Watergardens railway station

Watergardens
North-west bound view from Platform 1,
December 2017
General information
Other namesSydenham
LocationWatergardens Circuit Road,
Sydenham, Victoria 3037
City of Brimbank
Australia
Coordinates37°42′03″S 144°46′26″E / 37.7008°S 144.7738°E / -37.7008; 144.7738
SystemPTV commuter and regional rail station
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byMetro Trains
Lines
Distance23.18 kilometres from
Southern Cross
Platforms3 (1 side, 1 island)
Tracks3
Connections Bus
Construction
Structure typeGround
Parking588
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes—step free access
Other information
StatusOperational, premium station
Station codeWGS
Fare zoneMyki Zone 2
History
Opened1 March 1859 (1859-03-01)
Rebuilt26 January 2002
1 November 2022
ElectrifiedJanuary 2002
(1500 V DC overhead)
Previous namesKeilor Road (1859-1887)
Sydenham (1887-2002)
Passengers
2005–2006891,461[1]
2006–20071,000,667[1]  12.25%
2007–20081,324,815[1]  32.39%
2008–20091,495,998[2]  12.92%
2009–20101,593,798[2]  6.53%
2010–20111,618,270[2]  1.53%
2011–20121,530,111[2]  5.44%
2012–2013Not measured[2]
2013–20141,354,502[2]  11.47%
2014–20151,533,562[1]  13.22%
2015–20161,710,458[2]  11.53%
2016–20171,523,124[2]  10.95%
2017–20181,672,481[2]  9.8%
2018–20191,689,500[2]  1.01%
2019–20201,300,950[2]  22.99%
2020–2021528,500[2]  59.37%
2021–2022587,400[3]  11.14%
Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station
Keilor Plains
towards Flinders Street
 Sunbury line Diggers Rest
towards Sunbury
Terminus
Keilor Plains
towards Westall or East Pakenham via Town Hall
 Sunbury line
Weekends only
 Diggers Rest
towards Sunbury
V/Line Services
Preceding station V/Line Following station
Footscray
towards Southern Cross
 Bendigo line
Limited weekday peak services
 Sunbury
towards Bendigo
Swan Hill line Gisborne
towards Swan Hill
Future Services
Preceding station Metro Trains Following station
From 1 February 2026
Keilor Plains
towards East Pakenham or Cranbourne via Town Hall
 Sunbury line Diggers Rest
towards Sunbury
Terminus
Track layout
to Keilor Plains
1
2
3
Sydenham Drain
Victoria Road Drain
Taylors Creek
to
Calder Park
Stabling Yard
to Diggers Rest
Location

Watergardens station is a railway station operated by Metro Trains Melbourne on the Sunbury line, which is part of the Melbourne rail network. It serves the western suburb of Sydenham, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Watergardens station is a ground level premium station, featuring three platforms, an island platform with two faces and one side platform. It opened on 1 March 1859, with the current station location provided in 2002 and the platforms extension in 2022.[4]

Initially opened as Keilor Road, this station was renamed to Sydenham on 1 April 1887, then was given its current name of Watergardens on 26 January 2002.[5][6]

A stabling yard is located at the down (Sunbury) end of the station.

History

Sydenham

Sydenham station originally opened on 1 March 1859, shortly after the railway line was extended from Sunshine to Sunbury.[5][6]

In 1926, interlocked gates were provided at the former Melton Highway level crossing, which was located at the down end of the station. In 1987, they were replaced with boom barriers.[6] In 1989, a rail siding at the station was abolished, as well as a number of signal posts.[5]

Watergardens

In 2002, as part of the extension of the electrified network from St Albans, Sydenham was closed, and a new station was built approximately 600 m (1,969 ft) in the up direction.[4][5] Opening on 26 January of that year, the new station was named Watergardens, after the adjacent Watergardens Shopping Centre.[4] The new station was to be called Sydenham, with the name being built into the brickwork of the station building. However, naming rights were sold to the shopping centre. The name "Sydenham" can still be seen on the side of the building adjacent to Platform 3.[4] Around 2012, the Sydenham name was dropped, with the station now generally referred to as Watergardens.[4]

In late 2002, the Melton Highway level crossing was upgraded, in conjunction with the duplication of the highway.[7] In 2015, the Level Crossing Removal Authority announced the grade separation of the highway and railway line. In January 2018, the Melton Highway level crossing (down line) was removed and replaced with a bridge for Melton Highway, with the project completed in October.[8]

In 2022, all three platforms were extended from 160 m (525 ft) to 163 m (535 ft) long.[4]

In July 2025, the nearby Calder Park Drive level crossing was removed as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project.[9]

Platforms and services

Watergardens has one side platform and one island platform with two faces. It is served by Sunbury line trains, as well as a limited number of V/Line services on the Bendigo and Swan Hill lines.[10][11][12]

Current (until 1 February 2026)

Watergardens platform arrangement
Platform Line Destination Via Service Type Notes
1  Sunbury line  Flinders Street City Loop All stations and limited express services
 Sunbury line  (weekends only) Westall, East Pakenham Town Hall Limited express services Between 10:00am and 7:00pm on weekends
 Bendigo line 
 Swan Hill line  		Southern Cross
2  Sunbury line  Flinders Street City Loop All stations and limited express services
3  Sunbury line  Sunbury All stations
 Bendigo line 
 Swan Hill line  		Bendigo
Swan Hill

From 1 February 2026

Watergardens platform arrangement
Platform Line Destination Via Service pattern
1  Sunbury line  East Pakenham, Cranbourne Town Hall All stations and limited express services
 Bendigo line 
 Swan Hill line  		Southern Cross
2  Sunbury line  East Pakenham, Cranbourne Town Hall All stations and limited express services
3  Sunbury line  Sunbury All stations and limited express services
 Bendigo line 
 Swan Hill line  		Bendigo,
Swan Hill

CDC Melbourne operates eight routes to and from Watergardens station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

  •  419 : to St Albans station[13]
  •  421 : to St Albans station[14]
  •  425 : to St Albans station[15]
  •  460 : to Caroline Springs station[16]
  •  461 : to Caroline Springs Town Centre[17]
  •  462 : to Caroline Springs station[18]
  •  463 : to Hillside[19]
  •  476 : to Moonee Ponds Junction[20]

Transit Systems Victoria operates three routes to and from Watergardens station, under contract to Public Transport Victoria:

  • North-west bound view from Platform 2, June 2013

References

  1. ^ a b c d Estimated Annual Patronage by Network Segment Financial Year 2005-2006 to 2018-19 Department of Transport
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Railway station and tram stop patronage in Victoria for 2008-2021 Philip Mallis
  3. ^ Annual metropolitan train station patronage (station entries) Data Vic
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Watergardens (Sydenham)". vicsig.net. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d "Sydenham". vicsig.net. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Waugh, Andrew. "SRS Showday Tour Notes Footscray to Sunbury 1 November 1994" (PDF). Victorian Station Histories. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Works". Newsrail. Australian Railway Historical Society. January 2003. p. 28.
  8. ^ Melton Highway, Sydenham - Level Crossing Removal Authority
  9. ^ Build, Victoria’s Big (24 July 2025). "Calder Park Drive, Calder Park". Victoria’s Big Build. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
  10. ^ "Sunbury Line". Public Transport Victoria.
  11. ^ Bendigo - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria
  12. ^ Swan Hill - Melbourne timetable Public Transport Victoria
  13. ^ "419 St Albans Station - Watergardens Station via Keilor Downs". Public Transport Victoria.
  14. ^ "421 St Albans Station - Watergardens Station via Keilor Plains Station". Public Transport Victoria.
  15. ^ "425 St Albans Station - Watergardens Station via Delahey". Public Transport Victoria.
  16. ^ "460 Watergardens Station - Caroline Springs Station via Caroline Spring Town Centre". Public Transport Victoria.
  17. ^ "461 Watergardens Station - Caroline Springs Town Centre via Fraser Rise". Public Transport Victoria.
  18. ^ "462 Watergardens Station - Caroline Springs (south) via Caroline Springs Square SC". Public Transport Victoria.
  19. ^ "463 Watergardens Station - Hillside via Langmore Dr". Public Transport Victoria.
  20. ^ "476 Moonee Ponds - Watergardens via Keilor". Public Transport Victoria.
  21. ^ "420 Sunshine Station - Watergardens Station via Deer Park". Public Transport Victoria.
  22. ^ 941 Sunshine Station - Watergardens Station via Keilor Downs Public Transport Victoria
  23. ^ 943 Watergardens Station - Melton via Caroline Springs Public Transport Victoria
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