The Pakenham line is a
commuter railway
Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are cons ...
line in the city of
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
,
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
. Operated by
Metro Trains Melbourne
Metro Trains Melbourne, often known simply as Metro, is the franchise operator of the electrified suburban passenger service on the Melbourne rail network. Metro Trains Melbourne is a joint venture between Hong Kong-based MTR Corporation (60% ...
, it is the longest metropolitan railway line at 57 km (35.42 mi). Coloured light blue on the Melbourne rail map, the line runs from
Flinders Street station
Flinders Street railway station is a train station located on the corner of Flinders Street, Melbourne, Flinders and Swanston Street, Swanston streets in the Melbourne city centre, central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria (Austral ...
in central Melbourne to
Pakenham station in the south-east, serving 27 stations via the
City Loop
The City Loop (originally called the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop or MURL) is a mostly-underground and partly surface-level subway and rail system in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The Loop includes t ...
,
South Yarra
South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a popu ...
,
Caulfield,
Oakleigh, and
Dandenong
Dandenong is a southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the council seat of the City of Greater Dandenong local government area, with a recorded population of 30,127 at the . Situated mainl ...
. The line operates for ~20 hours a day (from approximately 4:00 am to around midnight) with 24 hour service available on Friday nights and weekends. During peak hour,
headways of up to 6 to 12 minutes are operated with services every 20 minutes during off-peak hours. Trains on the Pakenham line run with a seven-car formation operated by
HCMTs.
Sections of the Pakenham line opened as early as 1859, with the line fully extended to Pakenham in October 1877. A limited number of stations were first opened, with infill stations progressively opened between 1879 and 2012. The line was built to connect
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
with the rural towns of
Caulfield,
Oakleigh, and
Dandenong
Dandenong is a southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the council seat of the City of Greater Dandenong local government area, with a recorded population of 30,127 at the . Situated mainl ...
, amongst others. Significant growth has occurred since opening, with a plan to extend the Pakenham line one stop east to a
new station in
Pakenham East as part of the
Level Crossing Removal Project.
This extension is planned to open in 2024.
Since the 2010s, due to the heavily utilised infrastructure of the Pakenham line, significant improvements and upgrades have been made. A $15 billion upgrade package have included the replacement of
sleepers, the roll-out of new signalling technology, the introduction of new rolling stock, the removal of all level crossings, and works associated with the Metro Tunnel. These projects have improved the quality and safety of the line.
These works will be completed by the opening of the
Metro Tunnel in 2025.
History
19th century
In 1877, the Pakenham line began operations from Oakleigh to
Bunyip
The bunyip is a creature from the aboriginal mythology of southeastern Australia, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes.
Name
The origin of the word ''bunyip'' has been traced to the Wemba-Wemba or Wergaia ...
, as part of the
main line to Gippsland. The section from Oakleigh to Flinders Street station was connected at South Yarra in April 1879.
The section from South Yarra to
Hawksburn was duplicated from opening, with an extension of the duplicated section of the line opening in 1881 to Caulfield, Oakleigh in 1883, and Dandenong in 1891.
In 1883 the line between Richmond station and South Yarra was quadrupled to accommodate an increase in train services due to the opening of
Frankston and
Sandringham lines.
In 1885, a number of level crossing removal works occurred between Flinders Street station and South Yarra due to an increase in freight and passenger operations.
These crossings were removed through a combination of lowering and raising the corridor.
20th century
In 1915, the line between South Yarra and Caulfield was quadrupled, as part of level crossing removal works. This section of the line was lowered into a cutting to eliminate numerous level crossings. Power
signalling was provided between
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, Californi ...
and
Hawksburn at the same time, then on to Caulfield in 1921.
Electrification
Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source.
The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic histo ...
of the line to Dandenong occurred in two stages during 1922. In May 1922, the section from South Yarra to Oakleigh station was electrified for the first time, with the section to Dandenong being electrified later in December 1922.
The electrification of the line allowed for the introduction of
Swing Door EMU trains for the first time.
Power signalling was extended to
Carnegie in 1933, Oakleigh in 1940, and to Dandenong in stages between 1970 and 1972.
The line between Dandenong, Pakenham and
Traralgon
Traralgon ( ) is a town located in the east of the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia and the most populous city of the City of Latrobe. The urban population of Traralgon at the was 26,907. It is the largest and fastes ...
was electrified in 1954. Initially single track, duplication of the line between Dandenong, Pakenham and
Nar Nar Goon
Nar or NAR may refer to:
Music
* ''Nar'' (album) by Sahrawi musician Nayim Alal
* ''Nar'', album by Mercan Dede
* New Alliance Records, an American punk, spoken word, music-label, active from 1980 to 1998
* , an Italian record label founded in ...
was completed in 1955 and 1956.
Suburban services were extended beyond Dandenong to Pakenham in January 1975. This was the final extension of the line till the extension to
Pakenham East scheduled to open in 2024.
Previously, the line was only served by regional passenger trains connecting
Gippsland to Melbourne.
21st century
The Pakenham line has received heavy investment during the 21st century to align with the
2013 PTV Development Plan. Despite the investments, after the closure of the nearby General Motors factory in 1991, in 2002,
General Motors station closed permanently with all trains running express between
Hallam and Dandenong as a result of the closure. A 2007 restructure of train ticketing in Melbourne involved the removal of Zone 3. The Pakenham was re-zoned to Zone 2 in the
Melbourne Metropolitan rail system. This brought the cost of train fares down, improving system accessibility to the public.
A new station at
Cardinia Road opened in 2012 situated between
Officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
and Pakenham stations. This is the first infill station to open on the line since 1927, with an additional station at
Pakenham East expected to open in 2024 in conjunction with
level crossing removal works.
In 2018, a new depot opened at
Pakenham East Depot for the newly acquired High Capacity Metro Trains. This depot has the stabling capacity for 30 seven-car trains with train maintenance, driver training, and washing facilities present onsite.
Network and operations
Services
Services on the Pakenham line operates from approximately 4:00 am to around 11:30 daily.
In general, during peak hours, train frequency is 5 minutes on the Dandenong corridor (combined with the Cranbourne line) and 10 minutes in the AM peak on the Pakenham Line while during non-peak hours the frequency is reduced to 20-30 minutes throughout the entire route.
Services run anticlockwise through the City Loop, and from 2025, Pakenham line services will cease to stop at South Yarra, Richmond, and all City Loop stations when trains are rerouted through the Metro Tunnel upon opening.
On Friday nights and weekends, services run 24 hours a day, with 60 minute frequencies available outside of normal operating hours. Since 13 February 2022, some off-peak daytime Pakenham line services (and
Cranbourne line services) stop at Malvern station, running express between South Yarra and Malvern stations.
Train services on the Pakenham Line are also subjected to maintenance and renewal works, usually on selected Fridays and Saturdays. Shuttle bus services are provided throughout the duration of works for affected commuters.
Route
The Pakenham line forms a relatively linear route from the Melbourne CBD to its terminus in Pakenham. The route is ~57km ling and is predominantly doubled tracked, however between Flinders Street station and Richmond, the track is widened to 12 tracks, narrowing to 6 tracks between Richmond and South Yarra before again narrowing to 4 tracks between South Yarra and Caulfield. After Caulfield station, the track again narrows to 2 tracks, which is remain for the rest of the route. The only underground section of the Pakenham line is in the City Loop, where the service stops at 3 underground stations. Exiting the city, the Pakenham line traverses mainly flat country with few curves and fairly minimal
earthworks
Earthworks may refer to:
Construction
*Earthworks (archaeology), human-made constructions that modify the land contour
*Earthworks (engineering), civil engineering works created by moving or processing quantities of soil
*Earthworks (military), mi ...
for most of the line. However, between
South Yarra
South Yarra is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Melbourne and Stonnington local government areas. South Yarra recorded a popu ...
and
Malvern, the rail corridor has been lowered into a
cutting
Cutting is the separation or opening of a physical object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force.
Implements commonly used for wikt:cut, cutting are the knife and saw, or in medicine and science the scal ...
to
eliminate level crossings, and between Malvern and
Caulfield, the corridor it has been raised on an
embankment
Embankment may refer to:
Geology and geography
* A levee, an artificial bank raised above the immediately surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding by a river, lake or sea
* Embankment (earthworks), a raised bank to carry a road, railway ...
for the same reason. After Caulfield, the line formerly had numerous level crossings, however, all have now been abolished between Caulfield and Dandenong as part of an elevated rail project, as well as some older bridges
over
Over may refer to:
Places
*Over, Cambridgeshire, England
* Over, Cheshire, England
* Over, South Gloucestershire, England
*Over, Tewkesbury, near Gloucester, England
**Over Bridge
* Over, Seevetal, Germany
Music
Albums
* ''Over'' (album), by P ...
and
under roads. Remaining level crossings between Dandenong and Pakenham stations will be removed by 2025 under smaller level crossing removal works.
The line follows the same alignment as the Cranbourne line with the two services splitting onto different routes at Dandenong. The Pakenham line heads continues on its eastern alignment, whereas the Cranbourne line takes a southerly alignment towards its final destination.
Most of the rail line goes through
built-up suburbs and some industrial areas, but after
Dandenong
Dandenong is a southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the council seat of the City of Greater Dandenong local government area, with a recorded population of 30,127 at the . Situated mainl ...
, the line gets into more open countryside, passing by open fields and farms, particularly after
Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, west-northwest of central London and south-southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High W ...
.
This outer portion of the line is one of Melbourne's main growth corridors, which is rapidly replacing farmland with housing and commercial developments adding additional passengers to the line each year.
Stations
The line serves 27 stations across 57 km (35.42 mi) of track. The stations are a mix of elevated, lowered, underground, and ground level designs. Underground stations are present only in the City Loop, with the majority of elevated and lowered stations being constructed as part of level crossing removals.
Legend—stopping Patterns
* ● = all trains stop.
* ◕ = trains usually stop, except for some trains in the morning and afternoon peaks on weekdays.
* ◐ = trains only stop during off-peak and pass during peak.
* ▲ = only inbound trains stop (outbound trains operate counter-clockwise through the city loop all day).
* ○ = not open—trains do not serve this stop.
*Planned station/ service.
Planned Railway Stations
Infrastructure
Rolling stock
The Pakenham line currently uses electric multiple unit (EMU) trains operating in a seven-car configuration, with three doors per side on each carriage and can accommodate of up to 1,380 passengers in each train-set. Shared with the Cranbourne line, the rolling stock will consist of 70
High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMT), once fully delivered. They are built in
Changchun
Changchun (, ; ), also romanized as Ch'angch'un, is the capital and largest city of Jilin Province, People's Republic of China. Lying in the center of the Songliao Plain, Changchun is administered as a , comprising 7 districts, 1 county and 3 ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
with final assembly occurring in
Newport,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
by Evolution Rail, a
consortium
A consortium (plural: consortia) is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments (or any combination of these entities) with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources ...
composed of
CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles
CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co., Ltd. () is a Chinese rolling stock manufacturer and a division of the CRRC. While the CRV emerged in 2002, the company's roots date back to the establishment of the Changchun Car Company in 1954. The company be ...
, Downer Rail and
Plenary Group
Plenary Group is an Australian infrastructure investment business specialising in public–private partnerships. It was founded in 2004 by three former ABN Amro employees, with Deutsche Bank taking a 20% shareholding.
Operations
Projects which ...
.
A number of semi-automated features are included in the HCMT design, including the capacity for low-speed
shunting
Shunting may refer to:
* Ribosome shunting, a mechanism in protein biosynthesis
* Shunting (rail), a rail transport operation
* Shunting (neurophysiology), a concept in neurophysiology
* Shunting (sailing), a maneuver for sailing upwind
See a ...
by remote control and for trains to be started without the presence of a driver. The trains will also automatically estimate the passenger load, and the reading can be accessed remotely. Furthermore, the HCMTs will include "stopping aids" to maximize accuracy of the position of train's arrival at platforms. The trains are powered by a 1500
V Overhead Catenary System, the same as all other electrical systems on Melbournes railway network. Unlike other Melbourne trains, the HCMTs feature electronic maps and
passenger information screens to update passengers on live information about general infrastructure evaluation. Most of these trains are repurposed locomotives previously used by
V/Line
V/Line is a statutory authority that operates regional passenger train and coach services in Victoria, Australia. It provides passenger train services on five commuter lines and eight long-distance routes from its major hub at Southern Cross ...
, Metro Trains, and the
Southern Shorthaul Railroad
Southern Shorthaul Railroad is an Australian rail freight services operator in New South Wales and Victoria. The company also provides workshop services, such as rolling stock manufacturing and wagon and locomotive maintenance.
History
Sout ...
.
Signalling
Initially, the Pakenham line used a
fixed block three position signalling system designed for lower frequencies and less services.
However, the ageing system had undermined the rail reliability on and frequencies on the line, requiring the Pakenham, Cranbourne, and Sunbury lines to upgrade their signalling system. Since 2021, the Pakenham, Cranbourne, and Sunbury lines have been rolling out high-capacity signalling (HCS) allowing trains to safely run closer together, meaning they can travel more frequently. The system is being delivered by
CPB Contractors
CIMIC Group Limited (formerly Leighton Holdings) is an Australian construction contractor. It is active in the telecommunications, engineering and infrastructure, building and property, mining and resources, and environmental services industries ...
and
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation was a Canadian-German rolling stock and rail transport manufacturer, headquartered in Berlin, Germany.
It was one of the world's largest companies in the rail vehicle and equipment manufacturing and servicing industry ...
will deliver the $1 billion Rail Systems Alliance, which includes the roll-out of high capacity signalling and communications system on the rail network. The companies will install high-capacity signalling (HCS) system on 55 km of lines to increase frequency. The line will be equipped with Bombardier’s
CityFlo 650 communications-based train control system, which will enable operation at 2-3 minute headways.
The upgrading works were completed in phases from 2021. With the upgraded signalling system, trains are now able to run closer to each other. The new system was tested on the
Mernda line and a section of the
Cranbourne line before being fully implemented on the lines. In March 2022, the Pakenham line underwent further testing of high-tech signalling equipment, to ensure the new trains and signalling system can safely run alongside older-generation trains—including
freight
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including tran ...
and V/Line trains—and the existing signalling system.
Future
Metro Tunnel
The
2012 Network Development Plan identified the need for a north-south tunnel connecting the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines to the
Sunbury line
The Sunbury Line (formerly known as Sunbury Subdivision) is a rail line owned and operated by Norfolk Southern Railway which in turn is owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. The line travels from Sunbury, Pennsylvania, to Binghamton, New Yo ...
.
In 2017, the
Metro Tunnel began construction, involving the construction of 5 new underground stations, twin 9km tunnels, and other associated infrastructure improvements. Leaving the exisiting Pakenham line alignment before
South Yarra station, new stations will be built at
Anzac
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was a First World War army corps of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the Gallipoli campaign. General William Birdwood comm ...
,
Town Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
(with connections to
Flinders Street station
Flinders Street railway station is a train station located on the corner of Flinders Street, Melbourne, Flinders and Swanston Street, Swanston streets in the Melbourne city centre, central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria (Austral ...
),
State Library
A national library is established by the government of a nation to serve as the pre-eminent repository of information for that country. Unlike public libraries, they rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuab ...
(with connections to
Melbourne Central),
Parkville, and
Arden, before continuing onto the Sunbury line. These works will be completed by 2025, and upon completion, will create a singular rail line from
Cranbourne and Pakenham to Sunbury and
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport , colloquially known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne, and the second busiest airport in Australia. It opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is ...
(
from 2029).
Melbourne Airport rail
The
Melbourne Airport rail link will involve the construction of a 27km line from
Sunshine to a new station at
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport , colloquially known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne, and the second busiest airport in Australia. It opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is ...
. Connected via the Metro Tunnel, services will operate from the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines through the tunnel before splitting off at Sunshine to either Sunbury or Melbourne Airport. Construction of the line will involve the renovation of Sunshine station to allow for additional platforms, construction of new track, and the addition of two new stations at
Keilor East
Keilor East is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Brimbank and Moonee Valley local government areas. Keilor East recorded a population of 15,078 at th ...
and Melbourne Airport.
Construction started in 2022 with services expected to begin in 2029.
Pakenham East line extension
Announced in 2021, the Pakenham line will be extended one stop east to
Pakenham East. The extension will involve the removal of the Main Street and Racecourse Road level crossings, the elevation of Pakenham station, the construction of a new station at Pakenham East, and other associated safety and landscape works.
These works will be undertaken by the
Level Crossing Removal Project and will be completed by 2024.
Level Crossing Removals
The
Level Crossing Removal Project has announced the removal of all 22 remaining level crossings on the Pakenham line, to be completed in stages from 2018 to 2025. All level crossings between Caulfield and Dandenong were removed in 2018 as part of the '
Caulfield to
Dandenong
Dandenong is a southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the council seat of the City of Greater Dandenong local government area, with a recorded population of 30,127 at the . Situated mainl ...
' skyrail project. This included the removal of 9 level crossings and the reconstruction of 5 elevated stations along the corridor. The second phase of removals involves removing individual crossings along the corridor through a variety of methods by 2025. Some crossings have been removed through elevating the rail corridor, some by lowering or raising the road, with other crossings being removed by closing the crossing off from
motor traffic. These projects will leave the entirety of the Pakenham line level crossing free by 2025, with projects on the
Sunbury line
The Sunbury Line (formerly known as Sunbury Subdivision) is a rail line owned and operated by Norfolk Southern Railway which in turn is owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. The line travels from Sunbury, Pennsylvania, to Binghamton, New Yo ...
leaving the entire Sunshine-Dandenong corridor crossing free by the opening of the Metro Tunnel in 2025.
See also
*
Dandenong railway line triplication
The Dandenong railway line triplication project was an initiative of the state government of Victoria, Australia, to add sections of a third railway line from Caulfield to Dandenong to expand the capacity of and relieve congestion on the Pakenh ...
*
Metro Tunnel
*
Cranbourne line
*
Level Crossing Removal Project
References
External links
Pakenham line timetable.Network map.Statistics and detailed schematic mapat th
VicSigenthusiast website.
{{Victorian Railway Lines, selected=melbourne
Railway lines in Melbourne
Railway lines opened in 1877
5 ft 3 in gauge railways in Australia
1879 establishments in Australia
Transport in the City of Stonnington
Transport in the City of Glen Eira
Transport in the City of Monash
Transport in the City of Kingston (Victoria)
Transport in the City of Greater Dandenong
Transport in the City of Casey
Transport in the Shire of Cardinia
Public transport routes in the City of Melbourne (LGA)