1
Website	Parkville station
History
Opening	2025 (scheduled)
Electrified	Yes (1500 V DC overhead)
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station State Library towards East Pakenham or Cranbourne via Town Hall Sunbury line Arden towards West Footscray, Watergardens or Sunbury
Track layout Legend to Arden 1 2 to State Library
Location

Parkville has been built below Grattan Street, between Leicester and Elizabeth streets, using the cut-and-cover method. The station will serve the large health and education precinct in the Melbourne suburb of Parkville, including the University of Melbourne, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Royal Women's Hospital.

The station connects Parkville to the metropolitan train network for the first time. Provisions have been made in the station design to allow for construction of the proposed Metro Tunnel 2, enabling an interchange between the two lines.^[4][5]

Design

An entrance signage near the north-east entrance, September 2024

The side view of the main and eastern entrance on Grattan Street, September 2024

The station was designed by RSHP, Hassell and Weston Williamson,^[6] and construction materials feature sandstone, steel, glass and bluestone.^[7]

The eastern and main entrance and lift access on Grattan Street, September 2024

The north-east entrance on Royal Parade, September 2024

The northern entrance on Royal Parade, September 2024

The south-west entrance on Grattan Street, September 2024

There are four entrances, two serving the University of Melbourne, one outside the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and the other in front of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.^[8] An underground walkway connects the entrances and four sets of lifts underneath Royal Parade, while the main station concourse lies beneath Grattan Street.^[8] The main entrance features a 50-metre-long steel and glass canopy, and a number of skylights provide natural light to the station concourse, which is clad on one side with green aluminium.^[8] Like other Metro Tunnel stations, exposed concrete is a key design element.^[8]

The station concourse features an artwork by Patricia Piccinini titled Vernal Glade, which consists of a large array of handmade Japanese ceramic tiles in natural colours.^[9]

Parkville Precinct

The northbound tram stop low floor platform on Royal Parade/Grattan Street intersection near Parkville station, September 2024

The southbound tram stop low floor platform on Royal Parade/Grattan Street intersection near Parkville station, September 2024

Parkville station is intended to become a "grand promenade" to connect the area’s health, research and education buildings.^[8] A new tram "super stop" has been provided on Royal Parade, along with realigned traffic lanes, bicycle lanes, bus stops, footpaths and pedestrian crossings.^[10] More than 250 bicycle parking spaces have been provided.^[11]

Station layout

G	Street level	Entrances/Exits
B1		Staff only
B2	Concourse	Customer service, retail, Royal Parade underpass
B3		Staff only
B4 platforms	Platform 1	→  Sunbury line  towards Sunbury (Arden) →
	Island platform, doors will open on the right
	Platform 2	←  Sunbury line  towards Pakenham or Cranbourne (State Library)

^[12][13]

Transport Links

Yarra Trams operates 3 services via Parkville Station via Royal Parade and Flemington Road

Royal Parade:

• : North Coburg – Flinders Street Station^[14]

Flemington Road:

• : Airport West - Flinders Street Station^[15]
• : West Coburg - Toorak^[16]

Dysons operates two bus routes via Parkville Station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  546 : Heidelberg station – University of Melbourne (off-peak extension to Queen Victoria Market)^[17]
•  505 : Moonee Ponds Junction – Melbourne University^[18]

Gallery

• 
  Parkville station under construction, looking west towards Royal Parade, April 2019
• 
  The almost completed main and eastern entrance on Grattan Street outside Melbourne University, January 2024
• 
  New Grattan street western station entrance, looking east towards Royal Parade, January 2024
• 
  New Royal Parade tram stop, looking south towards Haymarket roundabout, January 2024
• 
  Escalator down to platforms
• 
  Walkway connecting the escalators to platforms
• 
  Detail of platform with test train running prior to the opening of the line, June 2024
• 
  Near-completed station entrance facing south down the royal parade, next to the University of Melbourne Medical Building, May 2024
• 
  The completed southern entrance lift access from Royal Parade, September 2024
• 
  The completed lift access on eastern entrance from Grattan Street, September 2024
• 
  An unwrapped station entrance signage near the main and eastern entrance on Grattan Street, September 2024
• 
  The lift and north-east entrance on Grattan Street/Royal Parade intersection, September 2024
• 
  The north-east station entrance signage on Royal Parade, September 2024