Roxburgh Park railway station

Somerton

Somerton opened to traffic as a single platform on 15 May 1881.^[8] In 1886, it gained an additional platform, when the line between Broadmeadows and Donnybrook was duplicated.^[9] On 8 October 1889, Somerton became a junction, when what is now the Upfield line was opened from North Melbourne northwards through Coburg.^[9] The station's first signal box, with a 38 lever frame, was also provided.^[9] That line was closed to traffic from the Somerton end on 13 July 1903.^[8][9]

The line through Coburg, then terminating at Fawkner, was reopened on 5 March 1928,^[9] but no junction was provided at Somerton.^[9] Instead, the AEC railmotor that operated the service was turned using a turntable to the south of the station.^[8] This situation remained until 5 May 1956, when the line from Fawkner was again closed.^[9]

On 19 July 1959, the line from Somerton to Upfield was reopened for freight traffic,^[9] to serve the then newly built Ford Motor Company factory.^[8] A new signal box with a 25 lever frame was provided,^[9] working a facing crossover and the connection between the main line and the sidings.^[9] On 17 August of that year, suburban services were extended to Upfield from the city side.^[9][10] On 6 December 1960, Somerton was closed to passengers, although only the city-bound platform was demolished in October of that year.^[8][9] However, additional freight sidings were provided in the Somerton area throughout the 1960s.^[8]

Construction of the Melbourne – Sydney standard gauge line also commenced at that time, opening for traffic in 1962, with the freight line from Somerton to Upfield converted to dual gauge in early 1963.^[8][9] Occurring in that year, parts of the out-bound platform were demolished, leaving the platform face remaining.^[8][9] In 1988, a dual-gauge siding was provided to serve nearby cement silos^[8] and, in 1989, the platform face of the out-bound platform was removed.^[9]

In 1998, Austrak commenced development of a container terminal, as part of a larger "freight village", with a number of major companies entered into long-term tenancies for warehouses at the site. In 2000, the crossing loop on the standard gauge line was extended at the down end^[11] and, in 2004, Austrak entered into a lease with P&O Trans Australia to operate the terminal. The Somerton terminal had four 750-metre dual-gauge rail sidings, with connections northwards on both gauges.^[12]

In 2023, construction commenced on the Somerton Intermodal Terminal to the east of the station.^[13][14]

Roxburgh Park

Roxburgh Park officially opened on 21 September 2007,^[5] but services to and from the station did not commence until 30 September of that year.^[5] The station was opened by the then Victorian Premier John Brumby, the then Minister for Public Transport Lynne Kosky, and the then MLA for Yuroke, Liz Beattie.^[5][6]

On 4 May 2010, a collision between a Comeng train set and a Kilmore East-bound quarry train, hauled by Pacific National locomotive G524, occurred between Roxburgh Park and Craigieburn.^[15][16]