Cranbourne railway station

Cranbourne station opened on 1 October 1888, as a station on the South Gippsland line that, until 24 July 1993, was serviced by V/Line services to Leongatha.[3]

Between March 1920 and June 1956, trains regularly ran from a series of sidings about a mile south of the station, dispatching between ten and thirty trucks per week loaded with locally mined construction-quality sand.[4]

In 1959, flashing light signals were provided at the former South Gippsland Highway level crossing, which is located at the Down end of the station.[2]

A water tank that was located within the former train yard was removed in early 1973.[5]

In 1981, flashing light signals were provided at the Camms Road level crossing, located nearby in the Up direction.[2] Boom barriers were provided during the electrification of the line.

In November 1993, Train Order Working replaced Electric Staff safeworking to Cranbourne, then on 24 March 1995, the electrification and power signalling on the line was commissioned from Dandenong.[6][7] Prior to opening, the original station building was removed on 8 February 1994 by the Mornington Railway Preservation Society,[8] whilst the former goods shed and a number of tracks were removed by August 1994.[9]

The last regular train ran beyond Cranbourne on 15 January 1998, when the Koala Siding (near Nyora) to Spotswood sand train ceased operation.[10]

In April 2008, work started on the construction of six train stabling sidings at Cranbourne, to enable more trains to run on the line at peak times without duplicating the line. The works were completed in November 2008.[2][11] As part of these works, the station and bus interchange received an upgrade.[12]

As part of the Liberal – National Coalition's 2018 Victorian state election campaign, a pledge was made to extend the Cranbourne line to the suburb of Clyde.[13]

On 30 November 2018, the Level Crossing Removal Project announced that the Camms Road level crossing, located in the Up direction of the station, will be grade-separated.[14][15] On 25 June 2021, designs for the level crossing were revealed. It will involve raising Camms Road over the railway line via an overpass.[16]

The Level Crossing Removal Project is also in the process of duplicating the railway line between Cranbourne and Dandenong.[17] Major works started in 2020, and was completed by 13 February 2022, a year ahead of schedule.[18][19] The duplication also involved a new timetable for the Cranbourne line, with trains operating roughly every 10 minutes in the morning peak.[19]

The Victorian government still has plans to reintroduce rail services to Leongatha in the future, as well as extending the electrified line 3.5 kilometres to Cranbourne East and possibly Clyde.

Cranbourne has one island platform with two faces. The station building features a customer service window, two enclosed waiting rooms and toilets. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Cranbourne line services.[20]

Platform 1:

•  Cranbourne line  terminating services to and from Flinders Street

Platform 2:

•  Cranbourne line  terminating services to and from Flinders Street

It is planned to connect the Cranbourne line to the Sunbury line, through the new Metro Tunnel, in late 2025.

Cranbourne Transit operates eight routes via Cranbourne station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  791 : to Frankston station[21]
•  792 : to Pearcedale[22]
•  795 : to Warneet[23]
•  796 : to Clyde[24]
•  798 : Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre – Selandra Rise (Cranbourne East)[25]
•  893 : Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre – Dandenong station[26]
•  897 : Clyde – Lynbrook station[27]
•  898 : to Cranbourne East[28]

Ventura Bus Lines operates three routes via Cranbourne station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  760 : to Seaford station[29]
•  841 : Narre Warren North – Cranbourne[30]
•  Night Bus   982 : Dandenong station – Cranbourne (Saturday and Sunday mornings only)[31]

• Media related to Cranbourne railway station, Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons
• Melway map