Railways in Melbourne Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Melbourne railway network
Old Flinders Street Station.jpg
Info
Owner	VicTrack
Locale	Melbourne, Victoria Australia
Transit type	Commuter rail
Number of lines	16
Number of stations	220
Operation
Began operation	12 September 1854; 170 years ago (1854-09-12)
Operator(s)	Metro Trains Melbourne V/Line
Number of vehicles	224 six-car sets (October 2018)
Technical
System length	405 km (252 mi)
Track gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) Victorian broad gauge
Old gauge	Various
Electrification	1500 V DC overhead (excluding Stony Point, which is not electrified)

Melbourne has a long history of railway building. The city's first railway opened in 1854. This was even before Melbourne itself was officially founded in 1834! The train network grew a lot as new lines were built across the suburbs. It reached its biggest size by the 1900s. Electric trains started running in 1919.

Melbourne's Train Network
How the Network Works
- Train Power and Tracks
- Busy Network
Images for kids
See also

Melbourne's Train Network

Melbourne's train network is a big part of how people get around the city. It helps millions of people travel every year. The network has many lines and stations.

How Many Lines and Stations?

The Melbourne railway network has 16 different train lines. These lines connect to 220 train stations. This makes it easy for people to travel to many parts of Melbourne.

Who Runs the Trains?

The main operator for the suburban trains is Metro Trains Melbourne. Another company, V/Line, also uses some of the tracks for longer trips.

Types of Trains You Might See

Over the years, many different types of trains have been used in Melbourne.

Steam Trains: In the early days, trains were pulled by steam engines.
Electric Trains: From 1919, electric trains started to be used. These trains get their power from overhead lines.
Modern Trains: Today, you'll see modern electric trains like the Comeng, Siemens, and X'Trapolis models. There are also newer HCMT trains.

Old Train Models

Some older train models were very important in Melbourne's history.

Tait Trains: These were some of the first electric trains. They were sometimes called 'Red Rattlers'.
Harris Trains: These trains were used for many years before being retired.

How the Network Works

The railway network uses different types of tracks.

At-grade: This means the tracks are on the ground level.
Elevated: Some tracks are built above the ground, like on bridges or viaducts. This helps trains go over roads or other obstacles.
Underground: Parts of the network, like the City Loop, go underground. This helps trains travel through the city centre.

Train Power and Tracks

Most of Melbourne's trains are electric. They get their power from 1500 Volt DC overhead wires. The tracks have a special width called a 'gauge'. Melbourne uses a 'Victorian broad gauge'.

Busy Network

The Melbourne train network is very busy. In 2017-2018, over 240 million trips were made on the trains! This shows how important the railway is for the city.

Images for kids

Steam-hauled suburban train departing North Melbourne station for Sunshine
The pre 1910 Flinders Street railway station building on Swanston Street
Connex train arriving at Camberwell railway station
Train at Alamein railway station
First set of Tait suburban passenger carriages hauled by steam locomotive Dde 750, 1913
Four car Tait train at the Spring Vale Cemetery platform
On a heritage rail fan trip, Restored vintage electric train the 'Taits' aka 'Red Rattlers' zoom towards Southern Cross station, Melbourne.
A retired Harris train
Melbourne Central railway station in the underground City Loop
Comeng train on the Werribee line
The modern Southern Cross station
Roxburgh Park station, opened in 2007.
Metropolitan train patronage 1998-2018 based on official state government figures.
The new elevated Noble Park railway station, rebuilt in 2018 along with four other stations on the Pakenham and Cranbourne railway lines by the Level Crossing Removal Project. The plan removed nine level crossing on the corridor using elevated rail.
New elevated rail lines at Mernda in Melbourne's north, part of an 8 km rail extension that opened in August 2018.
Quadruple track near Caulfield station, showing signalling and overhead wiring
A signal with associated train stop in the raised position to the right
NR class locomotive at the Melbourne Steel Terminal, off Footscray Road
PRIDE Talking Box panel at East Camberwell station
A diagram of a CRT PID screen pair
Newer style smaller black and white LCD PID commonly seen at non City railway stations.
A network status board at Highett station
Newer style colour LCD PID used on the platforms at Flinders Street Station
Comeng train
Siemens train
X'Trapolis 100 train
HCMT train