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Box Hill railway station, Melbourne

Box Hill
PTV commuter rail station
Eastbound view from Platform 3, August 2024
General information
LocationStation Street,
Box Hill, Victoria 3128
City of Whitehorse
Australia
Coordinates37°49′09″S 145°07′17″E / 37.8192°S 145.1214°E / -37.8192; 145.1214
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byMetro Trains
Line(s)
Distance16.12 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms4 (1 island, 2 side)
Tracks3 (Platform 1 has no track)
Connections
  • List of bus routes in Melbourne Bus
  • Melbourne tram route 109 Tram
  • Regional coach Coach
Construction
Structure typeBuilt over
Parking500
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes—step free access
Other information
StatusOperational, premium station
Station codeBOX
Fare zoneMyki Zone 2
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened1 December 1882; 142 years ago (1882-12-01)
Rebuilt1983–1985
ElectrifiedDecember 1922
(1500 V DC overhead)
Passengers
2020–20211,192,700[1] Decrease 57.02%
2021–20221,387,500[2] Increase 16.33%
2022–20231,924,250[2] Increase 38.68%
2023–20242,535,000[2] Increase 31.74%
Services
Preceding station Railways in Melbourne Metro Trains Following station
Union
towards Flinders Street
 Lilydale line Laburnum
towards Lilydale
Belgrave line Laburnum
towards Belgrave
Future
Burwood
towards Southland
 Suburban Rail Loop East
(under construction) 		Terminus
Former services
Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Mont Albert   Lilydale line   Line open
  Belgrave line  
Track layout
Legend
to Union
1
2
4
3
to Laburnum

Box Hill railway station is a commuter railway station on the Belgrave and Lilydale lines, which are both part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the eastern suburb of Box Hill, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Box Hill station is a below ground premium station, featuring four platforms, an island platform with two faces and two side platforms connected by a ground level precinct. It opened on 1 December 1882, with the current station provided in 1985.[3]

The station is located underground, beneath the Box Hill Central Shopping Centre. East of the station, towards Lilydale and Belgrave, the three tracks merge into two.

History

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Box Hill station opened on 1 December 1882 when the railway line from Camberwell was extended to Lilydale.[3] When the station opened, Box Hill was a separate town with several hundred residents.[4] It was named in 1861 after Box Hill in Surrey, England, which was the birthplace of the local postmaster.[4] In 1895, a large market was opened next to the station.[4]

On 19 December 1922, the section of line from Flinders Street to Box Hill was electrified, and that was extended to Ringwood the following month.[3]

In 1971, the current centre line between East Camberwell and Box Hill was provided.[3] It was also in that year that the overpass over Elgar Road was opened, located in the up direction from the station, replacing a level crossing.[3]

On 29 December 1976, goods services to and from the station ceased.[5]

In 1979, the station was one of three used as trial sites for new bike lockers under the Melbourne Bicycle Strategy, either for occasional, monthly or quarterly hire.[6]

A plaque by VicRail commemorating 100 years of rail service to Box Hill

Beginning in early 1983, construction started on rebuilding the station below ground, as part of the project to eliminate the level crossing at Station Street, which was at the eastern end of the station.[3] Box Hill Central Shopping Centre and the bus terminus were built over the top of the station, with the complex being completed in 1985.[3] Platform 1 was used between 24 April 1983 and 9 June 1984,[3] while the rest of the new station was being built, and has been retained for possible future use. The platform has no track or lighting, and a McDonald's restaurant has been built over the ramp from the station concourse.

On 18 July 1996, Box Hill was upgraded to a premium station.[7]

During January 2007, the line was closed between Box Hill and Blackburn, to facilitate grade separation works at the Middleborough Road level crossing, near Laburnum. A rail replacement bus service operated between the two stations for the duration and, to cater for that, a temporary bus interchange was constructed at Box Hill. The interchange was built directly on top of the tracks, which had been paved between the rails to the east of the station, and was connected to Platforms 2 and 3 via a raised walkway.[8] With the completion of the major works at the end of January 2007, the bus interchange was removed.

During the 2017/2018 financial year, with 3.254 million passenger movements, Box Hill was the tenth-busiest station on Melbourne's metropolitan network, as well as being the busiest non-interchange station outside of the Melbourne CBD.[9]

Box Hill will be the northern terminus of stage one of the Suburban Rail Loop project.[10] Construction began in 2022, with the project scheduled for completion by 2032. It will connect Box Hill to the Frankston, Pakenham, Cranbourne and Glen Waverley lines, as well as other new intermediate stations. Stage two of the project will involve the line extending northwards to Doncaster, and eventually to Bundoora, Reservoir, Fawkner, Broadmeadows, Melbourne Airport, Sunshine and Werribee.

Platforms and services

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The now replaced CRT Monitor on Platform 4 displaying a Lilydale service, one year prior to been replaced, December 2017
An X'Trapolis train on a Flinders Street-bound service arrives at Platform 2, August 2024

Box Hill has one island platform with two faces and two side platforms, but Platform 1 is not in use. The station is served by Lilydale and Belgrave line trains.[11][12]

Platform 1:

The former Platform 1 entrance, which was since converted to a McDonald's, August 2024

Platform 2:

Platform 3:

Platform 4:

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Bus services

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Ventura buses at the bus interchange, January 2013
Eastern side of the bus interchange, September 2017

A sheltered thirteen-bay bus terminus is located on the rooftop of the Box Hill Central Shopping Centre, two levels above the station. The terminus serves 20 bus routes operated by CDC Melbourne, Kinetic Melbourne and Ventura Bus Lines. The bus deck originally had 14 bus bays, but bay 12 was removed around 2015 to enable safer access to the elevator in the office suites. In 2018, the position of bays 2 and 3 were swapped so that passengers queuing to board SmartBus route 903 southbound would not be in the way of the food kiosk.[citation needed]

Bus routes serving Box Hill station:

Bay Route To Via Ref
1 SmartBus  903  Altona station Westfield Doncaster, Heidelberg station, Northland Shopping Centre, Preston station, Coburg station, Essendon station and Sunshine station [13]
2  735  Nunawading station Station Street, Eley Road and Fulton Road [14]
3 SmartBus  903  Mordialloc Deakin University, Chadstone Shopping Centre, Oakleigh station and Mentone station
4  302  Melbourne CBD
(Lonsdale Street) 		Belmore Road and Eastern Freeway [15]
5  281  Templestowe Westfield Doncaster [16]
 293  Greensborough station Westfield Doncaster [17]
6  279  Westfield Doncaster/ Templestowe Middleborough Road [18]
 284  Doncaster Park and Ride Union Road [19]
7  612  Chadstone Shopping Centre Union station, Camberwell station and Glen Iris station [20]
8  270  Mitcham station Blackburn North [21]
 271  Ringwood station Park Orchards [22]
9  732  Upper Ferntree Gully station Vermont South, Westfield Knox and Mountain Gate Shopping Centre [23]
10  765  Mitcham station Blackburn station, Forest Hill Chase and Brentford Square [24]
 766  Burwood Union station [25]
11  733  Oakleigh station Mount Waverley station, Monash University Clayton Campus and Clayton station [26]
12  767  Westfield Southland Deakin University and Chadstone Shopping Centre [27]
13  201  Deakin University
Burwood Campus 		Station Street and Elgar Road [28]

Tram services

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Yarra Trams operates one route via Box Hill station:

V/Line coach services

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A V/Line coach stop is located at Whitehorse Road near Watts Street, with services to:

Usage

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Passenger usage at Box Hill Station between 2008 and 2024 sorted by financial year.

Box Hill is the tenth-busiest station on Melbourne's metropolitan rail network.[2]

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References

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  1. ^ Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008–2024 Philip Mallis
  2. ^ a b c d Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Box Hill". vicsig.net. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Box Hill and Box Hill City". Victorian Places. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  5. ^ "Traffic". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. January 1977. p. 12.
  6. ^ Network, Railways of Australia, September 1979, Vol.16 No.7 p. 28
  7. ^ "Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1997. pp. 303–315.
  8. ^ "Middleborough Road Project". vicsig.net. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  9. ^ "Station Patronage Data 2013–2018". Philip Mallis. Transport for Victoria. 13 February 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Stage one rail tunnel alignment". Suburban rail loop. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
  11. ^ "Lilydale Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  12. ^ "Belgrave Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  13. ^ "903 Altona – Mordialloc (SMARTBUS Service)". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  14. ^ "735 Box Hill to Nunawading". Public Transport Victoria.
  15. ^ "302 City – Box Hill Station via Belmore Rd and Eastern Fwy". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  16. ^ "281 Templestowe - Deakin University". Public Transport Victoria.
  17. ^ "293 Box Hill - Greensborough via Doncaster SC". Public Transport Victoria.
  18. ^ "279 Box Hill - Doncaster SC via Middleborough Rd". Public Transport Victoria.
  19. ^ "284 Doncaster Park & Ride - Box Hill via Union Road". Public Transport Victoria.
  20. ^ "612 Box Hill - Chadstone via Surrey Hills & Camberwell & Glen Iris". Public Transport Victoria.
  21. ^ "270 Box Hill - Mitcham via Blackburn North". Public Transport Victoria.
  22. ^ "271 Box Hill - Ringwood via Park Orchards". Public Transport Victoria.
  23. ^ "732 Box Hill - Upper Ferntree Gully via Vermont South & Knox City & Mountain Gate". Public Transport Victoria.
  24. ^ "765 Mitcham - Box Hill via Brentford Square & Forest Hill & Blackburn". Public Transport Victoria.
  25. ^ "766 Box Hill – Burwood via Surrey Hills". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  26. ^ "733 Oakleigh - Box Hill via Clayton & Monash University & Mt Waverley". Public Transport Victoria.
  27. ^ "767 Southland – Box Hill via Chadstone & Jordanville & Deakin University". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  28. ^ "201 Box Hill Station - Deakin University". Public Transport Victoria.
  29. ^ "109 Box Hill - Port Melbourne". Public Transport Victoria.
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