SOUTHERN CROSS STATION

''This article is about the railway station in Melbourne formerly called Spencer Street. For the railway station in Western Australia, see Southern Cross, Western Australia.''
'Southern Cross' (formerly 'Spencer Street') is a major railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. On Spencer Street between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western edge of the central business district, it is the hub of the state's regional railway network, and a terminus for long-distance V/Line trains. It also serves the twice-daily Countrylink XPT service to Sydney, and The Overland to Adelaide, which operates three times per week. It has a bus terminal, from which operates the 24-hour "Skybus" service to Melbourne airport.
Southern Cross is one of five stations on the City Loop, a mostly underground railway that encircles the CBD. Southern Cross and Flinders Street are the only stations in the Loop that are above ground.
Telstra Dome, a sporting arena, is 500 metres north-west of the station.
Southern Cross is the terminus for some Sandringham line services.

Contents

History

Platforms

Redevelopment

Award

References

External links

History

Known in early days as Batman's Hill station, it was opened in 1859, five years after Flinders Street station, the centre of the city's suburban railway network.
Originally not connected, the two stations were linked in 1879 by a single-track ground-level line that operated only at night, and only for goods trains.
This was replaced in 1891 by a double-track viaduct, and in 1894 passenger trains started using the connection. This viaduct was expanded to four tracks in 1915.
In connection with the construction of the underground loop, a new double-track viaduct was constructed next to the original one, bringing to six the number of tracks connecting the two stations. At the same time, the older four tracks were resignalled for bi-directional operation.
In the 1880s, it was proposed that Spencer Street station be removed in order to facilitate the westward expansion of the city. The plan was subsequently rejected, although it was discussed at a Royal Commission.
At one stage, a short underground narrow-gauge line transferred mail between the station and the old mail sorting office across Spencer Street. This line has since been closed and the tunnel filled in.

Platforms

Southern Cross' platforms are numbered from east to west, with Platform 1 north being the furthest east.
'Platforms 1 to 8:' Regional and interstate services
'Platform 9:' Epping and Hurstbridge
'Platform 10:' Belgrave, Glen Waverley and Lilydale
:::change at Camberwell for the Alamein line
'Platform 11:' Broadmeadows, Sydenham, Upfield and Werribee
:::change at Newport for the Williamstown line
'Platform 12:' Cranbourne, Frankston and Pakenham and some Sandringham services. Change at Flinders Street for the Sandringham line
'Platforms 13 & 14:' Bairnsdale line regional services and peak-period suburban services.
'Platforms 15 & 16' have been partially constructed as a provision for future expansion.

Redevelopment

Southern Cross was redeveloped by the Civic Nexus consortium, following an innovative design by Sir Nicholas Grimshaw which features an undulating roof. [1] Construction began in October 2002 and was completed in late 2006, with the majority of the transport facilities having been finished in time for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. The central features of the design include a wave-shaped roof, a new entrance and concourse on Collins Street, a new bus interchange, a new food court, a bar/restaurant, separate retail outlets inside the station and a separate shopping complex between Bourke and La Trobe Streets.
This new shopping complex comprises a Direct Factory Outlet where many brands are brought together, along with food courts. This opened on 30 November 2006, although not all tenancies were occupied, and stage 2 was opened in March 2007.
In addition to the station's physical modifications, its name was changed from Spencer Street on December 13 2005.^[1]
By July 2004 the project had fallen behind schedule and overbudget by $200 million. [2]. This was covered extensively in the media. As a result of over-runs and design issues, some elements of the original design, including an additional proposed footbridge connecting Lonsdale Street with the Telstra Dome, were scrapped. [3]
Complaints about access to platforms, empty trains occupying space during the day and lack of government support were raised by Leighton Holdings, the construction firm overseeing the project. This led to concerns that the station might not be ready in time for the Commonwealth Games, and the government arranged with the railway operators to provide more access to the work site.
The station's redevelopment is part of the wider Docklands development. The architect responsible for the design is Grimshaw Architects. The structural engineering design was performed by Winward Structures, a consulting structural engineering design firm.

Award

The station has been awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects' Lubetkin Prize^[2] for most outstanding building outside the European Union. The other buildings nominated were the Des Moines Public Library and the Hearst Tower, New York City.^[3]

Station Navigation
Metropolitan service
"City Loop"
Anti - Clockwise	Flinders Street	'|'	Flagstaff	Clockwise
Broadmeadows, Flemington Racecourse, Sydenham, Upfield, Werribee & Williamstown lines
Previous Station	Refer to City Loop	'|'	North Melbourne	Next Station
Regional service
Ararat, Albury, Echuca, Shepparton, Swan Hill & Warrnambool lines
	Next Station		North Melbourne
Bairnsdale line
	Next Station		Flinders Street
Interstate service
CountryLink Southern
	Next Station
The Overland (Melbourne - Adelaide)
			Previous Station
'Entire metropolitan network'
'Entire regional network'
Entire CountryLink network

References

1. Murphy, Mathew; The Age (December 14 2005), ''Time's up at last for railway landmark''. Retrieved December 13 2005.
2. Lubetkin Prize 2007
3. Revamped Melbourne station wins international award

External links

★ Southern Cross Station project