Geelong railway station Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Geelong

Southward view in October 2006

Location

Gordon Avenue, Geelong
Australia

Coordinates

38°08′40″S 144°21′18″E / 38.1444°S 144.3549°E

Owned by

VicTrack

Operated by

V/Line

Line(s)

Warrnambool

Distance

72.57 kilometres from Southern Cross

Platforms

3 (1 island, 1 side)

Tracks

Construction

Structure type

Ground

Parking

Yes

Disabled access

Yes

Other information

Status

Staffed

Station code

GLG

Fare zone

Myki Zone 4

Website

Public Transport Victoria

History

Opened

1 November 1856

Services

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Geelong railway station is a busy train station in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. It's on the Warrnambool line. This station first opened way back on 1 November 1856! It's special because it's one of only two stations in Victoria that still has a train shed from the 1800s. Because of its history, it's listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and is important to Australia's heritage.

History of Geelong Station
Platforms and Train Services
Connecting Transport Options

History of Geelong Station

The first Geelong station was built as the end point for the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company line. It was a "dead-end" station, meaning trains couldn't go past it. This first station was located where the law courts are today.

Moving the Station

In November 1876, the railway line was extended further south to Winchelsea. Because of this, the station had to be moved. Between 1877 and 1881, the current station building was built in its new spot.

Station Upgrades

The station building got a big upgrade in 1988. This included new areas for passengers to wait and new ticket offices. In March 2015, the station was upgraded again. A new pedestrian overpass was added to connect all the platforms. This new overpass has lifts, making it easy for everyone to get around, including people with disabilities. This meant people didn't have to use the old heritage bridge, which only had stairs.

Old Goods Yard

Until the 1990s, there was a large area next to the station for loading and unloading goods from trains. This was called a goods yard. Today, this area is where Geelong's law courts and police station are located. A place for storing and fixing locomotives (train engines) is still to the north, and train carriages are stored to the west.

Platforms and Train Services

Geelong station has three platforms where trains stop. One is an "island platform," which means it has tracks on both sides. The other is a "side platform," with tracks on only one side.

Train Lines and Destinations

The station is used by V/Line trains on the Geelong and Warrnambool lines. Some trains end their journey at Geelong, but most continue south to other towns.

How Platforms Were Used Before 2015

Before the Regional Rail Link opened, most trains used Platform 1. Platforms 2 and 3 were only used if Platform 1 was busy.

Platform 1: Trains going towards Southern Cross (Melbourne) and trains going south to South Geelong, Marshall, and Waurn Ponds.
Platform 2: Trains on the Warrnambool line, trains ending their journey at Geelong, and other trains if Platform 1 was busy.
Platform 3: Trains ending their journey, special heritage trains, and other trains if Platform 1 was busy.

How Platforms Are Used Now (After 2015)

After the Regional Rail Link opened, Geelong station now has three times as many train services! This means trains often need to cross paths at Geelong. The platforms are now mostly used for trains going in specific directions.

Platform 1: Trains going south to South Geelong, Marshall, Waurn Ponds, and Warrnambool.
Platform 2: Trains going towards Southern Cross when Platform 3 is busy, and special heritage trains.
Platform 3: Trains going towards Southern Cross (Melbourne) and trains ending their journey at Geelong.

It's common to see trains on all three platforms at once. For example:

Platform 1 might have a train going to Waurn Ponds.
Platform 2 might have a train stopping at all stations on its way to Melbourne.
Platform 3 might have an express train from Warrnambool going to Melbourne.

Detailed Services by Platform

Platform 1:

Geelong line V/Line services to South Geelong, Marshall, Waurn Ponds, and Southern Cross
Warrnambool line V/Line services to Warrnambool, and Southern Cross

Platform 2:

Geelong line V/Line services from South Geelong, Marshall, Waurn Ponds to Southern Cross
Warrnambool line V/Line services from Warrnambool to Southern Cross

Platform 3:

Geelong line V/Line services from South Geelong, Marshall, Waurn Ponds to Southern Cross
Warrnambool line V/Line services from Warrnambool to Southern Cross
Peak hour services that end their journey at Geelong.

Connecting Transport Options

Geelong station is a hub for different types of transport. V/Line also runs special bus services from Geelong to other towns like Apollo Bay, Ballarat, Colac, and Warrnambool. Local bus companies like McHarry's Buslines and CDC Geelong also have bus routes that connect to Geelong station, serving Geelong city and the Bellarine Peninsula.

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Geelong railway station Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.

Geelong railway station facts for kids

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