Ginifer station is a railway station operated by Metro Trains Melbourne on the Sunbury line, part of the Melbourne rail network. It serves the western suburb of St Albans, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Ginifer station is a below ground unstaffed station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 31 October 1982, with the current station provided in November 2016.
History The issue for a station to be built between St Albans and Albion was first proposed in 1966 by Labor MP Jack Ginifer. Flashing lights were provided for the Furlong Road level crossing in the same year. The station however, would not arise from these plans.
A later plan from the council of Sunshine in 1973 also suggested a new station be built near Furlong Road but was to be named Sheperd, after a former Labor member for Footscray.
In 1979, the St. Albans South Progress Association presented a petition to the state government with 1200 signatures for a station to be built near Furlong Road. The state government then approved plans to build the station, originally scheduled to open by the end of 1979, pushbacks saw the station delayed by three years.
Ginifer station opened on 31 October 1982. It was first announced in June 1977 by the then Transport Minister Joe Rafferty, and was scheduled for completion by late 1978. Originally to be named Furlong, after the nearby arterial road, upon opening it was named Ginifer, in honour of Jack Ginifer, a former local member of State Parliament.
In 1984, boom barriers were provided at the former Furlong Road level crossing, which was located nearby in the up direction of the station. In 1994, the station was provided with CCTV.
In the 2010/2011 State Budget, $83.7 million was allocated to upgrade Ginifer to a premium station, along with nineteen others. However, in March 2011, this was scrapped by the Baillieu Government.
Until the extension of the Sydenham Line to Sunbury in 2012, Ginifer was served by two V/Line services a day to and from Sunbury.
During October and November 2016, the Level Crossing Removal Authority removed the Furlong Road level crossing by grade separation, with Ginifer rebuilt below ground. The rebuilt station opened on 1 November of that year.
Level Crossing Removal Project As part of Daniel Andrews campaign, his government promised to remove 50 dangerous level crossings across Melbourne. Furlong Road alongside Main Road at St Albans were both included in the list of removals. Furlong Road was noted at being the most dangerous level crossing in Victoria after the removal of Springvale Road, Springvale in 2014. Between 2006 and 2016, two people were killed, three accidents and over 80 near misses. The crossing was also the site of an accident in 2004 which saw three people killed after their car was struck by a V/Line train as the car was travelling over the crossing. Ginifer was proposed to be rebuilt closer to Furlong Road then its present location and was to be designed by Hassell.
Construction began on the project in March 2015, with the relocation of signal cabling and the installation of new overhead wires to cater for the trench Digging of the trench began in December 2015 with access to the station from the west cut off.
The old station closed in October 2016 with a four week shutdown of the Sunbury Line commencing to finish tracks, overhead wires and to connect the new tracks from the trench to the existing line. The Sunbury Line and St Albans station reopened on 1 November, however Ginifer did not open until later in November due to delays with the stations construction.
The project was completed in May 2017 with the new station featuring more shelter, a waiting room and a customer service desk. The new station was also moved south towards Furlong Road.
Platforms and services Ginifer has two side platforms. It is served by Sunbury line trains.
Prior to electrification of the line to Sydenham in 2002, selected V/Line services stopped at Ginifer, to pick up/drop off students from the Sydenham Catholic Regional College.
Current Ginifer platform arrangementPlatformLineDestinationViaService TypeNotesSource1 Westall, Dandenong, East Pakenham, CranbourneTown HallAll stations and limited express servicesServices to Westall and Dandenong only operate during weekday peaks.2Watergardens, SunburyAll stations
Transport links CDC Melbourne operates two bus routes via Ginifer station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria: : St Albans station – Highpoint Shopping Centre : St Albans station – Brimbank Central Shopping Centre
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References
External links
Melway map at street-directory.com.au