South Morang railway station is a commuter railway station on the Mernda line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the north-eastern suburb of South Morang, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. South Morang is a below ground premium station, featuring an island platform with two faces. It opened on 22 April 2012.[5]

South Morang
PTV commuter rail station
Eastbound view from Platform 2 with 2 X'Trapolis trains at both platforms, March 2018
General information
LocationMcDonalds Road,
South Morang, Victoria 3752
City of Whittlesea
Australia
Coordinates37°38′57″S 145°4′3″E / 37.64917°S 145.06750°E / -37.64917; 145.06750
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byMetro Trains
Line(s)Mernda
Distance25.99 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms2 (1 island)
Tracks2
ConnectionsList of bus routes in Melbourne Bus
Construction
Structure typeBelow ground
Parking450
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes—step free access
Other information
StatusOperational, premium station
Station codeSMG
Fare zoneMyki Zone 2
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened22 April 2012; 12 years ago (2012-04-22)
ElectrifiedNovember 2011
(1500 V DC overhead)
Previous namesStopping Place No. 39
(1925–1959)
Passengers
2011–2012141,142[1]
2012–2013Not measured[1]
2013–2014929,186[1]Increase 558.3%
2014–20151,004,019[2]Increase 8.05%
2015–20161,174,152[1]Increase 16.94%
2016–20171,170,111[1]Decrease 0.34%
2017–20181,266,871[1]Increase 8.27%
2018–2019886,550[1]Decrease 30%
2019–2020554,250[1]Decrease 37.5%
2020–2021291,000[1]Decrease 47.5%
2021–2022347,300[3]Increase 19.34%
2022–2023510,050[4]Increase 46.86%
Services
Preceding station Railways in Melbourne Metro Trains Following station
Epping Mernda line Middle Gorge
towards Mernda
Track layout
McDonalds Drain
1
2

History

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The first passenger facility at the site was Rail Motor Stopping Place (RMSP) No. 39, which was opened in May 1925 at the McDonalds Road level crossing on the former Whittlesea line.[6][7][8] The then South Morang station was a short distance further on. In its final years of operation, the passenger service was provided by a diesel electric railmotor (DERM).

On 29 November 1959, the Victorian Railways closed the line north of Lalor,[5] following the electrification of the line from Reservoir to Lalor. The line to Epping was electrified and re-opened on 29 November 1964,[5] and the remaining section of track from Epping to Whittlesea dismantled, although the former right-of-way was left intact.

Following the election of the Bracks Government in October 1999, a promise was made to restore the rail service to South Morang by 2003. In 2004, it was decided a bus service would be introduced instead and, in May 2006, the original promise of restoring the railway was delayed until 2021. As a result of continued community pressure by the South Morang Rail Alliance, a coalition of community groups in the area, then Premier, John Brumby, announced in 2008 that construction of the extension would be brought forward to 2010, as part of the Victorian Transport Plan.[9][10]

The Epping line was extended to the site of Rail Motor Stopping Place No. 39, on the border of South Morang and Mill Park, about two kilometres short of the original South Morang station. On 22 April 2012, the new station was opened to the public.[5] As part of the extension project, five kilometres of track was duplicated between Keon Park and Epping, a second platform built at Thomastown, and a grade separation project at Epping included the construction of a new station there.[11]

Provision was for the new line to be extended further northwards to Mernda and, on 26 August 2018, that extension opened.[12][13]

Platforms and services

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South Morang has one island platform with two faces. It is served by Mernda line trains.[14]

Platform 1:

Platform 2:

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Dysons operates seven bus routes via South Morang station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

Kinetic Melbourne operates one SmartBus route via South Morang station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008–2021 Archived 17 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Philip Mallis
  2. ^ Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005–2006 to 2018–19 Archived 17 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Department of Transport
  3. ^ Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Archived 6 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine Data Vic
  4. ^ Annual metropolitan train station entries 2022-23 Data Vic
  5. ^ a b c d "South Morang". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  6. ^ Carey, Adam (23 April 2012). "South Morang finally gets its line". The Age. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  7. ^ "South Morang (2), Was RMSP 39 looking towards future end of track". Weston Langford Railway Photography. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  8. ^ "RMSP34 Epping Quarries Siding (Railmotor Stopping Place No.34)". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  9. ^ "General News". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). February 2009. p. 38.
  10. ^ Archived version of the Victorian Transport Plan
  11. ^ Project Overview Archived 2 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine Transport Victoria
  12. ^ Getting on with it: Mernda rail project released to market Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Premier of Victoria 28 February 2016
  13. ^ "Meet Mernda, your new line". www.ptv.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  14. ^ "Mernda Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  15. ^ "382 Whittlesea – Northland SC via South Morang Station". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  16. ^ "383 Palisades - University Hill". Public Transport Victoria.
  17. ^ "386 Mernda Station – Bundoora RMIT via Cravens Rd & South Morang Station". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  18. ^ "387 Mernda Station – Bundoora RMIT via Hawkstowe Pde & South Morang". Public Transport Victoria. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  19. ^ "564 Bundoora RMIT - South Morang". Public Transport Victoria.
  20. ^ "569 Epping Plaza SC - South Morang". Public Transport Victoria.
  21. ^ "577 Epping Plaza SC - South Morang Station via Findon Rd". Public Transport Victoria.
  22. ^ "901 Frankston - Melbourne Airport (SMARTBUS Service)". Public Transport Victoria.
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