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Marshall Station
Line: Geelong
Distance from Melbourne: 79.600km
Track Diagram: View
Google Map: View
Opened: Monday, 14 July 1879
Marshall the First
Marshall Station first opened in 1879 as 'Connewarra' on the up side of the Marshalltown Road level crossing. The year previous had seen the opening of the Geelong Racecourse branch, which left the main line a few hundred metres further down the line. The branch to the racecourse was two miles in length and was only opened for special race trains.
A siding was installed between December 1885 and April 1886 to service the tanneries and other industries then existing along the Barwon River. A carriage dock had also been provided some time after 1887, with it removed in June 1897. The last use of the racecourse branch was in 1906, the line being lifted in 1908, and closed in 1909. The station was renamed Marshall in 1907.
In 1912 more changes came to the station, with a pipemaking factory opening in the station yard. Operated by Stone and Siddeley Co, they had won the contract to build Geelong's outfall sewer to Black Rock (near Barwon Heads). They built a light tramway to assist in the construction process, hauling pipes from the factory, along the alignment of the now-closed racecourse line, to the route of the sewer a kilometre or so away. At Marshall Station itself the remains of the branch line was converted into a loop siding off the main line. By late 1915 the sewer was complete, and the tramway and pipemaking factory removed.
The loop siding itself was left behind, forming a goods yard where a small shed and stock race was erected. By 1953 Marshall as worked under No-one-in-charge conditions, and by 1957 was open to goods in wagon loads only. The passenger platform was removed in 1958, and Marshall was closed to all traffic in 1964.
See also:
Rebirth
The site of Marshall laid empty until the early 2000s where the government of the day made an election promise to provided a 'Grovedale' station to serve the growing southern suburbs of Geelong with commuter trains. After a number of surveys and consultations, it was decided that the new station would be built at Marshalltown Road on the site of the former Marshall goods yard. A competition was held to decide the name of the new station, with 'Marshall' being declared the winner.
Construction commenced in 2003, with a station building, six car platform, carpark, bus terminus, run around loop, and associated signalling being provided. The new station opened to passengers on April 26th 2004. It was initially only served by trains running to and from Warrnambool, until July 2005 when the run around loop and signalling was commissioned, allowing trains to terminate at Marshall. September 2005 saw a limited number of South Geelong trains extended to Marshall, and September 2006 saw even more again.
In September / November 2008 the platform was extended in order to fit 7 car Vlocity trains. About 5 metres were added at the down end, and 2 metres was added at the up end, the latter being narrower than the rest of the platform.
Events
Line Opened
| Saturday, 25 November 1876 | Line opened Geelong to Winchelsea |
Safeworking
| Wednesday, 20 July 2005 | Marshall opened. Train Order Working section now South Geelong - Marshall - Winchelsea |
| Thursday, 1 December 2005 | Track Block provided South Geelong - Marshall |
Diagrams
NOTE: Diagrams are not to scale.
Photos
9 of 34 images found displayed. These will open in a new window
Platform extension at the down end |
Platform extension at the down end |
Down distant signal for Marshall |
Up distant signal for South Geelong |
Marshalltown Road level crossing |
Marshall from Marshalltown Road level crossing |
Looking down the platform at Marshall |
Marshall's station building |
Remains of Stone and Siddley pipe factory |