Wikipedia

Deer Park railway station

For the station in Suffolk County, New York, see Deer Park station.

Deer Park railway station is a regional railway station on the Ararat and Warrnambool lines, part of the Victorian railway network. It serves the western suburb of Deer Park, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Deer Park station is an elevated premium station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 2 April 1884, with the current station provided in 2023.[3]

Deer Park
PTV regional rail station
Station forecourt and entrance from Railway Parade, January 2024
General information
LocationRailway Place,
Deer Park, Victoria 3023
City of Brimbank
Australia
Coordinates37°46′40″S 144°46′18″E / 37.7777°S 144.7717°E / -37.7777; 144.7717
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byV/Line
Line(s)
Distance17.83 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms2 side
Tracks2
ConnectionsList of bus routes in Melbourne Bus
Construction
Structure typeElevated
Parking150+
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
StatusOperational, unstaffed
Station codeDPK
Fare zoneMyki Zone 2
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened2 April 1884; 140 years ago (1884-04-02)
Rebuilt3 October 1976
2009
24 April 2023 (LXRP)
Previous namesKororoit (1884-1889)
Passengers
2013–201487,358[1]
2014–201595,415[1] Increase 9.22%
2015–2016222,279[1] Increase 132.96%
2016–2017316,582[1] Increase 42.42%
2017–2018Not measured[1]
2018–2019453,950[1] Increase 43.39%
2019–2020395,900[1] Decrease 12.78%
2020–2021240,650[1] Decrease 39.21%
2021–2022269,400[2] Increase 11.94%
Services
Preceding station Railways in Victoria V/Line Following station
Ardeer
towards Southern Cross
 Ballarat line Caroline Springs
towards Wendouree
Ballarat line
(Melton line)
 Caroline Springs
towards Melton or Bacchus Marsh
Ararat line Caroline Springs
towards Ararat
Maryborough line
One daily service
 Caroline Springs
One-way operation
Sunshine
towards Southern Cross
 Geelong line Tarneit
towards Wyndham Vale, Geelong or Waurn Ponds

Initially opened as Kororoit, the station was given its current name of Deer Park on 3 December 1889.[3]

History

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Deer Park station opened as Kororoit on 2 April 1884, along with the Serviceton line, and was renamed Deer Park in 1899, by which time the station had a three road yard, passenger platform on the southern track, a goods platform on the northern track, and an interlocked signal box. Being on a single track railway, it served as a crossing loop for trains, which remained until 1913, when the signal box was abolished.[4]

In 1928, a siding serving Nobel Chemical Finishes (Australia) Pty Ltd was provided at the up (Spencer Street) end of the station, running north to a loop siding and dead end. In 1929, alterations were made to the electric staff working of trains, to permit workers trains to operate to the Nobel factories at Ardeer and Deer Park. In 1943, the signal box was reopened, in conjunction with the opening of the new Ravenhall siding (Commonwealth Government Siding), at the down end of the yard. The new siding ran south from the line to a loop siding, before terminating at a dead end.[4] Also occurring in that year, flashing light signals were provided at the former Mount Derrimut Road level crossing (then known as Station Road), which was located at the up end of the station.[5]

The Nobel siding (later ICIANZ) was closed in 1955 and, in 1976, the line from Sunshine to Deer Park West Junction was duplicated,[3][6] with the current island platform also provided.[6] The signal box was closed, and the line was worked by Centralised Traffic Control from Sunshine. Crossovers between both lines were provided at each end of the platform. In 1978, the Ravenhall siding was abolished.

In 1981, boom barriers were provided at the former Mount Derrimut Road level crossing.[4][7] In 1987, one of the loop sidings in the yard was removed, with the last siding removed in 1989, leaving only the main line and platform.[4] In 2005, as part of the Regional Fast Rail project, control of the signalling was transferred to the Ballarat signal box.[8]

In September 2009, an upgrade of Deer Park station commenced, including:[9]

  • 150 paved car-parking spaces;
  • improved station access, lighting and signage;
  • improved station security via CCTV;
  • retain as many trees as possible, as well as planting new trees;
  • protect native grasses to the east of the new car park.

In June 2015, the junction of the Deer Park – West Werribee line, part of the Regional Rail Link project, opened three kilometres west of Deer Park.[10][11] The year prior, during major construction works, the station underwent a minor upgrade as part of the project. There were changes to the platform and the car-park, and safety fences were installed between the tracks and the car-park waiting area.

First announced by the Andrews State Government in 2018, the station is set to be integrated into the metropolitan railway network, as part of the Western Rail Plan.[12]

As part of the Regional Rail Revival project, 18 km (11 mi) of track was duplicated between Deer Park West and Melton. It was provided in late 2019, coinciding with the opening of Cobblebank.[3][13][14]

As part of the Level Crossing Removal Project, the Mount Derrimut Road level crossing was grade separated and the station rebuilt in April 2023.[15] The railway line was elevated over the road, along with the rebuilt station.[16] Construction began in 2021, with the station and adjacent road reopening on 24 April 2023.[17] Deer Park is also the first station in Victoria to have a roof garden[18]

Platforms and services

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A V/Line VLocity train on a Southern Cross-bound service arrives at Platform 1, April 2023

Deer Park has two side platforms. It is serviced by V/Line Ballarat, Ararat and Geelong line services, as well as selected weekend Warrnambool line services.[19][20]

Platform 1:

Platform 2:

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CDC Melbourne operates one bus route via Deer Park station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

  •  400 : Sunshine station – Laverton station (shared with Transit Systems Victoria)[21]

Transit Systems Victoria operates three routes via Deer Park station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

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  •  
    Eastbound view of former ground level Platform 1, September 2010
  •  
    Westbound view of platforms, with works for the station rebuilding and level crossing removal in the background, November 2022
  •  
    Eastbound view from Platform 2, May 2023

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Archived 17 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Philip Mallis
  2. ^ Annual regional train station patronage (station entries) Archived 13 May 2023 at the Wayback Machine Data Vic
  3. ^ a b c d "Deer Park". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d "Victorian Station Histories - Deer Park" (PDF). www.vrhistory.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
  5. ^ David Langley (January 1992). "Flashing Lights and Boom Barriers Dates of Installation". Somersault. Signalling Record Society Victoria. pp. 9–19.
  6. ^ a b "Way & Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. May 1974. p. 115.
  7. ^ John Sinnatt (January 1990). "Level Crossing Protection". Somersault. Signalling Record Society Victoria. pp. 9–17.
  8. ^ "Deer Park Interlocking Information". vicsig.net. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  9. ^ "Major Improvements for Deer Park Station". Media Release: Minister for Public Transport. www.premier.vic.gov.au. 20 June 2008. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 2010-09-04.
  10. ^ Deer Park - West Werribee Junction Regional Rail Link
  11. ^ "Deer Park Junction". Rail Geelong. Archived from the original on 5 February 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  12. ^ "A Real Plan For Fast Regional Rail And Metro Rail For The West". Archived from the original on 9 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  13. ^ "Cobblebank Station opening community event". Victoria's Big Build. 24 June 2021. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  14. ^ "Celebrating Cobblebank Station opening". Victoria's Big Build. 24 June 2021. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Mt Derrimut Road, Deer Park". Level Crossing Removal Project. Archived from the original on 27 February 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Concept designs released for Mt Derrimut Road". Level Crossing Removal Project. 13 April 2021. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  17. ^ Victoria’s Big Build (24 April 2023). "The new Deer Park Station is open". Victoria’s Big Build. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  18. ^ "Deer Park Station makes history". 28 November 2023.
  19. ^ Ballarat - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria
  20. ^ Geelong - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria
  21. ^ a b "400 Sunshine Station - Laverton Station via Robinsons Road". Public Transport Victoria.
  22. ^ "420 Sunshine Station - Watergardens Station via Deer Park". Public Transport Victoria.
  23. ^ "422 Sunshine Station - Brimbank Central SC via Deer Park". Public Transport Victoria.
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