Flinders Street Station isn’t just the hub of Melbourne’s suburban network, but also a key route for rail freight.
Early in the morning, a load of gravel heads east to the Hanson concrete plant at Westall.
After morning peak the train returns, headed back to the quarry a Kilmore East for another load.
Just before lunchtime the southbound steel train passes through, headed for the Bluescope steel mill at Hastings.
After lunch, a load of containers rolls through bound for the Port of Melbourne.
The freight trains cease for the evening peak, and passenger trains take over.
But after suburban service frequencies drop, the freights start rolling again – first the return steel train, bound for the Melbourne Freight Terminal.
And then the return Maryvale paper train, headed back to Gippsland
Which tracks do freight trains use
There are ten ‘through’ platforms at Flinders Street Station – platform 11 no longer exists, platform 12 and 13 are extensions of platform 10, and platform 14 is out of use.
But there are a total of 12 through tracks – the extras being track 1A between platform 1 and 2.
And track 9A between platforms 9 and 10.
Freight trains are usually routed via track 9A, but they will occasionally be seen passing through platforms 7 through 9, depending on what other trains are running.
This was before the last round of timetable changes, but back when the Werribee train leaves from platform 10 on weekdays after 6.30pm. Except the 8 pm train.
I have to remind myself to go to platform 8 and not 10 for the Werribee 8pm which I suspect was because of the freight train that comes around between 7.45 to 8.15 pm.
There are times I nearly forget, and I will see people wait at platform 10 for a train that doesn’t come until the next one at 8.20pm.
If I am not mistaken, some of the freight train comes late enough that the 8.20pm gets boxed in and have to leave later, causing me to miss my connecting bus.
Both freight and Werribee line trains use the ‘new’ viaduct between Southern Cross and Flinders Street, hence the platform shuffling to avoid delays when one rolls through.
[…] And to finish – we see the Maryvale paper train waiting at North Dynon, before another trip east. […]
[…] slips through Flinders Street Station just after midnight, and heads for the Hanson concrete plant at Westall, 25 kilometres south-east […]