Upfield line

Upfield
Railways in Melbourne
Moreland station on the Upfield line.
Upfield-bound Siemens train at Brunswick, November 2014.
Overview
Service typeCommuter rail
SystemMelbourne railway network
StatusOperational
LocaleMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Predecessor
  • Coburg (1884–1889)
  • Somerton (1889–1903)
  • Coburg (1903–1914)
  • Fawkner † (1906–1914)
  • Fawkner (1914–1920)
  • Fawkner ^ (1920–1959)
  • Somerton § (1928–1956)
^ are electric services

† cemetery traffic only

§ railmotor service
First service9 September 1884; 140 years ago (1884-09-09)
Current operator(s)Metro Trains
Former operator(s)
Route
TerminiFlinders Street
Upfield
Stops19 (including City Loop stations)
Distance travelled20.1 km (12.5 mi)
Average journey time36 minutes (not via City Loop)
Service frequency
  • 15–20 minutes weekdays peak
  • 20 minutes weekdays off-peak
  • 20 minutes weekend daytime
  • 30 minutes nights
  • 60 minutes early weekend mornings
Line(s) usedUpfield
Technical
Rolling stockComeng, Siemens
Track gauge1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Electrification1500 V DC overhead
Track owner(s)VicTrack

The Upfield line is a commuter railway line in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.[1] Operated by Metro Trains Melbourne, it is the city's fifth-shortest metropolitan railway line at 20.1 kilometres (12.5 mi). The line runs from Flinders Street station in central Melbourne to Upfield station in the north, serving 19 stations via North Melbourne, Brunswick, Coburg, and Fawkner.[1]

The line operates for approximately 19 hours a day (from approximately 05:00 to around midnight) with a 24-hour service on Friday and Saturday nights. During peak hours, headways of up to 15 minutes are operated, with services every 20–30 minutes during off-peak hours.[1] Trains run in two three-car formations of either Comeng or Siemens Nexas sets.

Services on the line began in 1884 when it opened from North Melbourne to Coburg.[2] In October 1889, it was extended to Somerton.[2] The continued existence of the line was in serious doubt in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with proposals for it either to be converted to a light rail or fully closed.[3][4]

With the future of the rail line secured, and patronage growth in the 2000s, infrastructure upgrades were carried out on the line. They included replacing sleepers, upgrading signalling technology, removing level crossings, introducing new rolling stock, and improving station accessibility.[5] The 2018 Victorian Rail Plan identified the need to reopen the rail line between Upfield and Somerton/Roxburgh Park, and run regional and metropolitan rail services via that route in the near future.[6]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Jackson, Elisabeth (7 April 2023). "Stories from the Upfield Line in Brunswick". Brunswick Daily. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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