Alamein line

Alamein
Railways in Melbourne
Building at Willison station on the Alamein line, June 2024
Overview
Service typeCommuter rail
SystemMelbourne railway network
StatusOperational
LocaleMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Predecessor
  • Outer Circle (pre 1898)
  • Flinders Street – Ashburton (1898–1924)
  • Riversdale – Deepdene (1900–1925)
  • Riversdale – East Kew (1925–1943)
  • Flinders Street – Ashburton ^ (1924–1948)
^ are electric services
First service4 July 1898; 126 years ago (1898-07-04)
Current operator(s)Metro Trains
Former operator(s)
Route
TerminiFlinders Street
Alamein
Stops18 (including City Loop stations)
Distance travelled14.9 km (9.3 mi)
Average journey time27 minutes (not via City Loop)
Service frequency
  • 15–30 minutes weekdays peak
  • 15 minutes weekdays off-peak
  • 20 minutes weekend daytime
  • 30 minutes nights
  • 60 minutes early weekend mornings
  • Most weekday peak services operate through to the City. Shuttles to/from Camberwell station operate at all other times
Line(s) usedAlamein, Outer Circle
Technical
Rolling stockX'Trapolis 100
Track gauge1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Electrification1500 V DC overhead
Track owner(s)VicTrack

The Alamein line is a commuter railway line on the Melbourne metropolitan railway network serving the city of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, the line is coloured dark blue and is one of the four lines that constitute the Burnley group. It is the city's second shortest metropolitan railway line at 14.9 kilometres (9.3 mi). The line runs from Flinders Street station in central Melbourne to Alamein station in the east, serving 18 stations via Burnley, Camberwell, Riversdale, and Ashburton.[1]

The line operates for approximately 19 hours a day (from approximately 5:00 am to around 12:00 am) with 24 hour service available on Friday and Saturday nights. During peak hours, headways of up to 15 minutes are operated with services every 10–30 minutes during off-peak hours.[1] Trains on the Alamein line run with one or two three-car formations of X'Trapolis 100 trainsets.

Sections of the Alamein line opened as early as 1898, with the line fully extended to Alamein by 1948.[2] The Alamein line was originally part of the Outer Circle line which operated from 1890 until its closure in 1897. The line was built to connect Melbourne with the suburb towns of Camberwell and Ashburton, amongst others previously served by the Outer Circle line. Minor upgrades have occurred since its opening, including historical level crossing removal works and regular infrastructure upgrades.[3][4]

  1. ^ a b "Alamein Line". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference elect84 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference oc67 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Stone, John; Woodcock, Ian (10 April 2018). "Level-crossing removals: learning from Melbourne's experience". Melbourne School of Design. University of Melbourne and RMIT University. Retrieved 19 August 2023.