Flinders Street railway station

Not to be confused withFlinders railway station.

Flinders Street railway stationis a majorrailway stationlocated on the corner ofFlindersandSwanstonstreets inMelbourne,Victoria, Australia. It is the busiest railway station in Victoria, serving the entiremetropolitan rail network,15 tram routes travelling to and from the city, andV/Lineservices toGippsland.

Flinders Street
PTVmetropolitanandregionalrail station
Flinders Street station main entrance, corner ofFlindersandSwanstonStreets, February 2021
General information
Location	207–361Flinders Street Melbourne,Victoria 3000 Australia
Coordinates	37°49′05″S144°58′01″E
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	HurstbridgeMernda PakenhamCranbourne LilydaleBelgraveAlamein Glen Waverley CraigieburnUpfieldSunbury Flemington Racecourse FrankstonWerribeeWilliamstown Sandringham Gippsland
Distance	1.23 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	13 (plus one removed)
Tracks	15
Train operators	Metro Trains V/Line
Connections	Town Hall(future) Tram
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	None
Bicycle facilities	None
Accessible	Yes—step free access
Other information
Status	Premium station
Station code	FSS
Fare zone	MykiZone 1
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	12 September 1854(1854-09-12)
Electrified	28 May 1919 (1500VDCoverhead)
Previous names	Melbourne Terminus
Passengers
2019-2020	21.504 million 24.07%
2020-2021	8.528 million 60.34%
2021–2022	11.393 million 33.59%
2022–2023	18.793 million 64.96%
2023–2024	20.345 million 8.26%
Services Preceding station Metro Trains Following station Direction of travel through theCity Loopon metropolitan lines changes to eitherSouthern CrossorParliamentdepending on the line and time of day. Terminus Hurstbridge line Southern CrossorJolimont towardsElthamorHurstbridge Mernda line Southern CrossorJolimont towardsMernda Alamein line Southern CrossorRichmond towardsAlamein Belgrave line Southern CrossorRichmond towardsBlackburn,LilydaleorBelgrave Lilydale line Glen Waverley line Southern CrossorRichmond towardsGlen Waverley Craigieburn line Southern CrossorParliament towardsCraigieburn,Sunbury,WatergardensorUpfield Sunbury line Upfield line Cranbourne line Richmond towardsWestall,CranbourneorEast Pakenham Pakenham line Southern Cross towardsWilliamstown,LavertonorWerribee Frankston line Richmond towardsFrankston Werribee line Williamstown line Terminus Flemington Racecourse line Southern Cross towardsShowgroundsorFlemington Racecourse Sandringham line Richmond towardsSandringham Preceding station V/Line Following station Southern Cross Terminus Gippsland line Richmond towardsTraralgonorBairnsdale
Former services Preceding station Disused railways Following station Terminus St Kildaline South Melbourne Terminus Port Melbourneline Montague List of closed railway stations in Melbourne
Future Services Preceding station Metro Trains Following station through toWerribeeorWilliamstown Sandringham line Richmond towardsSandringham Southern Cross towardsWerribeeorWilliamstown Werribee line through toSandringham Williamstown line Southern Cross One-way operation Frankston line Richmond towardsFrankston Town Hall State Library towardsSunbury Sunshine–Dandenong corridor (under construction) Anzac towardsEast PakenhamorCranbourne
Building details
General information
Status	Completed
Type	Railway stationterminus
Architectural style	Federation/EdwardianPeriodBaroque
Elevation	20.6 metres (68 ft)AHD
Construction started	1900(1900)
Completed	1909(1909)
Cost	£A514,000
Technical details
Material	Sandstone,bluestone,granite Copperroof Trägerwellblech system flooring/roofing Corrugated galvanised iron roofing Lead glazed Edwardian Majolica plain and lettered wall tiles
Design and construction
Architect(s)	James W. Fawcett
Architecture firm	Fawcett and Ashworth
Engineer	H.P.C. Ashworth
Victorian Heritage Register
Official name	Flinders Street Railway Station Complex
Criteria	A, E, F, G
Designated	20 August 1982
Reference no.	H1083
Heritage Overlay number	HO649

Opened in 1854 by theMelbourne and Hobson's Bay Railway Company,the station, but not the current building, is the oldest in Australia, backing onto theYarra Riverin thecentral business district.The complex now includes 13 platforms and structures that stretch over more than two city blocks, from east of Swanston Street to nearly atMarket Street.

Flinders Street station is served byMetro Trainsservices, andV/Lineregional services toGippsland.It is the busiest station on Melbourne's metropolitan network, with an average of 77,153 daily entries recorded in the 2017/18 fiscal year.It was the terminus of the first railway in Australia (thePort Melbourne line) and was reputedly the world's busiest passenger station in the 1920s, owing to the concentration of services there, which were only dispersed after the construction of theCity Loopin the 1970s.

The main platform (operationally divided into platforms 1 and 14) is Australia's second longest, and the eighteenth-longest railway platform in the world.Trains at Flinders Street station connect with several tram services, and is the site of two of Melbourne's busiest pedestrian crossings, both across Flinders Street, including one of Melbourne's fewpedestrian scrambles,at the junction withElizabeth Street.

The current station building was completed in 1909 and is a cultural icon of Melbourne. The distinctive and eclecticEdwardianbuilding, with its prominent dome, arched entrance, tower and clocks is one of the city's most recognisable landmarks, and its grand, somewhat exotic character led to the popular myth that the design was actually intended forMumbai'sVictoria Terminusand vice versa, but was swapped in the post.

The Melbourne saying "I'll meet you under the clocks" refers to the row of indicator clocks above the main entrance, which show the next departure for each line;the alternative, "I'll meet you on the steps", refers to the wide staircase beneath the clocks.

It has been listed on theVictorian Heritage Registersince 1982.

History

Early terminus

The first railway station to occupy the Flinders Street site was a collection ofweatherboardtrain sheds. It was opened on 12 September 1854 by theLieutenant-Governor,Charles Hotham.The terminus was the first city railway station in Australia, and the opening day saw the firststeam traintrip in Australia. The train travelled to Sandridge (nowPort Melbourne), over the since-reconstructedSandridge Bridgeand along what is now the light railPort Melbourne line.

William Jones, the first stationmaster of Flinders Street

There is some confusion over the original name of the station. Leo Harrigan, in his bookVictorian Railways to '62,writes that it was first named "Melbourne Terminus". Newspaper articles about the opening in September 1854 refer to "Melbourne terminus" with a lower case "t", which may have caused the misapprehension.

H.K Atkinson, in his bookSuburban Tickets of the Victorian Railways,lists the station as being called "Flinders Street" from its opening. Early tickets for the railway just show "Melbourne" as the destination. Moreover, a newspaper report of December 1854 mentions that the Hobsons Bay Railway Company shareholder meeting was held at "Flinders Street Station".

In all likelihood, the station was called "Melbourne, Flinders Street" from the outset, and the somewhat superfluous "Melbourne" was gradually dropped through common usage. WhenPrince's Bridgestation opened across Swanston Street in 1859, the Flinders Street name would undoubtedly have become more prominent. The platforms for trains arriving fromStation Pierretained the "Melbourne, Flinders Street" signage well into the twentieth century, so migrants fresh off the boat wouldn't be confused about where they were.

View of the platforms looking west, 1895

The first terminus had a single platform 30 metres (98 ft 5 in) long, and was located beside the Fish Market building on the south-west corner ofSwanstonandFlinders Streets.An additional platform was provided in 1877, along with two overhead bridges to provide passenger access, followed in 1879 by additional timber and corrugated iron buildings, and atelegraph station.The first signal boxes were opened at the station in 1883, one at each end of the platforms.By the 1890s, a third island platform had been constructed.

Entrance from Swanston Street,c. 1890

Melbourne's two other early central-city stations,Spencer StreetandPrinces Bridge,opened in 1859. Spencer Street served the lines to the west of the city, and was isolated from the eastern side of the network until a ground level railway was built connecting it to Flinders Street in 1879,this track being replaced by theFlinders Street Viaductin 1889.

Princes Bridge station was originally separate from Flinders Street, even though it was only on the opposite side ofSwanston Street.Once the railway line was extended under the street in 1865 to join the two, Princes Bridge was closed.It was reopened in April 1879, and from 1909 slowly became amalgamated into Flinders Street.Federation Squarenow occupies its site. Up until the 1880s a number of designs for a new station had been prepared, but none ever went further.

Current building

1883 design competition winner

By the 1880s, it was becoming clear that a new central passenger station was needed to replace the existing ad-hoc station buildings. A design competition was held in 1883, but the winning entry, by William Salway, featuring a pair of grandiose Italianate buildings either side of a yet-to-be-rebuiltPrinces Bridge,was not proceeded with.

The winning design by Fawcett & Ashworth, 1899

During construction, 1908

Well over a decade later, the Railway Commissioners prepared an in-house design for a new "Central Railway Station". It was published on 28 July 1898, and featured a dome on the corner and a clocktower at the Elizabeth Street end, and a largetrain shedroof over all the platforms.The Railways Standing Committee of the state parliament accepted the track and platform layout, the location of the concourse and entrances, and even the room layout to some extent, and recommended that it be funded. However, they were not satisfied with the architectural design, asking in April 1899 for adesign competition"for the frontage" ',with a closing date of August 1899.17 entries were received, and the winners were announced on 28 May 1900.

The £500 first prize was awarded to railway employees James Fawcett and H. P. C. Ashworth (Fawcett and Ashworth), whose design, namedGreen Light,was described as being in theFrench Renaissancestyle.Like the Commissioners' design, it included a large dome over the main entrance, a tall clock tower over the Elizabeth Street entrance, an entrance opposite Degraves Street, and two subways. There was to be atrain shedroof of corrugated iron over the platforms "supported by 12 columns", with minimal amounts of glass to protect against the summer sun (drawings of that have not survived).The Swanston Street elevation does survive, and shows an impressive three-arched roof running east–west, with a tall stained glass east end, which most likely was only to cover the concourse. The roof over the platforms may have been a similar arrangement of arches but across the lines rather than parallel.

A ticket booth at the station, 1910s

Flinders Street Station and the intersection ofFlinders&Swanston Streets,1927

In 1900, work began on the rearrangement of the station tracks, while the final design of the station building was still being worked on. Work on the central pedestrian subway started in 1901, and the foundations of the main building were completed by 1903.

In 1904, in mid-construction, the plans were extensively modified by theRailways Commissioners.The proposed single platform roof was replaced by individual platform roofs, and it was decided not to include the arched concourse roof. To increase office space, a fourth storey was added to the main building, which resulted in the arches above each entrance on Flinders Street being lowered, decreasing their dominance.

In 1905, work began on the station building itself, starting at the west end and progressing towards the main dome.Ballaratbuilder Peter Rodger was awarded the £93,000 contract. The building was originally to have been faced in stone, but that was considered too costly, so red brick, with cement render details, was used for the main building instead. Grey granite fromHarcourtwas used for many details at ground level on the Flinders Street side, "in view of the importance of this great public work".The southern façade of the main building consisted of a lightweight timber frame clad with zinc sheets, which were scored into blocks and painted red to look like large bricks. That was done to create corridors instead of what were to be open-access balconies inside the scrapped train shed.

Flinders Street Station illuminated for the1954 Royal Visit

Work on the dome started in 1906. The structure required heavy foundations because it extended over railway tracks. In May 1908, work was progressing more slowly than planned, with the expected completion date of April 1909 increasingly unlikely to be met. Rodger's contract was terminated in August 1908.A Royal Commission was appointed in May 1910, finding that Rodger could be held accountable for the slow progress in 1908, but he should be compensated for the difficulties before then. The Way and Works Branch of theVictorian Railwaystook over the project, and the station was essentially finished by mid-1909. The verandah along Flinders Street, and the concourse roof and verandah along Swanston Street, were not completed until after the official opening in 1910.

Frederick Karl Esling,superintending engineer, was responsible for building the new Flinders Street station, as well as the widening of Swanston Street over the railway lines, resolving the changing and complicated lay-out of the tracks at the station and yards, the duplication of the Flinders street railway viaduct, and rebuilding Princes Bridge Station.

The new Flinders Street station building had three levels at the concourse, or Swanston Street, end, and four at the lower Elizabeth Street end. Numerous shops and lettable spaces were provided, some on the concourse, but especially along the Flinders Street frontage, many at lower than street level, accessed by stairs, which created a fifth or basement level. The top three levels of the main building contained a large number of rooms, particularly along the Flinders Street frontage, mostly intended for railway use, but also many as lettable spaces. Numerous ticket windows were located at each entry, with services, such as a restaurant, country booking office, lost luggage office and visitors help booth, at the concourse or platform level. Much of the top floor was purpose-built for the then new Victorian Railway Institute, including a library, gym, and lecture hall which was later used as aballroom.Those rooms have been largely abandoned and decaying since the 1980s.

For a number of years in the 1930s and 1940s, the building featured acrechenext to the main dome on the top floor,with an open-air playground on an adjoining roof. Since 1910, the basement store beside the main entrance has been occupied by ahatshop, known as "City Hatters" since 1933.

The firstelectric trainservice operated from Flinders Street toEssendonin 1919,and by 1923 it was thought to be the world's busiest passenger station, with 2300 trains and 300,000 passengers daily.In 1954, to cater for increasing traffic, as well as for the1956 Summer Olympics,the Degraves Street subway from the station was extended to the north side of Flinders Street, creatingCampbell Arcade.In March 1966, platform 1 was extended to 708 metres (2,322 ft) long.

Redevelopment plans

Plans arose at various times from the 1960s to the 1970s for the demolition or redevelopment of the station, as well as the adjacentJolimont Yardarea. The station had fallen into disrepair, having not been cleaned in decades, and was covered with advertising hoardings and neon signs.

In 1962, the Minister for Transport and HKJ Pty Ltd signed an agreement for a £30 million redevelopment of the station that would have resulted in the demolition of the clock tower and its replacement by an office building up to 60 storeys high.Work was to begin in 1964 but, instead, theGas & Fuel Buildingwas constructed over Princes Bridge station.In 1967, a company purchased the option to lease the space above Flinders Street Station, planning to build a shopping plaza and two office towers, with the dome and clock tower to be kept as part of the design, but strong opposition saw the project lapse.

Looking north acrossYarra Rivertowards Flinders Street railway lines and buildings,c. 1914.

In 1972, Victorian PremierHenry Bolteunveiled another redevelopment plan, to cover 11 hectares (27 acres) of space above the station and Jolimont Yard for a complex of shops, offices, theatres and other community facilities. A newspaper report of 1974 said that planning was still underway for the $250 million proposal, but by 1975, public perceptions had begun to turn towards retention of the station.ABuilders Labourers Federationgreen banat the time helped preserve it in its existing form.The controversy over these proposals led to a re-apprasial of the architecture and significance of the station, which had been seen as something of an oddity, or even simply as dirty and ugly, such that it was classified by theNational Trust of Australia(Victoria) by 1976, and eventually listed on the stateHeritage Registerin 1982.

In 1989, under theJohn Caingovernment, an agreement to construct a "Festival Marketplace" was signed. Designed byDaryl Jacksonarchitects, it was to be built over the existing platforms in a style sympathetic to the existing station, and be completed by 1992. Planned to feature shops, restaurants and cafes, the project was abandoned in 1991 after the inability of the financiers to come up with the $205 million required due to theearly 1990s recession.

In November 2011, the Victorian Government launched a $1 million international design competition to rejuvenate and restore the station. In October 2012, after receiving 118 submissions, six finalists were selected.The public could vote and the jury's choice and people's choice winner were announced on 8 August 2013. The competition winner wasHassell+Herzog & de Meuron,while the people's choice winner wereUniversity of Melbournestudents Eduardo Velasquez, Manuel Pineda and Santiago Medina.No funding was attached to the competition, and no major changes were undertaken.

Refurbishment

Westbound view of the station building, May 2005

Main concourse, August 2017

View showing the repainted façade of Flinders Street in softer, heritage colours, March 2021

TheSwanston Streetconcourse has undergone the most change of any part of the station, and is now three times the depth of the original structure, is located near Federation Square and only the canopy and roofed area on Swanston Street remains of the original. After the first round of works in 1985 aCity of Melbournecouncillor, Trevor Huggard, described the renovation as "vandalism of historically important sections of the station", and in 1997 theNational Trust of Australiadescribed the additions to the concourse as unsympathetic and detrimental to the station, having "the character of a modern shopping centre".

The television displays used to display next train information were added to each platform in July 1980.

In 1982, a $7 million refurbishment was announced by the Minister for Transport,Steven Crabb,divided into four phases, designed by the railways architect Kris Kudlicki.Completed by 1984, the first escalators at the station provided on platforms 2 and 3 replaced ramps, and new public toilets were provided, replacing those over the platforms.The main station concourse was tiled and extended westward over the tracks, with skylights added above the ramps, and 16 new shops opened on the concourse. A restaurant was built on the southern side facing the river,which opened in October 1985, but closed soon after, instead becoming the "Clocks on Flinders"poker machinevenue in 1994.The main steps were embedded with electrical circuits to keep them dry in June 1985.

In 1993, the Elizabeth Street subway was extended and opened at theSouthbankend.Conservation work was also carried out to the main building, with the external facade repainted, exterior feature lighting installed, and the stained glass feature windows above each entry restored.Further changes were made through the late 1990s with the opening of access from the main Swanston Street concourse to platform 1, platform resurfacing withtactile tiles,and the replacement of the remainder of the original platform access ramps (except platform 10) with escalators and elevators.

The tracks to the east of the station were rebuilt between 1997 and 1998 to clear the way for theFederation Squareproject.Jolimont Yardwas eliminated, with $40 million spent to reduce 53 operating lines between Flinders Street andRichmond Stationto just 12. The number ofpointswas also reduced, from 164 to 48.These changes also saw a reallocation of platform usage at the station, country trains being shifted from platform 1 to platform 10, and Clifton Hill group trains being shifted from the deleted Princes Bridge station to platform 1.

The final round of changes were completed by 2007. It included refurbishment of the building roof and concourse foundations, an upgrade of platform 10 with escalators and a lift replacing the ramp, the relocation of all ticket booking offices to the main entrance under the main dome and new LCDpassenger informationdisplays installed on the platforms, subways and concourse.In March 2009 an escalator replaced the lift to platform 12 and 13, with platform 13 also extended west into daylight along the alignment of the former platform 11.

In 2008, the retail pavilions on the concourse were rebuilt, increasing their area. An investigation of the potential of the abandoned spaces in the station, overseen by a task force comprising representatives fromConnex,theCommittee for Melbourne,Melbourne City Council,Heritage Victoria,was completed the same year, but the conclusions were not made public.In January 2010, one of the first announcements by the new Minister for Public Transport was that the government was investigating the refurbishment of the abandoned spaces for "cultural uses",showing tram lines, February 2010|alt=The facade as viewed from Flinders Street, showing tram lines, February 2010]]In mid-February 2015, PremierDaniel Andrewsand Minister for Public TransportJacinta Allanannounced that $100 million would be spent for urgent refurbishment works to upgrade station platforms, entrances, toilets, information displays and to restore the exterior of the main building.

Scaffolding covering most of the station's exterior in 2017.

By July 2017, the station had been almost completely repainted in the original 1910 colours.The distinctive yellow mustard colour was replaced with more muted shades of stone and red, which were determined based on a forensic analysis of the original paint layers on the surface of the building.

As painting continued in January 2018, a further round of works was announced including the renewal of the Elizabeth Street pedestrian subway and rebuilding of the subway's south entrance to include direct access to platform 10.In 2018 the pedestrian forecourt in front of the station's main entrance was expanded and new security bollards were installed to protect pedestrians from cars, as part of the security response to theJanuary 2017 Bourke Street car attack.

Town Hall station

Main article:Town Hall railway station, Melbourne

From 2025, the Flinders Street station complex will expand with the opening of the adjacent Town Hallrapid transitstation underSwanston Street,which will have a number of new entrances in the surrounding precinct.

As part of theMetro Tunnelproject,City Squareon Swanston Street was fenced off in 2017 for the commencement of construction works on a new CBD station, which will directly connect with Flinders Street.In November 2017, after a naming competition, it was announced the CBD South station would have a separate name from Flinders Street station and be named Town Hall, after the nearbyMelbourne Town Hall.Major station works on Town Hall station began in 2018 with the station expected to open in 2025.

The new station will connect with Flinders Street station via an underground walkway through the existingCampbell ArcadeandDegraves Streetunderpass.A number of changes were made to the design of the connection with the 1950s Campbell Arcade to preserve the site's heritage character and small, art deco shopfronts.In 2019, a section of Flinders Street was closed to cars to allow the construction of the underground connection between the two stations.

The connection, named Flinders Link, will allow for a paid-area interchange between Metro Tunnel services at Town Hall and Flinders Street services.As part of the project, six lifts are being installed on Flinders Street station platforms 1–10 to allow for accessible access via the Degraves Street underpass.

On the 29th of January 2025 the Degraves Street Subway reopened after being closed since April 2022. As part of the upgrade elevators were added in place of one of the sets of stairs up to the platforms. The exits onto Flinders and Degraves Street remain closed untilTown Hallopens later in 2025.

Station layout

Station view from high in the northwest, 2025

Steps from platforms 12 & 13

View along Platform 2

The platform layout at Flinders Street is almost entirely composed of through tracks – a product of the constrained geography of the site and the haphazard development of the rail network around it.The first platform at the station, constructed near and parallel to Flinders Street itself, was barely even 30 m (98 ft 5 in) long, and allowed trains from Port Melbourne to terminate.The opening of the rail connection under Swanston Street in 1865 enabled trains from Brighton to access the platform,and so it was later extended to enable the simultaneous arrival of trains from the east and west.

A second platform to the south of the first was provided in 1877, after the amalgamation of railway companies began to increase traffic at the station.Platform expansion began in earnest following the 1882 recommendation that Flinders Street be developed as a major terminal, and the subsequent government acquisition of the railways between 1889 and 1892, three further platforms were constructed on land acquired from the former fish market in anticipation of additional traffic, which eventuated when Essendon, Coburg and Williamstown trains were routed across the viaduct in 1894.Development continued with the completion of the 1899 ground plan, which specified a total of 11 platforms – platform 1 along the main building and five pairs ofisland platformsto the south. The remaining platforms were constructed as works progressed on the main building, and in 1909, a decision was made to extend platforms 10 and 11 eastwards, creating two new platforms originally numbered 10 East and 11 Eastand now numbered 12 and 13.

Railway officials proposed amalgamating the nearby Princes Bridge station with Flinders Street with improved passenger connections in the 1890s, but failed to obtain funding from the state government for the project despite the massive redevelopment works.Nevertheless, the two stations were merged for signalling and operational purposes in 1910,and in 1966, platform 1 at Flinders Street was extended to meet its counterpart at Princes Bridge, creating a single platform face with a length over 800 m (2,600 ft).The west end of platform 1 could also be used as a separate "Platform 1 West".Eventually, in 1980, Princes Bridge was formally incorporated into Flinders Street and its three platforms were renumbered 14, 15 and 16.

Several platforms were decommissioned in the early 1990s following reductions in suburban train services. Platform 11 fell into disuse following the closure of thePort Melbourne linein 1987, and platforms 14, 15 and 16 were closed to regular services, along with the west end of platform 1.Although proposals were made to reopen it by theEast West Link Needs Assessment,the platform 11 site was converted into a bar and restaurant in 2014.Platforms 15 and 16 were demolished to make way forFederation Square,but platform 14 remains intermittently in use.

A shortdock platform,known as the Milk Dock or Parcels Dock, was constructed in 1910 to the north of platform 1 at the west end of the main building.Prior to the widespread transport of dairy products by road, the dock was a distribution centre for milk and other small goods arriving in Melbourne on early morning trains from Gippsland.Other small goods and parcels were later also loaded at the dock until most such traffic ceased in the 1960s.The structure remains essentially intact.

Three concourses link the platforms. The main concourse is at the east end of the station, located offSwanston Streetand the main dome, and has direct access to all platforms via escalators, stair and elevators. TheDegraves Streetsubway runs under the centre of the station, exiting to Flinders Street at the north end, with stairs directly connecting to all platforms except for platform numbers 12 and 13. The Elizabeth Street subway is at the west end, and has direct access via ramps to all platforms except for platforms 12, 13 and 14, and via a stairway to platform 1, reopened in 2017.

Flinders Street railway station track layout
toSouthern Cross 10 9 7 5 3 1 8 6 4 2 13 14 12 toParliament toJolimont toRichmond

Platforms

Trains may use a different platform if the platform it is originally scheduled at is occupied.

Platform 1:
Destinations viaCity Loop– Clifton Hill Group:

• Hurstbridge lineall stations and limited stop services toElthamandHurstbridge,peak services toMacleodandGreensborough
• Mernda lineall stations and limited stop services toMernda,peak services toReservoirandEpping

Platform 2 & 3:
Destinations viaCity Loop– Burnley Group:

• Lilydale lineall stations and limited stop services toLilydale,peak services toBlackburn,RingwoodandMooroolbark
• Belgrave lineall stations and limited stop services toBelgrave,peak services toBlackburn,RingwoodandUpper Ferntree Gully
• Glen Waverley lineall stations and limited stop services toGlen Waverley,peak services toSyndal
• Alamein lineweekday all stations and limited stop services toAlamein,morning peak service toRiversdale

Platform 4 & 5:
Destinations viaCity Loop– Northern Group:

• Craigieburn lineall stations and limited stop services toCraigieburn,peak services toBroadmeadows
• Upfield lineall stations services toUpfield,morning peak service toBatman
• Sunbury lineall stations and limited stop services toWatergardens&Sunbury

Destinations viaRichmond(platform 4 only):

• Lilydale lineall stations and limited stop services toBlackburn
• Belgrave lineall stations and limited stop services to Blackburn
• Alamein lineweekday all stations and limited stop services toAlamein
• Glen Waverley lineall stations and limited stop services toGlen Waverley

Platform 6 & 7:
Destinations viaRichmond:

• Pakenham lineexpress services toEast Pakenham,peak service toWestallandDandenong
• Cranbourne lineexpress services toCranbourne
• Gippsland lineV/Lineservices toTraralgon&Bairnsdale(pick up only)

Destinations viaSouthern Cross(platform 7 only):

• Gippsland lineV/Line services toSouthern Cross(set down only)

Platform 8 & 9:
Destinations viaRichmond:

• Frankston lineall stations and limited stop services toFrankston

Destinations viaSouthern Cross(platform 9 only):

• Werribee lineall stations and limited stop services toLaverton&Werribee
• Williamstown lineall stations services toWilliamstown

Platform 10:
Destinations viaSouthern Cross:

• Werribee lineweekday all stations and limited stop services toLaverton&Werribee
• Williamstown lineweekday all stations services toWilliamstown
• Flemington Racecourse linelimited stop services toShowgroundsand/orFlemington Racecourse(special event days only)
• Craigieburn lineselect services toCraigieburn

Platform 11:
Removed and fenced off, Now a restaurant separate from the station.

Platform 12 & 13:
Destinations viaRichmond:

• Sandringham lineall stations services toSandringham

Destinations viaSouthern Cross(platform 12 only):

• Werribee lineselect services toLavertonandWerribee

Platform 14:
Currently not in use, "Emergency Egress Only".

Clocks

Clocks at the main entrance, 2009

The distinctive clocks under the main dome that show the departure times of the next trains date back to the 1860s. Sixty Bathgate indicators were purchased from England for use at the Flinders Street,Spencer Street,RichmondandSouth Yarrastations. Those at Flinders Street were placed into storage when the old station was demolished in 1904, with 28 placed into the new station in 1910. They were located at the main entry under the dome, the southern side archway, and the Degraves and Elizabeth Street entrances.

AnX'Trapolistrain on Platform 1 below the Elizabeth Street clock tower, August 2006

Manually operated by a railway officer using a long pole, during an 8-hour period the clocks at the main entrance were changed an average of 900 times.The original indicator clocks were removed from service in 1983 as part of a redevelopment of the station, with their replacement by digital displays planned. An outpouring of public outrage and sentimentality saw the decision reversed within one day. The clocks at the main entrance were altered to automatic operation by computer, but those at the Degraves and Elizabeth Street entrances were replaced by large airport-stylesplit-flap displays.

The space "under the clocks" or "on the steps" leading to the dome has been a popular informal meeting place for Melburnians since the station's opening. Although the area was not intended for this purpose, and there is no seating or other infrastructure to suggest it as a destination, the location – opposite the well-knownYoung and Jackson Hoteland overlooking two of the busiest tram routes in the city – means it is accessible and visible to many of the city's main pedestrian thoroughfares. Many people who meet "under the clocks" do not arrive by train; the site's cultural significance extends beyond its main function as a transport hub.

Looking southwest towards platform 6 from platform 5, showing the space where track 5A formerly was, March 2016

A clock tower has also existed at the end of Elizabeth Street since 1883. The first one was known as the 'Water Tower Clock', after a wooden framed water tower erected on the site in 1853. That clock remained in place until 1905 when work begun on the new station, the clock tower being moved to outsidePrinces Bridge station.In 1911 it was moved toSpencer Street station,where it remained until the station was redeveloped in 1967. Sold to a private collector, it was returned to public ownership and in 1999 was put on display at theScienceworks Museum,Spotswood.It was returned to the renamedSouthern Cross stationin 2014.

Today's Elizabeth Street clock tower was constructed between August 1906 and November 1907, the clock being built to an English design by Melbourne clock maker F. Ziegeler. Originally needing to be wound every day, it is now electrically operated.It was cleaned and overhauled between 2017 and 2018 before being fully restored to service.

Signal boxes

Flinders Street "A" signal box,c. 1913

The first signal boxes were opened at the station in 1883, one at each end of the platforms. From the 1900s until 1983, five signal boxes controlled traffic into the station.

Flinders Street Awas located at the western end of the station, between the lines toSt Kilda/Port MelbourneandSpencer Street,and controlled all traffic from the west. It was of "traditional"Victorian Railwaysdesign, in brick, and had two mechanicallever framesof equal size, totalling 280 levers.The mechanical signals were decommissioned in October 1979.The signal box has been burnt twice, the second time being in 2002,destroying the timber and glass superstructure and slate roof. In 2009, it was rebuilt asSignal,a youth arts centre funded by theCity of Melbourne.

Flinders Street Bwas located at theRichmondend of platforms 8 and 9 and controlled the southern tracks fromJolimont Yard.It was of traditional VR design, in brick, and was demolished when theFederation Squaredeck was built.

Flinders Street Cwas located beyond the Richmond end of platforms 4 and 5 and controlled the northern tracks from Jolimont Yard. It was of traditional VR design and was demolished together with Flinders Street B.

Flinders Street Dwas located at the Richmond end of thePrinces Bridgeisland platform (later incorporated into Flinders Street as platforms 15 and 16). The structure, of utilitarian brick construction, remains today, just beyond the Federation Square deck.

Flinders Street Ewas located at Richmond Junction, and controlled the junction as well as access into the Richmond end of the stabling sidings. Of utilitarian brick construction, it remains in place today underneath theWilliam BarakBridge.

Since 1983, the station has been remotely controlled byMetrol.The station precinct is operated by fourinterlockingscorresponding to former signal boxes A, B, D and E.

Usage

Passenger usage at Flinders Street Station between 2008 and 2024.

Flinders Street is the busiest station on Melbourne's metropolitan network. In 2023-24 it recorded 20.35 million passengers.

Transport links

Western approach to Flinders Street station, 2008

W-class Melbourne tramon theCity Circle,August 2008

Yarra Tramsoperates 14 services via Flinders Street, Swanston Street and Elizabeth Street:

No.	Route	Stop location	Ref
	East Coburg–South Melbourne Beach	Swanston Street
	Melbourne University–East Malvern
	Melbourne University –Malvern
	Moreland–Glen Iris
	Melbourne University –Kew
	toNorth Coburg	Elizabeth Street
	City Circle	Flinders Street
	toWest Maribyrnong	Elizabeth Street
	toAirport West
	Melbourne University –East Brighton	Swanston Street
	Melbourne University –Carnegie
	Waterfront City Docklands–Wattle Park	Flinders Street
	Melbourne University –Camberwell	Swanston Street
	Central Pier Docklands–Vermont South	Flinders Street

References

Sources

• Determination by the Heritage Council of Victoria to Amend an Existing Registration: Flinders Street Railway Station Complex.Heritage Council of Victoria. 19 September 2014.Retrieved8 August2019.
• Davies, Jenny (2009).Beyond the Façade: Flinders Street, more than just a railway station.Publishing Solutions.ISBN978-1-9214-8803-0.
• Fiddian, Marc (1997).Trains, tracks, travellers: a history of the Victorian railways.Pakenham: South Eastern Independent Newspapers.ISBN1-8754-7512-5.
• Fiddian, Marc (2003).Flinders St Station: Melbourne's Taj Mahal.Hastings: Galaxy Print and Design.ISBN0-9581-7046-0.
• Harrigan, Leo J. (1962).Victorian Railways to '62.Melbourne: Victorian Railways Public Relations and Betterment Board.
• Lambert, Keith W.; Jungwirth, Alan, eds. (1996).Weekly notice extracts 1894-1994.Cheltenham: Weekly Notice Productions.ISBN0-6463-0010-5.
• Lee, Robert S. (2007).The Railways of Victoria 1854–2004.Melbourne University Press.ISBN978-0-5228-5134-2.
• Mees, Paul (July 2008)."Does Melbourne need another central city rail tunnel?"(PDF).RMIT University.Retrieved8 August2019.
• Nock, Oswald Stevens (1971).Railways of Australia.London: A. & C. Black.ISBN0-7136-1190-1.
• Priestly, Susan (1984).Making their mark.Melbourne: Fairfax, Syme & Weldon.ISBN0-9492-8803-9.
• Richards, Jeffrey; MacKenzie, John M. (1986).The railway station: a social history.Oxford & New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN0-1921-5876-7.

Further reading

• McKillop, Robert F.; Ellsmore, Donald; Oakes, John (2008).A century of Central: Sydney's Central Railway Station 1906 to 2006.Redfern: Australian Railway Historical Society/NSW Division.ISBN978-0-9757-8706-9.
• Otto, Kristin (2009).Capital: Melbourne at the centre of the world 1901-1927.Melbourne: Text Publishing Company.ISBN978-1-9215-2077-8.

External links

• Flinders Street Station, historic images and original architectural plansat Culture Victoria
• Melway mapat street-directory.au