Aircraft railway station

Aircraft railway station is located on the Werribee line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the western Melbourne suburb of Laverton, and opened on 7 March 1925 as Aviation Siding. The station was provided to serve the former Royal Australian Air Force Laverton base. It was renamed Aircraft Siding on 10 May 1927, and Aircraft on 19 March 1963.[1][2]

Aircraft
PTV commuter rail station
South-west bound view from Platform 1 in June 2019
General information
LocationTriholm Avenue,
Laverton, Victoria 3027
City of Hobsons Bay
Australia
Coordinates37°52′00″S 144°45′39″E
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byMetro Trains
Line(s)Werribee
Distance22.23 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms2 (1 island)
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus
Construction
Structure typeGround
Parking25
Bicycle facilitiesYes
Disabled accessYes
Other information
StatusOperational, Unstaffed
Station codeACF
Fare zoneMyki Zone 2
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened7 March 1925 (1925-03-07)
Electrified1500 V DC overhead
(November 1983)
Previous namesAviation Siding (1925-1927)
Aircraft Siding (1927-1963)
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station
Williams Landing
towards Werribee
 Werribee line Laverton
towards Frankston via Flinders Street

The Western standard gauge line passes to the north of platform 1.

History

Aircraft station opened for passengers on 7 March 1926,[1] and in the following year, on 10 May 1927, a platform was provided.[1] On 10 May 1932, the station was relocated in the up direction.[1]

The station was rebuilt in 1964, when it was relocated in the down direction, just beyond the Aviation Road level crossing[1] and, in 1968, in association with the duplication of the line to Werribee, it was converted to an island platform.[2]

Doubt was cast on the future of Aircraft station after the announcement that Williams Landing station would be built just a kilometre down the line.[3] In June 2010, a spokesman for then Public Transport Minister, Martin Pakula, said only that Aircraft would remain open until 2012, the opening date of Williams Landing station.[4] At the same time, the construction of 100 new car parking spaces was cancelled, and railway sources confirmed that the government's plans were to close Aircraft station. However, in September 2010, the Public Transport Minister ended speculation by pledging that the station would not be closed.[5]

In 1964, flashing light signals were provided at the former Aviation Road level crossing, which was located at the up end of the station,[1] with boom barriers provided in 1979.[6] In March 2018, it was announced by the Level Crossing Removal Project that the level crossing will be grade separated via the road over rail method, with the entrance of the station to be reconstructed.[7] The level crossing was eventually removed in September 2019.[8]

Platforms and services

Aircraft has one island platform with two faces. It is served by Werribee line trains.[9]

Platform 1:

Platform 2:

CDC Melbourne operates three routes via Aircraft station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

  •  415 : Laverton station – Williamstown[10]
  •  417 : Laverton station – Laverton station (loop service via Laverton North)[11]
  •  496 : Laverton station – Sanctuary Lakes[12]

References
  1. Aircraft Vicsig
  2. Aircraft Station Rail Geelong
  3. Aircraft station flies on Hobsons Bay Leader 7 September 2010
  4. "Doubts persist on Aircraft station". Wyndham Weekly. www.wyndhamweekly.com.au. 30 June 2010. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  5. Lucas, Clay (9 September 2010). "Stopping all stations as minister backs down". www.theage.com.au. Archived from the original on 13 October 2010. Retrieved 23 October 2010.
  6. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. August 1979. p. 174.
  7. "Aviation Road-over-rail design selected | Level Crossing Removal Authority". levelcrossings.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  8. "Level crossing out, new Aviation Road bridge in | Level Crossing Removal Authority". levelcrossings.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  9. "Werribee Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  10. "415 Laverton Station - Williamstown via Altona". Public Transport Victoria.
  11. "417 Laverton Station - Laverton Station via Laverton North". Public Transport Victoria.
  12. "496 Laverton Station - Sanctuary Lakes via Sanctuary Lakes SC". Public Transport Victoria.
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