The Federation Trail is a

shared use path A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is 'designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists'. Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. ...

for

cyclists Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of Bicycle, cycles for transport, recreation, Physical exercise, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", ...

and pedestrians, which mainly follows the heritage-listed Main Outfall Sewer through the western suburbs of

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia. There are three bridges spanning across major arterial roads, as well as button-activated traffic light crossings at most other major road-trail intersections. For safety reasons, cyclists are no longer allowed to ride on the metropolitan section of the

Princes Freeway Princes Freeway is a Australian freeway, divided into two sections, both located in Victoria, Australia. The freeway links Melbourne to Geelong in the west, and to Morwell in the east. It continues beyond these extremities as the Princes H ...

(or any other urban freeway). The Federation Trail therefore is the preferred alternative route. West of Werribee, where the Federation Trail ends, Geelong-bound cyclists may use the freeway shoulders, as it is then considered a rural freeway. The trail was officially opened on 22 October 2006. In 2010 work started on extending the trail from Millers Road to Williamstown Rd. Completion of stage 1 of the

VicRoads VicRoads is a government joint venture in the state of Victoria, Australia. In the state, it is responsible for driver licensing and vehicle registration. It is owned and operated through a joint venture between the Victorian government and a ...

Truck Action Plan should see the trail finally connected from Williamstown Road to the

Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail __NOTOC__ The Hobsons Bay Coastal Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians, which follows the coast line of Hobsons Bay in the inner western suburbs in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The trail forms part of the western half of t ...

on Hyde Street. In March 2011, work on the extension stopped completely, due to a change of government and troubles with funding and design of the bridge to Fogarty Avenue. Thirteen hundred metres of concrete path had been built which lay idle until November 2014, when the bridge was completed. In November 2014, VicRoads announced that the trail has been extended from Millers Road to Fogarty Avenue in

Yarraville Yarraville is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Maribyrnong local government area. Yarraville recorded a population of 15,636 at the . Yarraville i ...

with the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge over the Brooklyn freight line. The next two stages include extending the trail to Williamstown Road and Hyde Street. An interactive map of the trail as well as others in the Melbourne area is available from the 'External Links' section in this article.

Route

Much of the trail follows the historic reservation of the heritage listed Main Outfall Sewer which was built in the 1890s. At that time the sewer was the largest

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewa ...

project ever undertaken in Victoria. The associated pumping station can be found in the Scienceworks Museum complex. In recent years, th
Greening the Pipeline
initiative is exploring opportunities to transform the Main Outfall Sewer into a parkland to connect communities, and provide a unique space to meet, play and relax. This project is a partnership between

Melbourne Water Melbourne Water is a Victorian Government-owned statutory authority that controls and manages much of the water bodies and supplies in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, including the reservoirs, lakes, wetlands, canals and urban cree ...

, Wyndham City Council,

and City West Water. The project is supported by Greening the West. Snakes may be seen in the Skeleton Creek and

Werribee River The Werribee River is a perennial river of the Port Phillip catchment that is located on the expansive lowland plain southwest of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The headwaters of a tributary, the Lerderderg River, are north of Ballan near ...

areas during hot weather. Walkers are advised to stay on the path to enjoy the scenery. Landmarks include the

Kororoit Creek The Kororoit Creek is a watercourse of the Port Phillip catchment, rising in the outer north western suburbs of Melbourne, in the Australian state of Victoria. Location and features The Kororoit Creek rises below Mount Kororoit, northeast of ...

, a tunnel under the

Western Ring Road The M80 Ring Road (also known as simply the Ring Road or by the name of its constituent parts: Western Ring Road and Metropolitan Ring Road) is a currently incomplete urban freeway ring road around Melbourne, Australia. This article will dea ...

freeway,

RAAF Williams RAAF Williams is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base set across two locations, at Point Cook and Laverton, located approximately south-west of the Melbourne central business district in Victoria, Australia. Both establishm ...

(Laverton base), Lawrie Emmins Reserve, Skeleton Creek,

Werribee Mercy Hospital :''See Mercy Hospital (disambiguation), Mercy Hospital for other medical facilities with the Mercy name.'' Werribee Mercy Hospital, located in Werribee, Victoria on the Princes Highway, about 25 km west of Melbourne, is a public general hos ...

, Victoria University (Werribee campus),

Werribee Park Werribee Park is the estate of a historical building in Werribee, Victoria, Australia. It includes Werribee Park Mansion, the Victoria State Rose Garden, formal gardens, the Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre, the Werribee Open Range Zoo, ...

Werribee Open Range Zoo Werribee Open Range Zoo is an African themed zoo in Werribee, about south-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the Zoological Parks and Gardens Board or Zoos Victoria which also includes Melbourne Zoo and Healesville Sanctuary ...

, and the Werribee River.

Connections

The western terminus of the trail is with its junction with the Werribee River Trail at

Werribee Werribee is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham Local government areas of Victoria, local government a ...

where there is access to the

at this point. Near

Hoppers Crossing Hoppers Crossing is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Hoppers Crossing recorded a population of 37,216 at the 2021 cens ...

it intersects with the upper section of the Skeleton Creek Trail. The trail intersects the

Western Ring Road Trail __NOTOC__ The M80 Trail (previously known as the Western Ring Road Trail) is a shared-use path for cyclists and pedestrians that bridges the northern suburbs and follows the Western Ring Road/Metropolitan Ring Road (M80) freeway in Melbourne, ...

west of Millers Road. The eastern terminus of the trail is at Millers Road in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, near

Altona North Altona North is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hobsons Bay local government area. Altona North recorded a population of 12,962 at the . Bordering sub ...

. The

can be accessed by relatively quiet back streets: At the east end of the trail, cross Fogarty Avenue to the shared path that accesses Mill Avenue and Benbow Street. Go north on Wembley Avenue to Freame Street. Take Drew Street to Austin Crescent East via the Stony Creek footbridge and then Anderson Street and Schild Street to the Bay Trail at Hyde Street. Be cautious on Anderson Street between Williamstown Road and Schild Street. Another option of riding into the

Melbourne City Centre The Melbourne central business district (also known colloquially as simply "The City" or "The CBD") is the city centre and main urban area of the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, centred on the Hoddle Grid, the oldest part of the city la ...

is to leave the Federation Trail at Geelong Road and ride along the service lanes (and a pedestrian subway under the railway) to connect with one of the numerous paths or streets which go east-west through the Footscray area.

References

External links

*An interactive map of the trail as well as others in the Melbourne area is available here
Walking and Cycling in Melbourne
*
Bikely - Federation Trail mapGreening the Pipeline
{{Bicycle Trails in Melbourne Bike paths in Melbourne

Route

Connections

See also

References

External links