History
Westall station was opened as a workers only platform on 16 October 1954. It was provided for the adjacent Martin and King railway coachbuilding factory. The station was opened to the public on 1 June 1959 when all trains on the line began stopping there.
The station had a stabling yard located at the Down (Dandenong) end, as well as a number of industrial sidings serving nearby factories. In 1997 the Westall train maintenance centre was opened in the former goods yard, as part of the decentralisation of train stabling and maintenance from the former Jolimont Yards. The buildings were approximately 2,850 m² in size, and permit bogie repair and replacement, under carriage and overhead work. The facility cost $15 million, which also included the Bayswater facility.
On 26 July 2006 a fire started in the waiting room of the station building on platform one, causing major damage to half of the station building, ticket machines, seats and a section of the platform. The city bound platform was closed off and passenger services heading towards Melbourne ran express from Springvale to Clayton bypassing Westall until temporary fencing was placed around the building. The damaged part of the building was subsequently demolished and rebuilt.
On 6 May 2008, the Government of Victoria announced as part of the 2008-2009 state budget that Westall station would receive a $151 million upgrade which would include a new third platform along with triplicating 2.6 kilometres of existing double track between Centre Road and Springvale Road. Hong Lim, Member of Clayton, has also said that the new upgrades will include a new pedestrian crossing, CCTV facilities and additional car spaces. In 2009, construction of the upgrades has commenced and is expected to be completed by 2011.
Read more about this topic: Westall Railway Station
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“For a transitory enchanted moment man must have held his breath in the presence of this continent, compelled into an aesthetic contemplation he neither understood nor desired, face to face for the last time in history with something commensurate to his capacity for wonder.”
—F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940)
“A man will not need to study history to find out what is best for his own culture.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The principal office of history I take to be this: to prevent virtuous actions from being forgotten, and that evil words and deeds should fear an infamous reputation with posterity.”
—Tacitus (c. 55–c. 120)