Meltham railway station

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Coordinates: 31°55′21″S 115°54′01″E / 31.922462°S 115.900311°E / -31.922462; 115.900311
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This article is about the station in Australia. For the British station, see Meltham branch line.

Meltham
View of the station platform from a footbridge. The station has a large brick building on the platform to provide shelter.
Meltham railway station in October 2020
General information
LocationWhatley Crescent, Railway Parade, Grand Promenade
Bayswater, Western Australia
Australia
Coordinates31°55′21″S 115°54′01″E / 31.922462°S 115.900311°E / -31.922462; 115.900311
Owned byPublic Transport Authority
Operated byPublic Transport Authority
Line(s)     Airport line
     Midland line
Distance5.5 km (3.4 mi) from Perth
Platforms1 island platform with 2 platform edges
Construction
ParkingYes
AccessiblePartial
Other information
Fare zone1
History
Opened14 May 1948 (1948-05-14)
Passengers
2013-14169,432[1]
Services
Preceding station Transperth Transperth Following station
Maylands
towards Perth
 Midland line Bayswater
towards Midland
Maylands
towards Perth or Claremont
 Airport line
P
 Bayswater
towards High Wycombe
Opening in 2024
Maylands
towards Perth
 Morley–Ellenbrook line Bayswater
towards Ellenbrook
Location
Map
Location of Meltham station

Meltham railway station is a railway station in Bayswater, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. It is on the Midland line and Airport line, between Maylands and Bayswater. It is 5.5 kilometres (2.8 mi), or 10 minutes by train, from Perth railway station Services run every 6 minutes during peak and every 7.5 minutes between peak.

The station was built during the late 1940s, after first being promised in 1898, and after decades of campaigning by residents and the Bayswater Road Board. The station underwent a refurbishment in 2012. Development of higher density buildings around Meltham station has been a contentious issue since the mid 2010s. The Airport line opened on 9 October 2022.

Description[edit]

Meltham railway station is in the Perth suburb of Bayswater, Western Australia. It is located between Whatley Crescent to the south, and Railway Parade to the north. Just to the east is the Hotham Street bridge over the railway. To the north is the intersection of Railway Parade and Grand Promenade.[2] It is 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi),[3]: 10  or a 10 minute train journey from Perth along the Midland line. The adjacent railway stations are Maylands towards Perth, or Bayswater towards Midland.[4][5]

The station consists of a single island platform with two platform faces.[6] The platform is approximately 98 metres (322 ft) long, or long enough for a Transperth 4 car train, but not long enough for a 6 car train.[2] The track through the station is dual gauge.[3]: 92  Transperth services operate on narrow gauge; standard gauge trains do not stop at the station. At the west end of the platform is a pedestrian level crossing for access to the station. At the east end of the platform is a footbridge connected to the platform by a ramp.[6]

History[edit]

Early history[edit]

A station at this location was first promised in 1898. A signal box at this location was built in 1913.[7]

Map of the townsite of Meltham Heights in Bayswater
Meltham Heights townsite map published in The West Australian on 27 July 1937

In 1937, the townsite of Meltham Heights was gazetted, consisting of the area around Hotham Street.[8] Transport for Meltham Heights was an issue. With the area being working class, car ownership was uncommon. Residents and the Bayswater Road Board (now the City of Bayswater) agitated for a railway station.[9]: 179 [10]

Bayswater and its surrounding suburbs' population surged following the end of World War II. Housing construction, which was non-existent during the war, proceeded at a rapid rate post-war.[9]: 207  Development occurred in Meltham Heights, and construction of the station there finally began in 1947. Shortages of labour and materials prevented the station's completion until 1949,[9]: 179  however, with the station partially completed, the eastern 180 feet (55 m) opened on 14 June 1948.[7][10][11][12]

Modern day[edit]

In 2012, Meltham station was upgraded to comply with accessibility and safety requirements. This included resurfacing the platform, an extension to the car park and public art.[13] The upgrade cost $2 million.[14]

In 2016, the Public Transport Authority said that closing stations with low patronage was a possibility. On a typical weekday, 524 passengers use Meltham station. The Public Transport Authority later said that there were no immediate plans to close the station, in response to fears that Meltham would be closed.[14][15][16]

Increased building density is a contentious issue around Meltham. Currently, Meltham is surrounded by 1 to 2-storey buildings. In 2017, City of Bayswater councillors voted against the Meltham precinct structure plan, which would have resulted in six-storey apartments on some roads near the station. However, the Western Australian Planning Commission overruled the council.[17][18][19][20][21]

In 2019 and 2020, the City of Bayswater proposed that a new suburb named Meltham be created, covering the area around Meltham railway station. The purpose of the suburb was to give the area its own identity, as currently it is overshadowed by the rest of Bayswater. Councillors decided in May 2020 to not proceed with the proposed renaming.[22][23][24]

Construction to add 100 bays to the northern carpark at Meltham station started in February 2020. This is due to the 180 bays that were permanently removed at Bayswater station in late 2020 due to the construction of the new Bayswater station.[25][26] The new car bays opened in October 2020.[27]

Rail services[edit]

Meltham railway station is served by the Midland and Airport lines on the Transperth network. The Midland line goes between Midland and Perth and the Airport line goes between High Wycombe and Claremont.[28] It will also be served by the Morley–Ellenbrook line when that opens in late-2024.[29][30] Services on that line will go between Ellenbrook and Perth.[31] Midland line trains stop at the station every 10 minutes during peak on weekdays, and every 15 minutes during the day outside peak every day of the year except Christmas Day. Trains are half-hourly or hourly at night time.[4] The station saw 169,432 passengers in the 2013-14 financial year.[1]

Bus routes[edit]

During the temporary closure of Bayswater station between March and October 2023, the CircleRoute bus route deviated via Meltham station to still allow for a train transfer, stopping at bus stops on Grand Promenade. A free shuttle bus, route 44, operated between Meltham and Bayswater stations as well.[32]

Gallery[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meltham railway station.
  • Western end of Meltham station
    Western end of Meltham station
  • Bike shelter constructed in 2019
    Bike shelter constructed in 2019
  • Public art, added during station upgrade in 2012
    Public art, added during station upgrade in 2012
  • Meltham railway station in 2005
    Meltham railway station in 2005
  • Meltham railway station in 1949, One year after opening
    Meltham railway station in 1949, One year after opening

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Question On Notice No. 4247 asked in the Legislative Assembly on 25 June 2015 by Mr M. Mcgowan". Parliament of Western Australia. 25 June 2015. Archived from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Google Maps". Google. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Manual – Rail Access" (PDF). Public Transport Authority. 30 August 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.: 10  Distance from East Perth Station to Perth Station is 2.1 km. Distance from East Perth Station to Meltham Station is 3.4 km. The sum of 2.1 km and 3.4 km is 5.5 km.
  4. ^ a b "Midland Line Train Timetable" (PDF). Transperth. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Meltham Station". Transperth. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Meltham Station – Access Map" (PDF). Transperth. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  7. ^ a b "History of stations on the Midland line" (PDF). righttrack.wa.gov.au. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  8. ^ "New Townsites". The West Australian. Vol. 53, no. 15, 937. Western Australia. 27 July 1937. p. 15. Archived from the original on 6 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ^ a b c May, Catherine (2013). Changes they've seen : the city and people of Bayswater 1827-2013. Morley, W.A.: City of Bayswater. ISBN 9780646596082.
  10. ^ a b "History of the name "Meltham"". City of Bayswater. Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  11. ^ Marcus, Eddie (9 September 2016). "Cars not trains, said the Minister for Railways". Dodgy Perth. Archived from the original on 3 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  12. ^ "New Station". The West Australian. 11 June 1948. p. 14. Retrieved 1 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "PTA DDA Upgrades - Meltham Train Station". LKS Constructions. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  14. ^ a b "MINISTER SCOTCHES STATION RUMOURS". The Perth Voice Interactive. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 14 February 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  15. ^ "'No immediate plan' to shut train stations on Perth's Midland line, Public Transport Authority says". PerthNow. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  16. ^ Acott, Kent (8 September 2016). "Some Perth train stations may close, says PTA". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  17. ^ "MELTHAM RETHINK URGED". The Perth Voice Interactive. 10 February 2017. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  18. ^ "MELTHAM PLAN REJECTED". The Perth Voice Interactive. 19 May 2017. Archived from the original on 7 October 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  19. ^ Shield, Helen (15 November 2017). "City of Bayswater attacks WA Planning Commission over Meltham train station area development". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  20. ^ Young, Emma (29 March 2017). "Perth councillor warns developers' new powers could change face of the city". WAtoday. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Meltham Station Precinct Structure Plan". City of Bayswater. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  22. ^ Lim, Kristie (20 November 2019). "Proposed Meltham suburb rename in the works". PerthNow. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  23. ^ "Meltham Suburb". Engage Bayswater. Archived from the original on 23 March 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  24. ^ "Locals happy with height for trees". The Perth Voice Interactive. 28 May 2020. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  25. ^ "Parking relocation to Meltham Station". Metronet. Archived from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Bayswater Station car park fact sheet 2020" (PDF). Metronet. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  27. ^ "Bayswater Station – Project Features". Metronet. Archived from the original on 17 September 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  28. ^ "Forrestfield-Airport Link Project Overview" (PDF). Metronet. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  29. ^ "Signed on the dotted (Morley-Ellenbrook) Line". Metronet. 19 October 2020. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  30. ^ "Morley-Ellenbrook Line Project Update - January 2021" (PDF). Metronet. 5 January 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  31. ^ "Morley–Ellenbrook Line Project Definition Plan" (PDF). Metronet. June 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 September 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  32. ^ "Bayswater Station Closure". Transperth. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
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