Williamstown Pier was the original terminus of the

Williamstown railway line The Williamstown railway line is a 16.2 km commuter rail passenger train service in Melbourne, Australia, operating between Williamstown in the western suburbs to Flinders Street in the central business district. It runs across flat co ...

, on the Melbourne suburban rail system. It was in the suburb of Williamstown, to the west of central

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 ...

. The station existed primarily to serve the Williamstown docks precinct. Originally named Pier, it opened on 17 January 1859.Williamstown Pier
Vicsig It opened to passengers on 15 May 1881, and relocated to a new site on 8 January 1905. The station contained a

goods yard A goods station (also known as a goods yard or goods depot) or freight station is, in the widest sense, a railway station where, either exclusively or predominantly, goods (or freight), such as merchandise, parcels, and manufactured items, are lo ...

that was used for

grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...

shipments, up until the 1960s. By mid-1978, the station building was demolished and was replaced with two smaller brick structures. The last services terminated at the station on 25 March 1987, following a

derailment In rail transport, a derailment occurs when a rail vehicle such as a train comes off its rails. Although many derailments are minor, all result in temporary disruption of the proper operation of the railway system and they are a potentially ...

on the sharply curved track leading to the station. All rails, sleepers, overhead wires and signals were removed by October 1988, with the platform track currently ending just under the Ann Street footbridge, at the Down end of Williamstown station. The station was subsequently demolished, and replaced with a car park.

References

Disused railway stations in Melbourne Railway stations in Australia opened in 1905 Railway stations closed in 1987 1987 disestablishments in Australia Williamstown, Victoria {{VictoriaAU-railstation-stub