Ginifer railway station

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Ginifer
View of platform 2 looking south-east, showing the overall features of the station
South-east bound view from Platform 2, February 2026
General information
LocationSt Albans Road,
St Albans, Victoria 3021
City of Brimbank
Australia
Coordinates37°45′29″S 144°48′36″E / 37.7580°S 144.8100°E / -37.7580; 144.8100
SystemPTV commuter rail station
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byMetro Trains
LineSunbury
Distance16.19 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms2 side
Tracks2
ConnectionsList of bus routes in Melbourne Bus
Construction
Structure typeBelow ground
Parking157
Cycle facilitiesYes (Parkiteer cage)
AccessibleYes—step free access
Other information
StatusOperational, unstaffed
Station codeGIN
Fare zoneMyki Zone 2
WebsitePublic Transport Victoria
History
Opened31 October 1982 (1982-10-31)
Rebuilt1 November 2016 (LXRP)
ElectrifiedOctober 1921
(1500 V DC overhead)
Previous namesFurlong (during construction)
Passengers
2005–2006473,299[1]
2006–2007540,532[1] Increase 14.2%
2007–2008620,273[1] Increase 14.75%
2008–2009709,384[2] Increase 14.36%
2009–2010767,958[2] Increase 8.25%
2010–2011817,528[2] Increase 6.45%
2011–2012692,932[2] Decrease 15.24%
2012–2013Not measured[2]
2013–2014573,926[2] Decrease 17.17%
2014–2015677,758[1] Increase 18.09%
2015–2016781,601[2] Increase 15.32%
2016–2017641,155[2] Decrease 17.96%
2017–2018803,997[2] Increase 25.39%
2018–2019831,750[2] Increase 3.45%
2019–2020659,350[2] Decrease 20.72%
2020–2021320,700[2] Decrease 51.36%
2021–2022345,200[3] Increase 7.63%
2022–2023519,400[4] Increase 50.46%
2023–2024650,350[5] Increase 25.21%
2024–2025624,500[6] Decrease 3.97%
Services
Preceding station Railways in Melbourne Metro Trains Following station
Albion
towards Cranbourne or East Pakenham via Metro Tunnel
 Sunbury line St Albans
towards Watergardens or Sunbury
Track layout
to Albion
Western Ring Road
1
2
to St Albans
Location

Ginifer station is a railway station operated by Metro Trains Melbourne on the Sunbury line, part of the Melbourne rail network. It serves the western suburb of St Albans, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Ginifer station is a below ground unstaffed station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 31 October 1982, with the current station provided in November 2016.[7]

History

The issue for a station to be built between St Albans and Albion was first proposed in 1966 by Labor MP Jack Ginifer.[8] Flashing lights were provided for the Furlong Road level crossing in the same year.[8] The station however, would not arise from these plans.

A later plan from the council of Sunshine in 1973 also suggested a new station be built near Furlong Road but was to be named Sheperd, after a former labor member for Footscray.[9]

In 1979, the St. Albans South Progress Association presents a petition to the state government with 1200 signatures for a station to be built near Furlong Road.[8] The state government then approved plans to build the station, originally scheduled to open by the end of 1979, pushbacks saw the station delayed by three years.[9]

Ginifer station opened on 31 October 1982. It was first announced in June 1977 by the then Transport Minister Joe Rafferty, and was scheduled for completion by late 1978.[10] Originally to be named Furlong, after the nearby arterial road, upon opening it was named Ginifer, in honour of Jack Ginifer, a former local member of State Parliament.[7]

In 1984, boom barriers were provided at the former Furlong Road level crossing, which was located nearby in the up direction of the station.[11] In 1994, the station was provided with CCTV.[12]

In the 2010/2011 State Budget, $83.7 million was allocated to upgrade Ginifer to a premium station, along with nineteen others.[13][14] However, in March 2011, this was scrapped by the Baillieu Government.[15]

Until the extension of the Sydenham Line to Sunbury in 2012, Ginifer was served by two V/Line services a day to and from Sunbury.[16]

During October and November 2016, the Level Crossing Removal Authority removed the Furlong Road level crossing by grade separation, with Ginifer rebuilt below ground.[17][18] The rebuilt station opened on 1 November of that year.[19]

Level Crossing Removal Project

As part of Daniel Andrews campaign, his government promised to remove 50 dangerous level crossings across Melbourne.[20] Furlong Road alongside Main Road at St Albans were both included in the list of removals.[21] Furlong Road was noted at being the most dangerous level crossing in Victoria after the removal of Springvale Road, Springvale in 2014.[22] Between 2006 and 2016, two people were killed, three accidents and over 80 near misses.[23] The crossing was also the site of an accident in 2004 which saw three people killed after their car was struck by a V/Line train as the car was travelling over the crossing.[24] Ginifer was proposed to be rebuilt closer to Furlong Road then its present location and was to be designed by Hassell.[25]

Construction began on the project in March 2015, with the relocation of signal cabling and the installation of new overhead wires to cater for the trench[26] Digging of the trench began in December 2015 with access to the station from the west cut off.[27]

The old station closed in October 2016 with a four week shutdown of the Sunbury Line commencing to finish tracks, overhead wires and to connect the new tracks from the trench to the existing line.[28] The Sunbury Line and St Albans station reopened on 1 November, however Ginifer did not open until later in November due to delays with the stations construction.[29]

The project was completed in May 2017 with the new station featuring more shelter, a waiting room and a customer service desk. The new station was also moved south towards Furlong Road.[30]

Platforms and services

Ginifer has two side platforms. It is served by Sunbury line trains.[31]

Prior to electrification of the line to Sydenham in 2002, selected V/Line services stopped at Ginifer, to pick up/drop off students from the Sydenham Catholic Regional College.

Current

Ginifer platform arrangement
Platform Line Destination Via Service Type Notes Source
1  Sunbury line  Westall, Dandenong, East Pakenham, Cranbourne Town Hall All stations and limited express services Services to Westall and Dandenong only operate during weekday peaks. [32]
2  Sunbury line  Watergardens, Sunbury All stations [32]

CDC Melbourne operates two bus routes via Ginifer station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

References

  1. Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Archived 17 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Department of Transport
  2. Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Archived 17 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Philip Mallis
  3. Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Archived 6 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine Data Vic
  4. "Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) - 2022-2023".
  5. "Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) - 2023-2024".
  6. "Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) - 2024-2025".
  7. "Ginifer". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  8. "Railway Station - Ginifer (1982 - 2016)". Sunshine Historical. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  9. "Book - Sixteen Railway Stations of the West Footscray to Sunbury, Tom Rigg, January, 2009". Victorian Collections. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  10. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1977. p. 227.
  11. "SRS Showday Tour Notes Footscray - Sunbury 1 November 1994" (PDF). VR History by Andrew Waugh. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  12. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. July 1994. p. 218.
  13. "New premium stations for Metro". Sydney Morning Herald. 4 May 2010. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  14. "General News". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. June 2010. p. 165.
  15. Gardiner, Ashley; Wright, Anne (25 March 2011). "Premier Ted Baillieu says armed guards will create 'culture of safety'". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 6 September 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  16. "Old Timetables Victoria". Under The Clocks. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  17. Willingham, Richard (24 June 2015). "Three suburban train stations to be rebuilt underground: St Albans, Ginifer and Heatherdale". The Age. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  18. "Facilitating the removal of Furlong Road level crossing". Brimbank City Council. 4 June 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  19. "St Albans level crossings gone". Victoria's Big Build. 5 December 2022. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  20. Build, Victoria’s Big (19 June 2022). "Level Crossing Removal Project: Program Business Case". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  21. Build, Victoria’s Big (20 January 2026). "Furlong Road, St Albans". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  22. Walsh, Kayla (4 August 2025). "Line with 'dangerous' level crossings now boom gate free". Rail Express. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  23. "Dangerous And Congested St Albans Level Crossings Gone". www.premier.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  24. "Three dead in Melbourne level crossing accident". ABC News. 4 August 2004. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  25. "Ginifer Station". Prebuilt. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  26. "Ginifer". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  27. Build, Victoria’s Big (16 November 2023). "Furlong Main community update – December 2015". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  28. Build, Victoria’s Big (16 November 2023). "Furlong Main community update – August 2016". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  29. Build, Victoria’s Big (16 November 2023). "Furlong Main community update – November 2016". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  30. Build, Victoria’s Big (16 November 2023). "Furlong Main community update – November 2016". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 19 June 2026.
  31. "Sunbury Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  32. "Sunbury Line". Transport Victoria. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  33. "408 St Albans Station - Highpoint SC via Sunshine Station". Public Transport Victoria.
  34. "423 St Albans Station - Brimbank Central SC via Cairnlea". Public Transport Victoria.