Anstey railway station

Anstey
PTV commuter rail station
Southbound view from Platform 1, October 2019
General information
Location	Albion Street, Brunswick, Victoria 3056 City of Merri-bek Australia
Coordinates	37°45′40″S 144°57′38″E
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Upfield
Distance	8.04 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Connections	Bus Tram
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	Yes
Accessible	Yes—step-free access
Other information
Status	Operational, unstaffed
Station code	ASY
Fare zone	Myki Zone 1
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	15 December 1926; 98 years ago (1926-12-15)
Electrified	December 1920 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous names	North Brunswick (1926–1942)
Passengers
2005–2006	241,907[1]
2006–2007	275,590[1]  13.92%
2007–2008	302,529[1]  9.77%
2008–2009	353,803[2]  16.94%
2009–2010	379,469[2]  7.25%
2010–2011	376,610[2]  0.75%
2011–2012	361,545[2]  4%
2012–2013	Not measured[2]
2013–2014	371,192[2]  2.67%
2014–2015	396,224[1]  6.74%
2015–2016	406,596[2]  2.61%
2016–2017	433,444[2]  6.6%
2017–2018	460,890[2]  6.33%
2018–2019	468,600[2]  1.67%
2019–2020	357,050[2]  23.8%
2020–2021	159,900[2]  55.2%
2021–2022	187,400[3]  17.19%
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station Brunswick towards Flinders Street Upfield line Moreland towards Upfield
Track layout to Brunswick Hope Street (Removing by 2030) 1 2 Albion Street (Removing by 2030) to Moreland

Anstey railway station is a commuter railway station on the Upfield line, part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the northern suburb of Brunswick in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Anstey station is a ground-level unstaffed station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 15 December 1926.^[4]

Initially opened as North Brunswick, the station was given its current name of Anstey on 1 December 1942.^[4]

History

Anstey station was renamed in honour of former member of parliament, Frank Anstey, who represented the local area in the seats of East Bourke Boroughs and Brunswick in the state parliament, and Burke in the federal parliament, between 1902 and 1934.^[5]

In 1971, the station platforms were lengthened.^[4] In 1998, boom barriers replaced interlocked gates at the Albion Street level crossing, at the down end of the station.^[6] The signal box controlling the level crossing was also abolished during that time.^[6]

In 2020, the station became a temporary terminus while level crossing removals occurred at Coburg and Moreland.^[7] A temporary crossover was provided at the up end of the station, to allow trains to terminate and return to Flinders Street.^[4]

On 19 September 2022, it was announced that the Albion Street level crossing would be removed by grade separation as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project and would be elevated, along with seven other level crossings in Brunswick.^[8]

On 19 September 2024, it was announced that Anstey station, along with Brunswick and Jewell stations would be replaced by two new stations located approximately 200 metres to 450 metres from all three existing stations. Anstey station would be replaced by a new station located next to Hope Street, just 200 metres and south of the existing station and the eight level crossings to be elevated and removed by 2030. It was also announced that some heritage listed interlocking hand gates at some closed level crossings will be kept and located at its current spot.^[9]

The decision to build two stations in different locations instead of rebuilding Jewell, Brunswick and Anstey generated significant criticism from residents and the local council. Local newspaper Brunswick Voice reported that the Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Danny Pearson, claimed "the decision to build two stations followed 18 months of technical and engineering assessments which found fewer stations would boost capacity on the line in the future and deliver more open space", noting that "[the government claimed] the plan would also minimise the impact to heritage in the area, but [the politician] provided no detail about whether the three station buildings and the historic boom gate operators' cabins would be preserved".^[10]

Platforms and services

Anstey has two side platforms. It is served by Upfield line trains.^[11]

Platform 1:

•  Upfield line  all stations services to Flinders Street

Platform 2:

•  Upfield line  all stations services to Upfield

Transport links

Dysons operates one route via Anstey station:

•  503 : Essendon station – Brunswick East^[12]

Yarra Trams operates one route via Anstey station:

• : North Coburg – Flinders Street station (via Elizabeth Street)^[13]

Gallery

• 
  Southbound view from Platform 1, with an Upfield bound Comeng train arriving on Platform 2,
  June 2004
• 
  Northbound view of Platform 1 and station building, December 2005

References

1. Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005–2006 to 2018–19 Archived 17 April 2022 at the Wayback Machine Department of Transport
2. Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008–2021 Archived 17 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine Philip Mallis
3. Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Archived 6 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine Data Vic
4. "Anstey". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 7 January 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
5. "Brunswick and Brunswick City". Victorian Places. Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
6. "Signalling Alterations". Somersault. Signalling Record Society (Victoria). January 1999. p. 5.
7. Biggest level crossing removal blitz in Victoria's history Archived 27 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine Level Crossing Removal Project
8. "Eight More Dangerous Level Crossings To Go By 2027 | Premier of Victoria". www.premier.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 19 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
9. "Have your say on Brunswick level crossing removals". Victoria's Big Build. 19 September 2024. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
10. Phillips, Mark (19 September 2024). "Station to be axed under skyrail revamp". Brunswick Voice. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
11. "Upfield Line". Public Transport Victoria.
12. "503 Essendon - East Brunswick via Albion Street". Public Transport Victoria.
13. "19 North Coburg - Flinders Street Station & City". Public Transport Victoria.

External links

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