Hurstbridge Railway Line - Infrastructure

Infrastructure

The Hurstbridge line is both notable and notorious for having several single-track sections. The unusually large number of single track sections is due to constraints imposed by the underlying infrastructure, geography and lack of government investment. These unduplicated sections give the Hurstbridge line several bottlenecks at which trains must sometimes wait for the tracks to clear before proceeding. The single-track sections are as follows:

Between Heidelberg and Rosanna is a 1.2km single-track section including a railway bridge over Burgundy Street, followed by a short single-track tunnel.
The 15-kilometre (9.3 mi) section of track between Greensborough and Hurstbridge. Eltham and Diamond Creek railway stations each have two platforms, providing points at which trains can pass. This section of unduplicated track includes a timber trestle bridge near Eltham Station that has heritage protection. The bridge has a 40 km/h (25 mph) speed limit. Most of this section has had earthworks done to allow space for a second track (circa 1970s), including the provision of abutments for adjacent bridges. The only places where space has not been provided are a cutting on the down side of Montmorency (though the section under the road bridge that crosses this cutting has been widened), the wooden trestle at Eltham, and a short cutting on the down side of Wattleglen.

These single track sections restrict the number of trains that can be timetabled to run on the line and also regularly delay trains by up to 10 minutes waiting for the single tracks to clear.

The Hurstbridge line is the only electrified railway in Melbourne to still use token safeworking systems. Greensborough to Eltham is controlled by the "Miniature electric staff" system and Eltham to Hurstbridge by the "Staff and Ticket" system. The latter section can be divided into two sections at Diamond Creek, allowing trains to cross at that station. Greensborough, Eltham, and Hurstbridge still retain some semaphore signals. However, these methods of safeworking are due to be phased out, and they will get Automatic Electronic Signaling to bring them in line with the rest of the metropolitan network.

Intermediate terminating facilities are provided at Victoria Park (not normally used except for trains using the stabling siding), Heidelberg (only normally used by a small handful of peak services), Macleod, and Greensborough. Also, in theory, trains could terminate anywhere on the sections controlled by Electric Staff or Staff and Ticket, but in practice the only place trains on these sections terminate short of the terminus is Eltham. During disruptions trains have been known to terminate at Diamond Creek. Stabling facilities are provided at Victoria Park (room for two six-car trains), Macleod (room for three six-car trains), Eltham (room for three six car trains), and Hurstbridge (room for five six-car trains). The stabling siding at Victoria Park is only used during the day between peaks, as it does not have lighting for security at night.

Macleod station is the only station on the Hurstbridge line with more than two platforms. Macleod station has a third platform provided for in the 1970s used during peak periods to provide a place at which trains can enter the system or terminate.

Line speeds are: