Belgrave Line

Written By: Thomas McIntosh
Photos By: Thomas McIntosh and Ian Green

Page Last Updated: 6/6/20

Opening in 1888, the Belgrave line is a 42 kilometre passenger line that serves the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The line originally went to Upper Ferntree Gully, from there onward the line narrow gauge all the way out to Gembrook, the narrow gauge line from Ferntree Gully was shut in 1954 and reopened in 1962 as broad gauge out to Belgrave. The narrow gauge line out to Gembrook is now a tourist railway.

A map of the Belgrave line as of 2020. Source: Metro Trains Melbourne

Belgrave Station

Belgrave station looking towards Melbourne. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Platform 2 looking towards Melbourne. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Opened in 1900 Belgrave was originally called Monbulk, but was renamed Belgrave in 1904. The station, along with the line was shut in 1954 and was converted from Narrow to Broad gauge, the station was reopened in 1962 and has largley remained the same ever since.

The station is made up of 1 island Platform and is a staffed station. The station itself has a fair bit of Earthwork around it. Most of it is in a cutting, with varying degrees of extremity from one end of the platform to another.

Inside the main station building. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Tecoma Station

Looking towards Melbourne. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

The second station on the Belgrave line, Tecoma is a single platform station and is one of the least used stations in Victoria. According to the Philip Mallis blog, Tecoma has one 56,000 passenger trips made to and from the station between 2016-2017.

When the station opened in 1954, it was part of the Narrow Guage line between Upper Ferntree Gully and Gembrook. In 1962 the station re-opened and was converted to broad gauge.

The station building at Tecoma. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Looking towards Belgrave. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Upwey Station

A Flinders Street service arrives into the station. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Upwey is the fourth station on the Belgrave line, with it's island platform configuration the station acts as a crossing loop for Belgrave and Flinders Street services. Between 1904 and 1954 it was part of the Narrow Gauge line to Gembrook. In 1962 when the line reopened the station became Broad Gauge.

The station sits in between the Burwood Highway and Main Street, the other forms of transport connections to this station are a few bus routes which go out to the surrounding areas.

The main station building. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Information board. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Looking towards Melbourne. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Looking towards Belgrave. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

A Flinders Street and Belgrave train crossing eachother. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Alex and I passing time waiting for the Flinders Street train. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Upper Ferntree Gully

The station sign on the Burwood Highway. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

The fifth station on the Belgrave line is Upper Ferntree Gully station. It was opened up in 1889 and was used for passengers to connect to the Narrow Gauge line that went out to Gembrook. But when the line was shut and rebuilt between 1954 and 1962 the station became fully broad gauge.

Upper Ferntree Gully station is configured as an island platform and has two tracks next to each platform which Metro uses to stable their trains at during the weekend. There is a level crossing on the Melbourne side of the station. It was fitted with lights and boom gates in 1985. The station also contains a signal panel which came into use in 1964, it controls the track between Upper Ferntree Gully and Belgrave station. In 1975 the station's name was altered to Upper Fern Tree Gully. But was reverted back around 10 years later.

Platform 2 Station Sign. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Newsagent kiosk in the station building. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Inside the station building. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Platform 1 looking towards Melbourne. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Two Xtrapolis EMUs stabled in one of the yards. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Ferntree Gully Station

938M trailing a Belgrave train. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Ferntree Gully station opened in 1889 with the name "Lower Ferntree Gully", which was changed in 1962 to what it is presently.

The station consists of two platforms, a pedestrian crossing and a level crossing which is the only way of crossing the line. The station was upgraded to a premium station in 2009. The double tracks merge into one track immediately south of the station (towards Belgrave).

The platform 1 station building. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

The platform 2 station building. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Alpine Street level crossing. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Inside the platform 1 station building. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Boronia Station

Looking towards Belgrave off the Chandler Road bridge. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Originally opening in 1920, Boronia is a station that has seen some substantial changes in the last 100 years. It originally opened as a two platform station with a level crossing on Boronia Road. The station received a few upgrades in 1985, with new station buildings being added.

In 1998 the level crossing was grade separated and the station was rebuilt into an open cutting in an island platform configuration, it has stayed the same ever since.

The eastern side of the station building. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Inside the station building. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Platform 2 station sign. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Inside the waiting room in-between platform 1 and 2. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Bayswater Station

The main station building and a piece of 'modern art'. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Opening in 1889, Bayswater is the eight station on the Belgrave line. The station, much like Boronia has seen a few changes over the years. Originally it was single track, in 1982 it was rebuilt into an island platform when the line was re-duplicated between Ringwood and Bayswater. In 2016, the station was completely demolished as part of the removal of the Mountain Highway and Scoresby Road level crossings. The station is also home to a maintenance depot that metro uses on its Xtrapolis fleet. In it's earlier days, the station was a destonation for cement trains, it stopped in 1987 when the cement siding in Lyndhurst was built.

Looking towards Belgrave off platform 2. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Looking towards Melbourne off platform 1. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

The stabling and maintenance yards next to the station. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Looking towards Belgrave. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

The station sign. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Inside the station building. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

Heathmont Station

911M trails a Belgrave service. (30/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh

The ninth station on the Belgrave line is Heathmont, originally it was a single track station when it opened in 1926, in 1982 a second platform was added when the line between Ringwood and Bayswater was duplicated. The station building on platform 1 was added in 1977.

The station lies in-between Canterbury Road to the North and a pedestrian rail crossing to the south.