Welcome to South Kensington station

South Kensington station has two platforms flanking tracks used by trains on the Werribee and Williamstown line.

V/Line trains speed past on the Regional Rail Link tracks to the south.

And to the north, Sunbury line trains speed past “stopping all stations except South Kensington”.

On the narrow citybound platform, four concrete bus shelters are the only protection from the elements for passengers.

Everyone else left exposed to the elements.

While over on platform 2, there’s only one shelter.

And good luck standing behind the yellow line – you can’t even see it any more!

The only way out – steep and narrow ramps.

Which leads to a leaking pedestrian underpass.

And out on the street – a crappy little brick building that’s actually a miniature prison.

Enter the Metro Tunnel

Back in 2008 the ‘East West Link Needs Assessment Study‘ proposed a new rail tunnel running under Swanston Street, connecting Footscray to Caulfield.

Melbourne Metro Business Case, December 2011

The design was refined in the years that followed, until April 2015 when it became the ‘Metro Tunnel’ as we know it today, with a western portal located beside South Kensington station.

The City of Melbourne saw this as an opportunity to move South Kensington station westward.

Future Melbourne Committee Agenda item 7.1
Notice of Motion, Cr Leppert: South Kensington Station
1 December 2015

Motion
1. That the Future Melbourne Committee:
1.1 Resolves that the City of Melbourne supports in principle the moving of the South Kensington Station westward, from its present location to above Kensington Road; and
1.2 Notes that a full list of legacy projects associated with the Melbourne Metro Rail project are being considered by management and will be publicly canvassed in 2016.

Background

Kensington Banks has the lowest access to public transport of all residential areas of the municipality. The closest train station is South Kensington Station (in some instances more than 1km away).

South Kensington and Kensington stations are relatively close together, servicing common parts of Kensington. The below map shows a 500m radius from the entrances to Kensington and South Kensington Stations (in orange) and a 500m radius from a potential new location of South Kensington Station (blue).

The State Government contemplated moving South Kensington Station westward during the planning for Kensington Banks urban renewal, but did not progress with any plans. It has the opportunity to revisit this during Melbourne Metro Rail works. Even if the station is not moved westward as part of the project, there would be scope to ensure that the new Metro Rail works are designed in a way which anticipates the potential future construction of a Station above Kensington Road.

Future populations will also benefit from a station above Kensington Road; land adjacent to the Maribyrnong River north and south of the railway and along Kensington and Hobsons Roads is currently undergoing or is earmarked for urban renewal. (See for example agenda item 6.2 on the 1 December 2015 agenda.)

The City of Melbourne frequently and formally engages with the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority and the subject of South Kensington Station has been discussed. This motion prompts a public discussion.

An idea rejected, but they still pushed for upgrades to station access.

Melbourne Metro Rail Project
Environmental Effects Statement
City of Melbourne Submission
July 2016

The Concept Design for the project does not include any changes to South Kensington Station. The EES states that the Melbourne Metro Rail Project (MMRP) will enable further upgrades to the Williamstown and Werribee train lines in the future.

It is unclear from the EES documents whether there will be construction impacts on the operation of South Kensington Station from the MMRP. Given the proximity of the works to South Kensington Station and the subway entrance to the station, it is submitted that should construction activities affect the operation of the station, this should be used as an opportunity to upgrade the existing station and it’s access. This would be consistent with the EES evaluation objective ‘to enable a significant increase in the capacity of the metropolitan rail network and provide multimodal connections, while adequately managing effects of the works on the broader transport network, both during and after the construction of the project’.

During the Melbourne Metro Rail Project public hearing process, the poor state of South Kensington station was also brought up.

Inquiry and Advisory Committee Report
Melbourne Metro Rail Project
21 November 2016

The Minister for Planning appointed a joint Inquiry and Advisory Committee (the Committee) to provide an opportunity for people to speak in support of their submission through a s, and to make findings and recommendations on the environmental and planning effects of the Project.

In addition, the Committee comments on the poor state of South Kensington station and suggest there is a legacy opportunity to upgrade the station.

The Metropolitan Transport Forum (submission 328) noted:

South Kensington station does not meet modern standards in any respect and will be due for an upgrade or repositioning to serve a larger catchment at some stage. It is critical that no future plans for South Kensington station be jeopardised by this Project, as the Western portal is close by.

This was echoed by submission 124, who called the lack of inclusion of an upgrade to the station “a lost opportunity”.

The Committee undertook a daytime inspection of the South Kensington Station and noted its poor standard and lack of amenity. There are no toilet facilities, no vending machine, no staff, limited shelter, limited tactile paving and narrow platforms particularly on the city bound side. The Committee is concerned that the Project may constrain the ability for a future increase in the width of the train platform or implement other improvements should they be deemed necessary to meet standards.

An upgrade of South Kensington station could be considered as part of this Project to balance the impacts to the community in this Precinct and bring the station up to current standards.

But the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority still considered improvements out of scope.

$11b Metro Rail project fails to fix ‘utterly inadequate’ station in its path
Clay Lucas
October 12, 2017

When Therese Fitzgerald moved to Kensington in 1975, not that many people used the nearby South Kensington railway station.

Skip forward four decades and a flood of passengers use it – last year almost 400,000 passengers used the station, 90 per cent more than 10 years ago.

And yet the facilities at the station, wedged between industrial rail yards and a park, are – to be polite – basic.

“It’s a bus shelter, not a railway station,” said Ms Fitzgerald, a member of local group the Kensington Association.

A Melbourne Metro Rail Authority spokesman said that, as the new Metro Tunnel project would not link to South Kensington railway station, its upgrade was “not within the scope” of the project.

Still, locals pressed on, with local member for Melbourne, Ellen Sandell, launching a ‘Upgrade South Kensington station now’ petition in June 2018.

Construction begins

By 2020 work on the new tunnel portal started.

Along with the emergency access and services shaft building.

Diagram from “Western Portal Development Plan” dated 2020

The connection back to the existing Sunbury line.

And a big flood wall.

But still, local residents were not happy with the level of disruption the project was causing, with no benefit to them.

The Metro Tunnel western portal’s clashes with residents
Meg Hill
18th February 2021

Plans for the Metro Tunnel’s western portal in South Kensington in 2015 required the demolition of 10 houses and 14 businesses. But pressure from locals changed those plans. The tunnel entrance was moved, and only one house was demolished.

They’ve struggled with long construction hours, noise, dust and vibrations since 2017. Although the residents support the infrastructure investment, they have taken issue with the lack of benefit for Kensington.

“The reality is that Kensington and South Kensington doesn’t benefit at all from this project, we’re just the entrance to the tunnel. We don’t get a station or anything like that, but we got a lot of disruption,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

The bitter feeling is exacerbated by tensions over the state of South Kensington Station, which locals have long complained about.

The Age reported in 2017 that Minister for Planning Richard Wynne had been advised by experts that an upgrade to the station should be considered as part of the Metro Tunnel project to bring it “up to current standards”.

Mr Hammond said that residents had been treated unfairly.

“There has never been any proper noise mitigation – if you look at RMIT they’ve got acoustic sheds, they put roofs over the works around Melbourne University and the hospitals,” he said.

“In the last financial year, the project did 46 weeks of out-of-hours work.”

“While it’s a good project and we all support the Metro Tunnel, it’s a seriously important piece of infrastructure, there’s no balance between getting the project built and the ability for residents to have some normal life.”

North West City News understands that part of that disruption is due to major construction of what is known as a “decline structure” at the tunnel entrance that has required extended hours of work due to challenging ground conditions.

Residents are sometimes offered voluntary purchase of their homes, or long-term relocation, when they complain if they’re eligible – although it is not entirely clear what constitutes eligibility.

A Rail Projects Victoria (RPV) spokesperson told North West City News that it had worked closely with the Kensington community.

“The Metro Tunnel is a project our city and state needs. It’s how we’ll deliver more trains, more often to and from our suburbs and free up vital space in the city loop,” the spokesperson said.

“From the early stages of planning the Metro Tunnel, we have worked closely with the Kensington community on many project elements including the design and location of the western tunnel entrance to minimise acquisition of homes and businesses.”

“Our workers on the ground do their best to keep noise to a minimum but we’ve been clear from the beginning of construction that a project of this size will cause some disruption.”

A fig leaf

In June 2021 South Kensington station finally made it to the top of the Metro Trains Melbourne list of stations to get a refresh, with work crews moving in.

Platform 2 was relaid in fresh asphalt, receiving a new platform edge with tactile edge markings, and a new fence along the rear.

And a new shelter for passengers in wheelchairs was provided at the departure end.

Platform 1 also received new tactile edge markings – not that the platform is wide enough to stay clear of the yellow line!

And finally something from the Metro Tunnel project

Rail Projects Victoria continued to dodge the question of South Kensington, but eventually committed to deliver some minor upgrades.

Upon completion of the Metro Tunnel, passengers using South Kensington Station will benefit from improved capacity and more frequent services on the Werribee and Williamstown lines.

While a new station in South Kensington or connection from the existing station to the Metro Tunnel is not in the scope of the project, we will undertake upgrades near the tunnel entrance.

Upgrading the entrance to the station.

Rail Projects Victoria artists impression

Works featuring:

• upgrades to Childers Street, with a new road surface, pathways, lighting, pavement and extensive landscaping, including water-sensitive rain gardens
• a new station forecourt and entrance canopy, including the realignment of Childers Street to create an enlarged station entrance area and improved pedestrian connections
• a new public space next to the egress building, with bike storage racks, lighting, seating areas and extensive landscaping
• a new pocket park at 135 Ormond Street with open space, extensive landscaping and enhanced integration with JJ Holland Park and the new station forecourt.

Justifying the works in an incredibly wordy way.

Western Portal Development Plan
Rail Infrastructure Alliance
4 May 2020

Alterations to South Kensington station are not proposed or required as part of the scope and extent of the Western Portal. Nevertheless, in accordance with Clause 3.3.c.2, the creation of the Station Forecourt and architectural treatments to the public realm at the entrance of the station seek to respond to and improve the physical, social and functional context of being a station on the metropolitan railway network.

With work on the revamped station entrance was well underway in April 2023.

Along with the associated landscaping.

Footnote: the real wildcard

Turns out the Melbourne Metro Business Case dated February 2016 investigated a downright bizarre idea – spending $1.65 billion on an underground station at South Kensington.

3.2. Decision A2: Is a South Kensington Station investment justified?

3.2.1. Options identification

Two options have been identified on this matter: retaining the status quo (Baseline) or adding additional Sunbury line platforms at South Kensington station.

– No additional station (Baseline): South Kensington Station remains as it is currently configured, serviced by the Werribee and Williamstown lines as it is today, and receiving the service boost to those lines as a result of the Melbourne Metro project.

– New South Kensington station: A new station (pair of platforms) is provided next to the existing station, enabling Sunbury line services to also start servicing the South Kensington area.

3.2.2. Options assessment

The existing South Kensington Station provides a suitable level of service to support the existing medium density residential catchment and JJ Holland Park. The station will receive an uplifted service on the Werribee corridor as a result of the Melbourne Metro. The current station is not DDA compliant and would require a total rebuild including realignment of the Werribee line tracks to provide improved accessibility to the station in approximately the same location. The design of the Western Portal can ensure this rebuild is possible at a future point in time when future growth in patronage warrants.

The existing intermodal freight uses on the southern side the rail corridor requires a long term investment in the Western Intermodal Freight Terminal and its connecting freight rail infrastructure before this use can be relocated from this site. This accordingly means the future redevelopment of the Dynon Precinct is a longer term proposition for which the scale, form and transport planning is relatively undetermined. Consideration has been given to an extension of tram services along the Dynon corridor given its length and for moving South Kensington Station to better connect to the future redevelopment of the area.

Adding a new pair of platforms at the existing South Kensington Station would entail rebuilding the existing station and track work to create a connection from the underground station platforms and concourse to above ground platforms. The space required for Melbourne Metro platforms would force the portal for the tunnel back to just east of Footscray Station and require tunnelling under the Maribyrnong River and would add in the order of $1.65bn (P90, nominal) in costs.

Table 8 – Summary analysis for Decision A2: South Kensington Station option:

No additional station (Baseline)

• Sufficient service level for existing land uses.
• Existing station gains a service boost with Melbourne Metro.
• Dynon precinct opportunity currently has an indeterminate, long term time frame in terms of generating new demand which would require the station infrastructure and access to be upgraded and or relocated further west.
• Baseline design can make provision for future upgrade in current location.

New South Kensington station

• (+ve): Significantly higher number of train services stopping at South Kensington (compared to relatively modest demand from medium density catchment).
• (-ve): Adds 1 minute travel time for Sunbury Line passengers due to additional stop, for limited local benefit at South Kensington given the timing of the future Dynon Precinct redevelopment.
• (-ve): Increases construction complexity and risk by requiring an additional river crossing at the Maribyrnong River and with significant additional tunnelling compared to baseline.
• (-ve): Requires increased private land acquisition to construct the portal at Footscray.
• (-ve): Requires much higher levels of rail disruption to the Werribee, Sunbury and RRL services given the rebuild of South Kensington Station and the realignment of tracks.
• (-ve): Increases the project cost by $1.65bn (P90, nominal).
• Detailed economic appraisal not undertaken due to poor strategic case for station.

Decision A2: Is a South Kensington Station investment justified?

It is recommended that the project retain the Baseline in this area, with no additional South Kensington station (Baseline).

So why would the business case looking into such an expensive option? I suspect by including it, they could say “they looked into South Kensington station” while avoiding the possibility of having to deliver anything.

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