Rail Geelong

Williamstown Racecourse Station

• Location Events
• Photos
• Sources

Williamstown Racecourse was the terminus of a 1.1 km branch from the main Geelong line. The station was first used on April 6 1885 and services were provided for race meetings. Trains ran as required from Spencer Street, until 1935 when they were altered to run from Flinders Street (as with Flemington Racecourse trains).

The line was extended to Altona Beach (near today's Altona station) on November 9, 1888. The line left the racecourse station yard on the western side. About 1911 interlocking and signalling was provided for the station, with the line to Altona line signalled as the branch, and the dead end platforms as the main line. The signal box was located on the eastern side of the main line, at the up end of the platform. When there was no race traffic the signals were crossed, and the road set towards Altona.

The station itself was provided with an island platform, with a platform road and run around loop provided to each platform face. A ladder of points and single slips connected the platform roads to the main line towards Melbourne, with three dead end sidings being provided to the west of the main line, and two dead end sidings and a loop road provided to the east.

Overhead wiring was provided early in the suburban electrification project, being commissioned on August 27, 1920. The racecourse was closed after World War II but it was not until May 22 1950 that the overhead equipment was removed. Today the remains of a few stanchion bases can be seen beside the current line to Altona.

Events

Line Opened

Safeworking

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Photos

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Remaining stanchion bases	Remaining stanchion bases	Looking up
Looking down	Kororoit Creek Road level crossing

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Sources

• Electric Railways of Victoria - S.E. Doorman and R.G. Henderson
• Newsrail - September 1988