Waurn Ponds railway station

Waurn Ponds railway station is a regional railway station on the Warrnambool line, part of the Victorian railway network. It serves the southern Geelong suburb of Waurn Ponds, in Victoria, Australia. Waurn Ponds station is a ground level premium station, featuring two side platforms. It opened on 12 October 2014, with the current station provided in 2022.^[2]

Waurn Ponds
PTV regional rail station
Eastbound view from Platform 1, with Platform 2 under construction, April 2022
General information
Location	Sugargum Drive, Waurn Ponds, Victoria 3216 City of Greater Geelong Australia
Coordinates	38°12′39.88″S 144°20′19.23″E
Owned by	VicTrack
Operated by	V/Line
Line(s)	Geelong Warrnambool (Warrnambool)
Distance	84.90 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Status	Operational, staffed
Station code	WPD
Fare zone	Myki Zone 4
Website	Public Transport Victoria
History
Opened	12 October 2014; 10 years ago (2014-10-12)
Rebuilt	31 May 2022 (Regional Rail Revival)
Previous names	Grovedale (provisionally)
Passengers
2014-2015	84,323[1]
2015-2016	179,836[1]  113.09%
2016-2017	225,053[1]  25.69%
Services
To Melbourne: Approximately every 40 minutes. To Warrnambool: 5 services on weekdays and 3 on weekends Preceding station V/Line Following station Marshall towards Southern Cross Geelong line Terminus Warrnambool line Limited service Winchelsea towards Warrnambool Geelong towards Southern Cross Warrnambool line Most weekday services
Location Waurn Ponds Location within Victoria

History

Waurn Ponds is the terminus for many V/Line's Geelong line services. Located between Oakwood Crescent and Rossack Drive, the station was initially to be named Grovedale, but was renamed Waurn Ponds before opening.

In April 2013, the Victorian Government announced that a new station would be built at Waurn Ponds, to serve the nearby suburbs of Grovedale and Armstrong Creek. The station was budgeted at $25.9 million, with $9.4 million for planning and land acquisition, and $16.5 million for a single platform with passenger amenities, booking office and toilets, bus bays, bicycle storage, and parking for 200 cars.^[3]

Contracts for the construction of the station were awarded in February 2014.^[4] In July 2014, the name of the station was changed to Waurn Ponds, and the size of the planned car park was increased to 292 spaces, along with overflow parking for a further 100 to 150 vehicles.^[5] The new station opened on 12 October 2014.^[6][7]

In 2020, the State Government announced an upgrade to the station, as part of the Regional Rail Revival project.^[8] The project included the construction of a new platform to the south of the existing platform, a new pedestrian overpass, an upgraded car park and upgraded lighting and CCTV.^[8] As part of those works, the railway line between Waurn Ponds and South Geelong is being duplicated,^[9] as well as the construction of a new maintenance and stabling facility.^[10] Major works at the station were completed in January 2022,^[11] with all station upgrades, including the second platform, in use by 31 May of that year.^[12]

The Waurn Ponds name was also used by V/Line's Network Access Division, to refer to the former Victorian Portland Cement Company sidings at the Blue Circle Southern Cement plant, two kilometres west of the passenger station.^[13] On 31 May 2021, the sidings were officially abolished.^[14]

Platforms and services

Waurn Ponds has two side platforms and is served by V/Line Geelong and Warrnambool line trains.^[15][16]

Platform 1:

•  Geelong line  services to Southern Cross
•  Warrnambool line  services to Warrnambool and Southern Cross

Platform 2:

•  Geelong line  services to Southern Cross
•  Warrnambool line  services to Warrnambool and Southern Cross

Transport links

McHarry's Buslines operates three routes via Waurn Ponds station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

•  41 : Geelong station – Deakin University Waurn Ponds Campus^[17]
•  42 : Geelong station – Deakin University Waurn Ponds Campus^[18]
•  45 : Armstrong Creek – Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre^[19]

Gallery

• 
  Eastbound view from the station platform, November 2019