Williamstown Racecourse railway station

Williamstown Racecourse
Looking north from the station site in 2008: stanchion bases to the right, Altona line to the left
Coordinates	37°51′20″S 144°51′7″E / 37.85556°S 144.85194°E / -37.85556; 144.85194Coordinates: 37°51′20″S 144°51′7″E / 37.85556°S 144.85194°E / -37.85556; 144.85194
Line(s)	Altona
Platforms	1 island
Tracks	2
Other information
Status	Closed
History
Opened	6 April 1885
Closed	22 May 1950
Electrified	27 August 1920

Williamstown Racecourse is a demolished station on the former Altona railway line, now part of the Werribee railway line in Melbourne, Australia. It was located in the suburb of Altona, immediately south of the Kororoit Creek Road level crossing and north of Kororoit Creek.

History

The station was opened in 1885 as the terminus of a 1.1 km branch from the main Geelong line, serving the adjacent Williamstown Racecourse. In 1888, the line was extended to Altona Beach by a private land development company, branching from the station yard on its western side.

The station consisted of an island platform, signal box, two run-around roads, and a number of sidings.^[1] The line to the station was electrified in 1920 as part of the Melbourne suburban electrification scheme. Shortly after the start of World War II, the racecourse was taken over by the government for military purposes and did not reopen after the war,^[2] although the overhead equipment at the station remained until 1950. Today, the remains of a few stanchion bases can be seen beside the Altona line.

References

See also

• "Rail Geelong - Williamstown Racecourse Station". www.railgeelong.com. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
• "Rail Geelong - Altona Line Guide". www.railgeelong.com. Retrieved 2008-04-30.