Windsor railway station, Melbourne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Windsor
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| Location | Chapel Street, Windsor | ||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°51′22″S 144°59′31″E / 37.856042°S 144.992023°E | ||||||||||||
| Owned by | VicTrack | ||||||||||||
| Operated by | Metro Trains | ||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Sandringham | ||||||||||||
| Distance | 7.49 kilometres from Southern Cross | ||||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side | ||||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||||
| Connections | Tram | ||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||
| Structure type | Ground | ||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||
| Status | Host station | ||||||||||||
| Station code | WIN | ||||||||||||
| Fare zone | Myki zone 1 | ||||||||||||
| Website | Public Transport Victoria | ||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||
| Opened | 19 December 1859 | ||||||||||||
| Electrified | Yes | ||||||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||||||
| Passengers (2008-2009) | 0.966 million | ||||||||||||
| Passengers (2009-2010) | 1.025 million  6.11% |
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| Passengers (2010-2011) | 1.067 million 4.1% |
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| Passengers (2011-2012) | 1.067 million  0% |
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| Passengers (2012-2013) | Not measured | ||||||||||||
| Passengers (2013-2014) | 1.054 million  1.22% |
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| Services | |||||||||||||
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Windsor railway station is a train station in Melbourne, Australia. It serves the suburb of Windsor. The station is on the Sandringham line. It first opened on 19 December 1859. Back then, it was called Chapel Street. On 1 January 1867, its name changed to Windsor. This historic station is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.
Contents
What Trains Stop at Windsor Station?
Windsor Station has two platforms. A platform is where you wait for the train. These are called side platforms. Metro Trains runs services here. Trains on the Sandringham line stop at Windsor. They travel between Flinders Street and Sandringham.
Platform 1: Trains to the City
- Sandringham line : All trains from this platform go to Flinders Street. This is a major station in the city.
Platform 2: Trains to Sandringham
- Sandringham line : All trains from this platform go to Sandringham.
Getting Around: Trams at Windsor
You can also catch a tram near Windsor station. Yarra Trams operates three tram routes. These routes pass by Windsor station.
- 5: This tram goes from Melbourne University to Malvern station.
- 64: This tram travels from Melbourne University to East Brighton.
- 78: This route connects North Richmond to Balaclava.
Windsor Station's Past: A Link to St Kilda
Windsor station was once a very important stop. It was the end of the line for trains from Brighton Beach. This line was built in 1859. A company called the St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company ran it.
The company also built a special loop branch line. This line connected the Brighton line to the Melbourne to St Kilda line. The St Kilda line opened in 1857.
How Trains Used the Loop Line
Trains from Melbourne would first go to the St Kilda terminus. Then, they would "back out" onto the loop line. This loop took them to Windsor. The loop line was built over swampy land. This area is now known as Albert Park Lake. It had wooden bridges and a raised path. There was also a bridge over St Kilda Road.
The first train on this loop ran on 3 December 1859. The line opened to the public ten days later. However, trains on this branch line stopped running after 7 PM. People had to walk home from St Kilda station.
Changes to the Train Lines
Soon after the loop line was built, a direct connection was made. This new line went straight from South Yarra to Windsor. The first train on this direct route arrived at Windsor on 24 November 1860. Because of this new direct line, the loop line to St Kilda was not used much anymore. The company never finished building a second track on the loop line.
The Windsor Siding and a Local Dispute
The St Kilda and Brighton Railway Company faced money problems. Another company bought them in 1862. The tracks and bridges of the loop line were taken down. However, a short side track, called a siding, remained. This siding went from Windsor towards Hoddle Street.
Why the Siding Caused Problems
This siding was used to move trains around. It also carried materials from quarries to a depot. Because of how the tracks were laid, there were two train crossings very close to each other. These crossings often caused delays for horse-drawn carts.
In 1869, local leaders from Prahran got very annoyed. They marched to the crossing with workers. They started to pull up the tracks on the siding! This led to a court case on 17 April 1869. The railway company won the case. This meant trains had the right-of-way at road crossings in Victoria. But the siding was not rebuilt.
Today, you can still see where the loop line might have been. There are oddly shaped park areas. A small park near Windsor station is even called "Windsor Siding".
A Sad Day: The 1887 Train Accident
On the evening of 11 May 1887, a serious train accident happened. An express train crashed into the back of a stopping train. This happened between Prahran and Windsor stations.
What Happened?
The stopping train had stopped because of a signal. But when it was told to go, its brakes were stuck. An air pipe had broken. An express train was coming from Melbourne, about 10 minutes behind. The train tracks curved, and there was a deep cut in the ground. This meant the express train's crew could not see the stopped train ahead.
The crash was very loud. People in Prahran could hear it. Soon, over 10,000 people gathered at the site. Four people died in the accident. More than 100 people were badly hurt. The driver of the express train, Frederick William Maskell, and his fireman, James Houston McNab, were killed. Two passengers, William Runting and Annie Foster, also died. Just weeks before, Mr. Maskell had been rewarded for preventing another accident.
Images for kids
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Windsor Siding reserve in June 2008
