Mentone railway station

Mentone railway station is a commuter railway station on the Frankston line, which is part of the Melbourne railway network. It serves the south-eastern suburb of Mentone, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Mentone station is a below ground premium station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 19 December 1881, with the current station provided in 2020.^[4][5]

Mentone
PTV commuter rail station
Station concourse and entrance, March 2021
General information
Location	Como Parade West, Mentone, Victoria 3194 City of Kingston Australia
Coordinates	37°58′55″S 145°03′55″E
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	Metro Trains
Line(s)	Frankston
Distance	24.36 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Connections	Bus SkyBus
Construction
Structure type	Below ground
Parking	300
Bicycle facilities	8
Accessible	Yes—step free access
Other information
Status	Operational, premium station
Station code	MEN
Fare zone	Myki Zone 2
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	19 December 1881; 142 years ago (1881-12-19)
Rebuilt	20 July 2020 (LXRP)
Electrified	June 1922 (1500 V DC overhead)
Previous names	Balcombe Road (1881-1882) Balcombe (1882-1884)
Passengers
2005–2006	759,507[1]
2006–2007	790,519[1]  4.08%
2007–2008	873,749[1]  10.52%
2008–2009	914,762[2]  4.69%
2009–2010	927,424[2]  1.38%
2010–2011	980,363[2]  5.7%
2011–2012	1,031,443[2]  5.21%
2012–2013	Not measured[2]
2013–2014	902,016[2]  12.54%
2014–2015	906,626[1]  0.51%
2015–2016	887,937[2]  2.06%
2016–2017	865,831[2]  2.48%
2017–2018	915,608[2]  5.74%
2018–2019	892,167[2]  2.56%
2019–2020	528,700[2]  40.74%
2020–2021	362,550[2]  31.42%
2021–2022	424,350[3]  17.04%
2022–2023	588,750[3]  38.74%
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station Cheltenham towards Werribee or Williamstown via Flinders Street Frankston line Parkdale towards Frankston
Track layout Legend to Cheltenham Latrobe Street (Closing by 2029) 1 2 Warrigal Road (Removing by 2025) to Parkdale

Initially opened as Balcombe Road, the station was renamed two times. It was renamed to Balcombe on 1 September 1882, then was given its current name of Mentone on 7 January 1884.^[4][5]

It is classed as a premium station, and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.^[6]

History

Mentone station opened on 1 September 1882, when the railway line from Caulfield was extended to Mordialloc.^[4] Like the suburb itself, the station is named after the French Riviera resort Menton.^[5][7]

Until the 1940s, a former siding at the station existed, operating across Station Street to a timber yard.^[8]

In 1959, boom barriers replaced interlocked gates at the former Balcombe Road level crossing, which was located at the up end of the station.^[9]

In 1981, the goods yard was closed to traffic.^[4] In late 1984/early 1985, a number of sidings and a headshunt at the station were abolished.^[8] Also occurring in 1985, the signal box and interlocking were abolished.^[4]

In December 2007, Mentone was upgraded to a Premium Station.^[10]

On 20 March 2020, the station was closed from 20:15 to allow for works to remove the three level crossings at Balcombe, Charman and Park Roads, and to build a new Mentone station.^[11] On 20 July of that year, the rebuilt station opened.^[12] The former heritage station buildings were retained as part of the project.^[13]

Platforms and services

Mentone has two side platforms. It is serviced by Metro Trains' Frankston line services.^[14]

Platform 1:

•  Frankston line  all stations and limited express services to Flinders Street, Werribee and Williamstown

Platform 2:

•  Frankston line  all stations services to Frankston

Transport links

Kinetic Melbourne operates one SmartBus route via Mentone station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

• SmartBus  903 : Altona station – Mordialloc^[15]

Ventura Bus Lines operates four routes via Mentone station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  708 : Hampton station – Carrum station^[16]
•  811 : Dandenong station – Brighton^[17]
•  812 : Dandenong station – Brighton^[18]
•  825 : Moorabbin station – Westfield Southland^[19]

SkyBus also operates a service to Melbourne Airport via Mentone station.^[20]

Gallery

• 
  Northbound view from the former ground level Platform 2 viewing the station building, December 2013, prior to grade separation works
• 
  Northbound view after grade separation works, March 2021
• 
  Southbound view after grade separation works, with the original station platform buildings and with new station in background, March 2021

References

1. Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Department of Transport
2. Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Philip Mallis
3. Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
4. "Mentone". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
5. "Mentone | Victorian Places". www.victorianplaces.com.au. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
6. Mentone Railway Station & Gardens Archived 6 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine Department of Transport, Planning & Local Infrastructure
7. First, Jamie (7 January 2014). "The A-Z story of Melbourne's suburbs". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 26 December 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
8. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division): 28. January 1985. ISSN 0310-7477.
9. John Sinnatt (January 1990). "Level Crossing Protection". Somersault. Signalling Record Society Victoria. pp. 9–17.
10. "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. March 2008. p. 88.
11. "Mentone Station closure". Level Crossing Removal Project. Archived from the original on 24 March 2020. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
12. "Mentone Station to open ahead of schedule". Level Crossing Removal Project. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
13. "Party at the Mentone Station heritage deck and gardens". Level Crossing Removal Project. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
14. "Frankston Line". Public Transport Victoria.
15. "903 Altona - Mordialloc (SMARTBUS Service)". Public Transport Victoria. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
16. "708 Carrum - Hampton via Southland". Public Transport Victoria.
17. "811 Dandenong - Brighton via Heatherton Road & Springvale". Public Transport Victoria.
18. "812 Dandenong - Brighton via Parkmore Shopping Centre". Public Transport Victoria.
19. "825 Moorabbin - Southland via Black Rock & Mentone". Public Transport Victoria.
20. "Peninsula Express locations". SkyBus. Retrieved 11 June 2023.

External links

• Melway map