# Clayton railway station, Melbourne

Clayton railway station is a commuter railway station located in the suburb of the same name, in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The station opened on 6 January 1880 as "Clayton's Road". It did not receive its current name until 1890. It is approximately 17 kilometres from Flinders Street, or about 33 minutes by train. The station was previously at grade but, in 2018, a new, elevated station was opened, as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project.
Clayton station is currently served by the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines which are both part of the Melbourne railway network. Additionally, the station is also served by the Gippsland line, which is a part of the Victorian regional railway network, and eight bus routes, including SmartBus route 703. The station is approximately 17 kilometres (11.8 mi), or around a 33 minute train ride away, from Flinders Street.

## Description

Clayton railway station is located in the suburb of Clayton. On the north side of the station is Carnish Road, and Clayton Road is to the west. The station is owned by VicTrack, a state government agency, and is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne. The station is approximately 19 kilometres (11.8 mi), or around a 33 minute train ride away, from Flinders Street.
Clayton station consists of a single island platform which is located above the road, and is connected to Clayton Road through both a lift and an escalator. The length of the platform is approximately 160 metres (520 ft) long enough for a Metro Trains 7-car HCMT.
The main car park at the station is located in between both Haughton Road and Carnish Road, just south of the station. The station fully complies with the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992, as there is a lift that connects the station entrance with Platforms 1 and 2.

## History

Clayton station opened just over two years after the line from Oakleigh was extended to Dandenong. The station was originally called Clayton's Road, receiving its current name in 1890. The station, like the suburb itself, gets its name from the property Clayton Vale, owned by John Clayton in the 1860s and 1870s, which was located near the station.
Two timber station buildings, now heritage listed, were constructed in 1891, with one on each platform. What sets the buildings apart was their modular design, which included a booking office, a general waiting area and a ladies waiting room. When the elevated new station was being constructed, the old station building on platform 2 was relocated and protected due to its historical status. It now contains an archival photographic record of the station.
In 1971, boom barriers replaced interlocked gates at the former Clayton Road level crossing, which was located at the up end of the station.
In 1998, Clayton was upgraded to a premium station and staffed from early in the morning until the last train.

### Level crossing removal

In March 2014, the Victorian state government announced a grade separation project to replace the Clayton Road level crossing, as well as the Centre Road level crossing, located nearby in the down direction of the station. That necessitated the rebuilding of the station.
In 2016, the Andrews government announced that, as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP), 8.3 kilometres (5.2 mi) of elevated rail would be provided, removing nine level crossings on the Pakenham and Cranbourne rail corridor, including the building of five new elevated stations at Carnegie, Murrumbeena, Hughesdale, Noble Park and Clayton.
Dubbed "sky rail" by opponents and some media outlets, the plans for an elevated railway spurred significant local opposition due to concerns over visual and noise impacts. The project became a political issue in the 2018 state election.
In April 2018, the new, elevated Clayton station was opened, along with the four other elevated stations on the Caulfield to Dandenong line. The removals created a large new section of open parkland, dubbed a "linear park". This included 22.5 hectares (56 acres) of new open space, sports courts, playgrounds, new walking and cycling trails, and expanded station forecourts. As part of the project, the Djerring Trail was created, a 17-kilometre (11 mi) shared-use path along the rail corridor, which runs through the Clayton station precinct. In the year after the elevated rail opened in 2018, the media reported that many residents, including some who were opposed to the project, were happy with the outcome and utilised the new open space.

## Platforms and services

Clayton is an elevated premium station, consisting of an island platform connected to the station concourse on Clayton Road via escalators, lifts and a staircase. The station is served by both Pakenham and Cranbourne trains, and is also served by V/Line trains on the Gippsland line.
Services to East Pakenham and Cranbourne travel together south-east towards Dandenong before splitting into two separate lines. Services to the city run express from Caulfield (Malvern during off-peak) to South Yarra, before stopping all stations to Flinders Street via the City Loop. Traralgon and Bairnsdale services run express to Nar Nar Goon, stopping at Dandenong and Pakenham, before stopping all stations after Nar Nar Goon. From Clayton regional services to the city run express to Richmond, stopping at Caulfield, before stopping all stations to Southern Cross.
Platform 1:
* Pakenham line all stations and limited express services to Flinders Street
* Cranbourne line all stations and limited express services to Flinders Street
* Gippsland line V/Line services to Southern Cross (drop off only)
Platform 2:
* Pakenham line all stations and limited express services to East Pakenham
* Cranbourne line all stations services to Cranbourne
* Gippsland line V/Line services to Traralgon (pick up only), Sale (one Sunday morning service, pick up only) and Bairnsdale (one weekday service, pick up only)
Future services: In addition to the current services, there are also two proposed services. From 2025, the under-construction Metro Tunnel will link the Pakenham and Cranbourne lines with the Sunbury line. If the proposed Melbourne Airport rail link is built, services will additionally run to Melbourne Airport.
* Sunbury line express services to Sunbury (2025 onwards)
* Airport line express services to Melbourne Airport (2033 onwards)

## Transport links

Clayton is served by eight bus routes, including SmartBus route 703. Routes 704, 821, 824, 978, 979 and northbound services on routes 631, 703 and 733 depart from the interchange on Carinish Road, whereas southbound services on route 631, 703 and 733 depart from the bus stop on Clayton Road.

### Carinish Road

* 631 : to Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre
* SmartBus 703 : to Blackburn station
* 704 : Oakleigh station – Westall station
* 733 : to Box Hill station
* 821 : to Westfield Southland
* 824 : Moorabbin station – Parkmore Shopping Centre
* Night Bus 978 : to Dandenong station (via Mulgrave) (Saturday and Sunday mornings only)
* Night Bus 979 : to Dandenong station (via Keysborough) (Saturday and Sunday mornings only)

### Clayton Road

* 631 : to Westfield Southland
* SmartBus 703 : to Middle Brighton station
* 733 : to Oakleigh station

### Suburban Rail Loop

In 2018, Clayton station has been chosen as one of the stations to be served by the proposed Suburban Rail Loop. As part of the project, the station will receive a major upgrade, which will involve construction of two new underground platforms, as well as the conversion of the station to a transport superhub. In June 2022, construction began just south of the existing station. Tunnelling is set to begin in 2026, and the eastern section of the SRL (SRL East) is planned to open in 2035. A direct paid-area connection between the new underground station and elevated platforms is planned to be built between the elevated rail tracks.
* Suburban Rail Loop East services to Southland and Box Hill