Bentleigh railway station

Railway station in Melbourne, Australia

37°55′03″S 145°02′13″E / 37.9175°S 145.0369°E / -37.9175; 145.0369Owned byVicTrackOperated byMetro TrainsLine(s)FrankstonDistance16.52 kilometres from
Southern CrossPlatforms3 (1 side, 1 island)Tracks3ConnectionsList of bus routes in Melbourne BusConstructionStructure typeBelow groundParking109Bicycle facilitiesYesAccessibleYes—step free accessOther informationStatusOperational, premium stationStation codeBENFare zoneMyki Zone 1/2 overlapWebsitePublic Transport VictoriaHistoryOpened19 December 1881; 142 years ago (1881-12-19)Closed11 June 2016Rebuilt29 August 2016 (LXRP)ElectrifiedJune 1922 (1500 V DC overhead)Previous namesEast Brighton (1881-1907)Passengers2005-2006756,552[1]2006-2007818,722[1] Increase 8.21%2007-2008854,967[1] Increase 4.42%2008-2009990,000[2] Increase 15.79%2009-20101,029,000[2] Increase 3.94%2010-20111,006,000[2] Decrease 2.23%2011-2012898,000[2] Decrease 10.74%2012-2013Not measured[2]2013-2014785,000[2] Decrease 12.58%2014-2015737,989[1] Decrease 5.98%2015-2016612,593[3] Decrease 16.99%2016-2017559,528[3] Decrease 8.66%2017-2018766,858[3] Increase 37.05%2018-2019727,900[4] Decrease 5.04%2019-2020515,100[4] Decrease 29.23%2020-2021299,650[4] Decrease 41.8%2021–2022344,350[4] Increase 14.91% Services
Preceding station Railways in Melbourne Metro Trains Following station
McKinnon
towards Werribee or Williamstown via Flinders Street
 Frankston line Patterson
towards Frankston
Track layout
Legend
to McKinnon
1
3
2

Bentleigh railway station is located on the Frankston line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Bentleigh, and it opened on 19 December 1881 as East Brighton. It was renamed Bentleigh on 1 May 1907.[5]

History

Bentleigh station opened on 19 December 1881, when the railway line from Caulfield was extended to Mordialloc.[5] Like the suburb itself, the station was named after Thomas Bent, former Premier of Victoria between 1904 and 1909.[6][7]

A goods siding once existed at the station. It closed in 1922, and it and the connections to the siding were removed in that same year.[5] In 1944, a crossover at the down end of the station was abolished.[5]

In 1974, boom barriers replaced interlocked gates at the former Centre Road level crossing, which was located at the down end of the station.[8]

On 28 June 1987, the up face of the former ground level island platform was brought into use.[9] The former pedestrian underpass was also provided during this time.

In 1998, Bentleigh was upgraded to a premium station.[10] Prior to the works, Bentleigh closely resembled McKinnon. Also around this time, the underpass was filled in.

In 2006, the station's former pedestrian level crossing was upgraded as part of a VicTrack trial of new crossing technology. Additional warning devices were also fitted, with the common red pedestrian sign, as well as an LED light box saying "Another Train Coming", which is lit when either an express train is approaching on the southbound line, or when a train is approaching after another train on the northbound line.

In May 2015, the Level Crossing Removal Authority announced a grade separation project to replace the Centre Road level crossing, immediately south of the station. This included rebuilding the station.[11] On 4 June 2016, the station closed for demolition. On 29 August of that year, the rebuilt station opened.[12]

Bentleigh was one of the stations set to receive funding through the Morrison government's controversial Commuter Car Park Scheme, where funding was allocated to stations without consultation with local councils, and which the Auditor-General labelled "pork-barrelling".[13][14] As of 2021, City of Glen Eira was starting community consultation over the proposal, with concerns that the funding was "tainted".[13]

Platforms and services

Bentleigh has one island platform with two faces, and one side platform. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Frankston line services.[15]

Platform 1:

Platform 2:

  • No services stop at this platform. Peak hour services run express through this station.

Platform 3:

  •  Frankston line  all stations services to Frankston

Transport links

Ventura Bus Lines operates two routes via Bentleigh station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

Gallery

  • Southbound view from the former ground level Platform 3, June 2014, prior to demolition
    Southbound view from the former ground level Platform 3, June 2014, prior to demolition
  • Station concourse and entrance, December 2018
    Station concourse and entrance, December 2018

References

  1. ^ a b c d Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Archived 17 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Department of Transport
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Train Station Patronage FY2008-2014". Public Transport Victoria. 14 May 2015. Archived from the original (XLS) on 30 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016. (access from [1] Archived 3 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine)
  3. ^ a b c Station patronage in Victoria for 2013-2018 Archived 5 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Philip Mallis
  4. ^ a b c d Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Archived 6 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine Data Vic
  5. ^ a b c d "Bentleigh". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  6. ^ "Bentleigh and Bentleigh East". Victorian Places. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  7. ^ First, Jamie (7 January 2014). "The A-Z story of Melbourne's suburbs". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Way & Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. February 1975. p. 47.
  9. ^ "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. September 1987. p. 282.
  10. ^ "Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1997. pp. 303–315.
  11. ^ First to go level crossings in Melbourne's south-east top Andrew's election promise to-do list The Age 19 May 2015
  12. ^ "Planned Works". metrotrains.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 June 2016. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  13. ^ a b "Wilson's council claims car park money 'tainted', goes back to consultation". 11 August 2021. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Morrison government pulls $50m promised for station car parks". 17 May 2021. Archived from the original on 11 August 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Frankston Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  16. ^ "701 Oakleigh - Bentleigh via Mackie Road & Brady Road". Public Transport Victoria.
  17. ^ "703 Middle Brighton - Blackburn via Bentleigh & Clayton & Monash University". Public Transport Victoria.

External links

  • Melway map
  • v
  • t
  • e
Public Transport Victoria railway stations
Metro Trains Melbourne services and stations
Frankston
V/Line services and stations
  • Stations and services in italics are planned or under construction
  • Stations in (parentheses) are uncommon stops for the listed service