Written By: Thomas McIntosh
Photos By: Thomas McIntosh, Trent Martin and Ian Green
Page Last Updated: 23/10/20
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Station Info:
Opened: 3 April 1882 Platforms: 3, 1 Island, 1 Side Platform 1: Trains to Flinders Street, limited stations and all stops. Platform 2: Trains to Belgrave, Lilydale and Flinders Street, limited stations and all stops. Platform 3: Trains to Alamein, Belgrave, Blackburn and Lilydale, limited stations and all stops. Status: Staffed Transport Links: Route 16 Melbourne University - Kew (Tram) Station Code: CAM Distance: 10.21 kilometres from Southern Cross |
Looking over the station towards Ringwood. (25/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Camberwell station is made up of 3 platforms, 1 island and 1 side. The station has a ramp access to platform 3 from Cookson Street. A footbridge and a ramp are used access to platforms 1 and 2. This station is used as a start and end point for the Alamein line shuttles during the weekend and off-peak times.
In it's early days, Camberwell was a terminus station until the line was further extended out to Lilydale. In the 1890s following the failure of the Outer Circle line, the station became the start and end point for trains on the Ashburton (later Alamein) Line, which was the only remaining piece of the Outer Circle line. In 1919 the station was demolished and rebuilt to remove the steep grade between Auburn and Camberwell. It was so steep that fully loaded steam hauled passenger trains could not make it over the grade. Meaning that at Auburn, the train would be split in two and a bank loco would take one half to Camberwell and come back to Auburn to retrieve the other half. It was a very inefficient system and caused major delays in peak hour. The line and station were placed into a cutting, the station buildings from 1919 are still there today.
Despite being over a century old, the station buildings are not heritage listed. In 2005 there was an attempt by residents to place the buildings on the Victorian Heritage Register which failed, meaning the buildings aren't protected under any heritage regulations and laws.
In 2001 Camberwell station became the centre of controversy. As part of the 'Melbourne 2030' planning strategy, Camberwell station was set to undergo a huge development. 'Melbourne 2030' proposed a high level of development around public transport hubs and nodes and Camberwell was viewed as one of the 'activity centres' to be redeveloped. In 2003 VicTrack announced plans to install a multi-story car park and shopping centre over a demolished and rebuilt Camberwell station. But an uproar from the community and several protests stopped the plans for ever going ahead.
Today the station has remained largely unchanged since it was built in 1919, between 2017 and 2018 just under 2 million passengers used the station to commute to and from Camberwell.
In it's early days, Camberwell was a terminus station until the line was further extended out to Lilydale. In the 1890s following the failure of the Outer Circle line, the station became the start and end point for trains on the Ashburton (later Alamein) Line, which was the only remaining piece of the Outer Circle line. In 1919 the station was demolished and rebuilt to remove the steep grade between Auburn and Camberwell. It was so steep that fully loaded steam hauled passenger trains could not make it over the grade. Meaning that at Auburn, the train would be split in two and a bank loco would take one half to Camberwell and come back to Auburn to retrieve the other half. It was a very inefficient system and caused major delays in peak hour. The line and station were placed into a cutting, the station buildings from 1919 are still there today.
Despite being over a century old, the station buildings are not heritage listed. In 2005 there was an attempt by residents to place the buildings on the Victorian Heritage Register which failed, meaning the buildings aren't protected under any heritage regulations and laws.
In 2001 Camberwell station became the centre of controversy. As part of the 'Melbourne 2030' planning strategy, Camberwell station was set to undergo a huge development. 'Melbourne 2030' proposed a high level of development around public transport hubs and nodes and Camberwell was viewed as one of the 'activity centres' to be redeveloped. In 2003 VicTrack announced plans to install a multi-story car park and shopping centre over a demolished and rebuilt Camberwell station. But an uproar from the community and several protests stopped the plans for ever going ahead.
Today the station has remained largely unchanged since it was built in 1919, between 2017 and 2018 just under 2 million passengers used the station to commute to and from Camberwell.
Photos of Camberwell Station
Looking towards Melbourne from Burke Road. (25/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Looking towards Ringwood from platform 3. (25/5/20)
Photo By: Thomas McIntosh |
Trains at Camberwell Station
B76 with a loaded QUBE/Metro spoil train near the station. (21/12/19)
Photo By: Trent Martin |
B76-B80 trail #7230 up Metro spoil train at Camberwell. (27/7/13)
Photo By: Ian Green |
T377-IEV102-T373 returning from an IEV run to Alamein at Camberwell. (16/5/14)
Photo By: Ian Green |
T364 trailing a Steamrail shuttle for the Ashburton Festival at Camberwell. (23/11/14)
Photo By: Ian Green |