Melbourne Central railway station
Melbourne Central | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| PTV commuter rail station | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(7_February_2026).jpg) Platform 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000 City of Melbourne Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°48′36″S 144°57′46″E / 37.81000°S 144.96278°E | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | VicTrack | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operated by | Metro Trains | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) |
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| Platforms | 4 (2 island) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections |
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| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure type | Underground | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Depth | 29 metres (95 ft)[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platform levels | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Operational, premium station | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Station code | MCE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fare zone | Myki Zone 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Public Transport Victoria | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 24 January 1981 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrified | January 1981 (1500 V DC overhead) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Previous names | Museum (1981–1997) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers (2019-2020) | 10.866 million[3]  28.75% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers (2020-2021) | 4.207 million[3] 61.28% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers (2021–2022) | 5.491 million[3]  30.54% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers (2022–2023) | 8.626 million[3] 57.09% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers (2023–2024) | 11.177 million[3] 29.57% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Melbourne Central station (used to be called Museum station) is an underground train station controlled by Metro Trains Melbourne in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is one of three underground stations on the Melbourne Underground Rail Loop (City Loop). The station is underneath Melbourne Central Shopping Centre.
Melbourne Central serves the Mernda, Hurstbridge, Frankston, Craigieburn, Upfield, Lilydale, Belgrave, Alamein and Glen Waverley lines, which are all part of the Melbourne rail network. It is one of the three City Loop stations.
The station has two concourses which is underground. One concourse is on Elizabeth Street and the other on Swanston Street. Outside the station is the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, a food court, and exits leading to the streets outside. Linking the two platforms are escalators, elevators and stairs.
History
Melbourne Central station was built using tunnel construction. It was the first City Loop station, to open, and it was on January 24, 1981.
It was first known as Museum Station when the Melbourne Museum was at the State Library of Victoria, across the street. But when the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre was built and the Museum was going to be relocated to Carlton, it was renamed to today's name, Melbourne Central, in 16 Febuary 1997.[4][5] The museum shut down and moved to Carlton 5 months later.[6]
In 2023, Melbourne Central was the third-busiest station on Melbourne's train network, with 11 million people using the station.[7]
Metro Tunnel link
As part of the Metro Tunnel project, a new CBD station was built to connect with Melbourne Central. In November 2017, the CBD North station would be named "State Library" for the nearby State Library of Victoria.[8] The station opened in late 2025.[9] State Library station connects with Melbourne Central station with a big underground concourse through the shopping centre.
On 1 February 2026, the "Big Switch" happened where the Pakenham line, the Cranbourne line and the Sunbury line were moved out of the City Loop and into the Metro Tunnel. Trains on the Frankston line returned to the City Loop, using the same platforms for the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines.[10] However, Metro Tunnel services can still be accessed from Melbourne Central by going into State Library station.
Platforms
Melbourne Central and all City Loop train stations have four platforms separated by two levels, and four tracks. Each level has two platforms and is for the trains leaving. The different levels are for trains going to the north and west suburbs or to the south and east suburbs.
Platform 1 is served by the Mernda line and the Hurstbridge line which goes clockwise.
Platform 2 is served by the Frankston line which goes counterclockwise.
Platform 3 is served by the Cragieburn line and the Upfield line which normally goes clockwise, but sometimes counterclockwise during busy hours.
Platform 4 is served by the Lilydale line, the Belgrave line, the Glen Waverley line, and sometimes even the Alamein line. They normally go anti-clockwise, but sometimes clockwise during busy hours.
| L1 Platforms |
Platform 1 |
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| Island platform, doors will open on the left | ||
| Platform 2 | Frankston line towards Frankston (Flagstaff) →
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| L2 Platforms |
Platform 3 |
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| Island platform, doors will open on the left or right | ||
| Platform 4 |
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Nearby Transport
Trams
Melbourne Central is close to a lot of trams.
Routes 1 (East Coburg - South Melbourne Beach), 3 (Melbourne University - Malvern East), 5 (Melbourne University - Malvern), 6 (Moreland - Glen Iris), 16 (Melbourne University - Kew), 64 (Melbourne University - Brighton East), 67 (Melbourne Univerity - Carnegie) and 72 (Melbourne University - Camberwell) stop at the Swanston Street tram stop, which is right outside the State Library of Victoria.
The Elizabeth Street tram stop sees routes 19 (Coburg North - Flinders Street station), 57 (West Maribyrnong - Flinders Street station) and 59 (Airport West - Flinders Street station).
Trams using Route 30 (St Vincent's Plaza to Docklands Stadium) and the Route 35 City Circle stop at the La Trobe Street tram stop.
Buses
City buses managed by Kinetic go from Melbourne Central to all sorts of places around the city.
Lonsdale Street buses from Melbourne Central:
- 200 to Bulleen
- 207 to Westfield Doncaster
- 250 to La Trobe University (Bundoora campus)
- 251 to Northland Shopping Centre.
Lonsdale Street buses from Myer store:
- 250, 251, 302, 302, 309 and 350 to Queen Street
- 304 to King Street
- 305 (busy times only), 318 and SmartBus 905, 906, 907 and 908 (busy times only) to Spencer Street.
Swanston and Lonsdale Street Corner buses:
- 302 to Box Hill train station
- 303 to Ringwood North
- 304 to Westfield Doncaster
- 305 to The Pines Shopping Centre (busy times only)
- 309 to Donvale
- 318 to Deep Creek Reserve in Doncaster East
- 350 to La Trobe University (Bundoora Campus)
- SmartBus routes
- SmartBus 905 to The Pines Shopping Centre
- SmartBus 906 to Warrandyte
- SmartBus 907 to Mitcham train station
- SmartBus 908 to The Pines Shopping Centre (bus times only).
References
- ↑ Weekday and quiet hours only
- ↑ History of Melbourne's Metropolitan Rail System and the adoption of the Underground Rail Loop concept Metropolitan Transit Authority
- 1 2 3 4 5 Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
- ↑ "Museum Becomes Central" Railway Digest February 1997 page 15
- ↑ "Upgrading Eltham to a Premium Station". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. October 1997. p. 310.
- ↑ Hogan, Tim. "Research Guides: The history of the State Library of Victoria: Timelines". guides.slv.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
- ↑ Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
- ↑ Jacks, Steve Lillebuen, Timna (2017-11-29). "Metro Tunnel: New train station names revealed". The Age. Retrieved 2018-07-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "All 5 Metro Tunnel stations finished". Victoria's Big Build. 2025-10-06. Retrieved 2025-10-06.
- ↑ "Victoria is flipping 'the big switch' on its Metro Tunnel. Here's what is changing". ABC News. 2026-01-31. Retrieved 2026-02-01.