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Flinders Street station

Flinders Street
Commuter and regional rail station
1 flinders st station melb.jpg
Main entrance to the station on the corner of Flinders & Swanston Streets in February 2010
Location Flinders Street, Melbourne, Victoria
Australia
Coordinates 37°49′05″S 144°58′01″E / 37.818078°S 144.96681°E / -37.818078; 144.96681Coordinates: 37°49′05″S 144°58′01″E / 37.818078°S 144.96681°E / -37.818078; 144.96681
Owned by VicTrack
Operated by Metro Trains
Line(s) Alamein (weekday peaks only)
Belgrave
Craigieburn
Cranbourne
Flemington Racecourse (special events only)
Frankston
Glen Waverley
Hurstbridge
Lilydale
Pakenham
Sandringham
South Morang
Sunbury
Upfield
Werribee
Williamstown (weekdays only)
Gippsland
Distance 1.23 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms 13 (plus one removed)
Tracks 15
Connections 15 tram routes
Bus route 605
Construction
Structure type At grade
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Status Premium station
Station code FSS
Fare zone 1
Website Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened 12 September 1854
Electrified Yes
Traffic
Passengers (2008-2009) 24.641 million
Passengers (2009-2010) 24.670 million Increase 0.12%
Passengers (2010-2011) 25.187 million Increase 2.09%
Passengers (2011-2012) 26.187 million Increase 3.97%
Passengers (2012-2013) Not measured
Passengers (2013-2014) 27.960 million Increase 6.77%

Flinders Street railway station is a railway station on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets in Melbourne, Australia. It serves the entire metropolitan rail network. Backing onto the city reach of the Yarra River in the heart of the city, the complex covers two whole city blocks and extends from Swanston Street to Queen Street.

Flinders Street is served by Metro's suburban services, and V/Line regional services to Gippsland. It is the busiest station on Melbourne's metropolitan network and the busiest railway station in Australia, with over 92,600 daily entries per weekday recorded in the 2011/12 fiscal year. It was the first railway station in an Australian city and the world's busiest passenger station in the late 1920s.

The main station building, completed in 1909, is a cultural icon of Melbourne, with its prominent dome, arched entrance, tower and clocks one of the city's most recognisable landmarks. It is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register. The Melburnian saying "I'll meet you under the clocks" refers to the row of clocks above the main entrance, which indicate the time-tabled time of departure for trains on each line; another saying, "I'll meet you on the steps", refers to the wide staircase underneath these clocks. Flinders Street Station is responsible for two of Melbourne's busiest pedestrian crossings, both across Flinders Street, including one of Melbourne's few pedestrian scrambles.

The first railway station to occupy the Flinders Street site was called Melbourne Terminus, and was a collection of weatherboard train sheds. It was opened on 12 September 1854 by the Lieutenant-Governor, Charles Hotham. The terminus was the first city railway station in Australia, and the opening day saw the first steam train trip in the country. It travelled to Sandridge (now Port Melbourne), over the now redeveloped Sandridge Bridge, travelling along the now light rail Port Melbourne line.


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