Frankston line

Frankston line
Railways in Melbourne
Bonbeach station platform view looking north.
The rebuilt Bonbeach station on the Frankston line, December 2021
Overview
Service typeCommuter rail
SystemMelbourne railway network
StatusOperational
LocaleMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
PredecessorMordialloc (1881–1882)
First service19 December 1881; 142 years ago (1881-12-19)
Current operator(s)Metro Trains
Former operator(s)
Route
TerminiFlinders Street (from Werribee or Williamstown)
Frankston
Stops28
Distance travelled43.23 km (26.86 mi)
Average journey time1 hour 7 minutes
Service frequency
  • 5–10 minutes weekdays peak
  • 10 minutes weekdays off-peak and weekend afternoons
  • 20 minutes at nights and weekend mornings
  • 60 minutes early weekend mornings
  • Certain trains continue or start from Werribee/Williamstown
Line(s) usedFrankston
Technical
Rolling stockComeng, Siemens, X'Trapolis 100
Track gauge1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Electrification1500 V DC overhead
Track owner(s)VicTrack

The Frankston line is a commuter railway line in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.[1] Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is the city's third-longest metropolitan railway line, at 42.7 kilometres (26.5 mi). The line runs from Flinders Street station in central Melbourne to Frankston station in the south-east, serving 28 stations via South Yarra, Caulfield, Moorabbin, and Mordialloc.[2] The line continues to Stony Point on the non-electrified Stony Point line. The line operates for approximately 20 hours a day (from approximately 4:00 am to around 11:30 pm) with 24 hour service available on Friday and Saturday nights. During peak hour, headways of up to 5 to 10 minutes are operated with services every 10–20 minutes during off-peak hours.[3] Trains on the Frankston line run with a two three-car formations of Comeng, Siemens Nexas, and X'Trapolis 100 trainsets.[4]

Sections of the Frankston line opened as early as 1881, with the line fully extended to Frankston in 1882. A limited number of stations were first opened, with infill stations progressively opened between 1881 and 2017.[5] The line was built to connect Melbourne with the rural towns of Caulfield, Moorabbin, and Frankston, amongst others. Significant growth has occurred since opening, with a plan to extend the Frankston line along part of the Stony Point line to Baxter.[6]

Since the 2010s, due to the heavily utilised infrastructure of the Frankston line, significant improvements and upgrades have been made. Different packages of works have upgraded the corridor to replace sleepers, upgrading signalling technology, the introduction of new rolling stock, and the removal of all level crossings.[7]

  1. ^ "Frankston Line". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Metro's paper timetables mess". Daniel Bowen. 3 September 2017. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :18 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "What year did your railway station open? | Public Transport Users Association (Victoria, Australia)". 3 August 2018. Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :19 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).