Parliament Railway Station

Parliament railway station is an underground railway station in Melbourne, Australia. It is one of the five stations (and one of the three underground) on the City Loop, which encircles the Melbourne CBD. In 2017/2018 it was the fourth busiest station on Melbourne's metropolitan network, with 10.19 million passenger movements.

The station services Melbourne's government district, and is underneath Parliament House and the intersection of Bourke and Spring Streets, at the eastern end of the CBD, and is currently the world's southernmost underground railway station, but will be surpassed by Anzac station when the Metro Tunnel opens in 2025.

History

The station platforms were constructed using mining methods. Each platform is an individual tunnel, and are linked to the other platform in the same level by a number of cross tunnels. This choice in design left the remaining pillar of rock between the tunnels too weak to support the required loads, so it was replaced with concrete. A pilot tunnel was made, enabling the walls to be constructed ahead of the main excavation.History of Melbourne's Underground Rail System
Metropolitan Transport Authority

The booking hall to the south was constructed 'upside down', with the support columns dug with augers from ground level, then filled with concrete. The roof was then constructed over these piles from ground level during a series of staged road closures, and once this was completed, the excavation of the booking hall could be carried out underneath, while road traffic continued overhead. During construction, the Parliament House fence had to be removed, stored then re-erected.

The station opened on 22 January 1983. At the time of opening, the station had the longest escalators in the southern hemisphere.

Facilities

Parliament station has three underground levels. It has a concourse level and four platforms on the two levels underneath. Each platform serves a separate group of rail lines that leave the Loop and radiate out into the city's suburbs.

Parliament has two separate concourses. They each have a ticket office, toilets and ticket operated gates.

*The northern concourse is located at the junction of Spring, Lonsdale and Nicholson Streets, and has three escalators and a lift going down to the platforms, as well has a lift and steps leading to street level.
*The southern concourse is near the Spring and Collins Street intersection, and has four escalators descending to the platforms. There are three exits to ground level via steps: one to MacArthur Street, the other two exits on Spring Street, facing Bourke Street and near Collins Street.

Platforms and services

Platform 1 - Clifton Group
* all stations and limited express services to Mernda
* all stations and limited express services to Hurstbridge

Platform 2 - Caulfield Group
* express services to Pakenham via Flinders Street
* express services to Cranbourne via Flinders Street

Platform 3 - Northern Group
* all stations services to Craigieburn
* all stations services to Upfield
* all stations and limited express services to Sunbury
Customers for Werribee or Williamstown services change at Flinders Street, Southern Cross or North Melbourne

Platform 4 - Burnley Group
* all stations and limited express services to Lilydale
* all stations and limited express services to Belgrave
* all stations and limited express services to Glen Waverley
* weekday shoulder peak all stations and limited express services to Alamein

Transport links

Yarra Trams operates seven services via Parliament station:

Spring Street

*: City Circle

Bourke Street

*: Bundoora RMIT - Waterfront City ( Docklands)
*: East Brunswick - St Kilda Beach

Collins Street
*: West Preston - Victoria Harbour (Docklands)
*: Victoria Gardens - St Kilda
*: North Balwyn - Victoria Harbour (Docklands)
*: Box Hill - Port Melbourne

References

External links

Melway map
at street-directory.com.au

{{Public Transport Victoria railway stations, Alamein=y, Belgrave=y, Craigieburn=y, Cranbourne=y, Glen Waverley=y, Hurstbridge=y, Lilydale=y, Pakenham=y, Mernda=y, Sunbury=y, Upfield=y, state=collapsed

Premium Melbourne railway stations
Railway stations located underground in Melbourne
Railway stations in Australia opened in 1983
Railway stations in the City of Melbourne (LGA)
Tram stops in Melbourne