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Fairfield
PTV commuter rail station
Westbound view from Platform 1, September 2024
General information
Location	Railway Place, Fairfield, Victoria 3078 City of Darebin Australia
Coordinates	37°46′45″S 145°01′01″E / 37.7792°S 145.0169°E / -37.7792; 145.0169
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Hurstbridge
Distance	9.15 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	70
Bicycle facilities	54
Accessible	Yes—step free access
Other information
Status	Operational, host station
Station code	FFD
Fare zone	Myki Zone 1
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	8 May 1888; 136 years ago (1888-05-08)
Electrified	July 1921 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous names	Fairfield Park (1888-1943)
Passengers
2005–2006	537,938
2006–2007	570,883  6.12%
2007–2008	630,522  10.44%
2008–2009	728,423  15.52%
2009–2010	724,525  0.53%
2010–2011	712,227  1.65%
2011–2012	641,788  10.42%
2012–2013	Not measured
2013–2014	637,880  0.6%
2014–2015	609,861  4.39%
2015–2016	669,597  9.79%
2016–2017	661,139  1.26%
2017–2018	524,408  20.7%
2018–2019	616,150  17.5%
2019–2020	509,000  17.4%
2020–2021	233,400  54.1%
2021–2022	262,300  12.38%
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station Dennistowards Flinders Street Hurstbridge line Alphingtontowards Hurstbridge
Former services Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station Junction   Outer Circle line   Fulham Grange   List of closed railway stations in Melbourne
Track layout Legend to Dennis 12 Station Street to Alphington

Fairfield railway station is a commuter railway station on the Hurstbridge line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network, and serves the north-eastern suburb of the same name in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Fairfield is a ground level host station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 8 May 1888. Originally called Fairfield Park, the station was re-named Fairfield on 14 November 1943.

Fairfield Industrial Dog Object (FIDO), a 6-metre-tall wooden sculpture of a dog, is located adjacent to the level crossing, at the eastern end of Platform 2.

History

The station opened along with the railway between Collingwood and Heidelberg. Like the suburb itself, it was named after Fairfield Park, an estate that was subdivided on land owned by land speculator Charles Henry James. The estate is believed to have been named after Fairfield in Derbyshire, England. James built Melbourne's first tram line in 1884, a horse-drawn tram from the station northwards to the Fairfield Park Estate. The tramway had closed by 1890.

From 1891 to 1893, Fairfield was the junction for the northern end of the former Outer Circle line, and was later the junction for the APM Siding, which operated from 1919 to the 1990s and served the nearby Australian Paper Manufacturers paper mill.

The station was upgraded in the early 1910s with new timber station buildings constructed in 1911. That included replacing the former at-grade pedestrian crossing at Rathmines Street with a pedestrian footbridge, opened in March 1914.

In 1969, boom barriers replaced interlocked gates at the Station Street level crossing, at the down end of the station. In 1988, the goods siding at the station was abolished.

In 1999, the station building on Platform 1 underwent restoration.

Platforms and services

Fairfield has two side platforms, and is served by Hurstbridge line trains.

Platform 1:

•  Hurstbridge line  all stations and limited express services to Flinders Street

Platform 2:

•  Hurstbridge line  all stations and limited express services to Macleod, Greensborough, Eltham and Hurstbridge

Transport links

Dysons operates two bus routes via Fairfield station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  567 : Northcote – Regent station
•  609 : Hawthorn Station – Fairfield

Gallery

• Eastbound view of station buildings and platforms with an X'Trapolis train arriving at Platform 1 on a City-bound service, February 2008
• Westbound view of the station platforms,
  July 2018
• Eastbound view of Platform 2 with an X'Trapolis train arriving at Platform 1 on a City-bound service at night, August 2018
• Partial view of station signal box and traffic stopped at the Station Street level crossing,
  August 2019
• The northern side of the entrance and exit ramp to the station, partial view of Platform 2 and the nearby car park, April 2020
• Westbound view from Platform 2, November 2022
• Eastbound view of station platforms and buildings at dusk, November 2023
• Eastbound view from Platform 2, September 2024
• Westbound view of the station platforms, taken from the Station Street level crossing, September 2024
• Eastbound view of the station platforms and buildings at daytime, September 2024
• Westbound view of the station platforms, taken from the pedestrian overpass, September 2024
• Station building on Platform 1, September 2024
• Station building on Platform 2, September 2024
• The pedestrian footbridge over the station platforms, viewed from Platform 2, September 2024
• Station building and entrance to Platform 1, September 2024
• PSO box and shelter on Platform 1, September 2024
• Station Street level crossing signal box and pedestrian gates, adjacent to the station, September 2024

References

1. ^ Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Department of Transport
2. ^ Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Philip Mallis
3. Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
4. ^ "Fairfield". vicsig.net. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
5. ^ "Fairfield". Victorian Places. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
6. ^ First, Jamie (7 January 2014). "The A-Z story of Melbourne's suburbs". Herald Sun. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
7. Jones, Russell. "Melbourne Tram Museum: Melbourne's horse trams". www.hawthorntramdepot.org.au. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
8. Beardsell, David; Herbert, Bruce (1979). The Outer Circle: A history of the Oakleigh to Fairfield Park Railway. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). ISBN 0-85849-024-2.
9. "New Station Buildings". The Age. No. 17, 878. Victoria, Australia. 5 July 1912. p. 8. Retrieved 9 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
10. "Overhead Bridge at Fairfield". Heidelberg News And Greensborough And Diamond Creek Chronicle. No. 851. Victoria, Australia. 14 March 1914. p. 2. Retrieved 9 January 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
11. "S0092: Station Street". vicsig.net. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
12. Sinnatt, John (January 1990). "Level Crossing Protection". Somersault. Signalling Record Society Victoria. pp. 9–17.
13. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division). December 1999. p. 376.
14. "Hurstbridge Line". Public Transport Victoria.
15. "567 Northcote - Regent via Northland". Public Transport Victoria.
16. "609 Hawthorn to Fairfield via Kew". Public Transport Victoria.

External links

• Media related to Fairfield railway station, Melbourne at Wikimedia Commons
• Melway map at street-directory.com.au

• Railway stations in Australia opened in 1888
• Railway stations in the City of Darebin