Cheltenham railway station, Melbourne

Cheltenham railway station was one of the earliest stations on the Frankston railway line, having opened on 19 December 1881.[2][3] The current dock platform (Platform 1) was provided in 1956.[4] A siding originally existed at this dock platform. Boom barriers were provided at the Park Road level crossing, located at the up (Melbourne) end, in 1966.[4] A signal panel was installed in the station building in 1972, to control trains terminating at Platform 1.[5] That coincided with the introduction of automatic signalling between Highett and Cheltenham. Boom barriers were also provided at the Charman Road level crossing, located at the down (Frankston) end of the station, in 1972.[4] A fourth track was laid into the bitumen of the Park St level crossing in preparation for triplication, but it was never connected.[6] There was previously a siding on the eastern side of the station, at the Melbourne end.[7] The wiring for the siding was deactivated by 1980 when most of the siding was replaced with car parking,[6] and was removed altogether by 1985.[8]

Cheltenham was designated as a Premium station on 8 March 1996.[9]

In 2010, Cheltenham station was identified as a key part of the Cheltenham Major Activity Centre by the Brumby Labor Government, as part of its Melbourne 2030 strategic planning policy framework. In 2010, Kingston City Council proposed a major redevelopment of the station environs, including a new station forecourt with a terraced plaza, giving more prominence to the heritage-listed buildings at the station, and a new taxi rank, similar to that at Mentone.[10] The proposal was not implemented. In October 2015, the station toilets were refurbished.[11]

In February 2017, it was announced that, as part of the Level Crossing Removal Project of the Andrews Labor Government, Cheltenham station would be rebuilt in a rail trench, to allow the elimination of the level crossings at Charman and Park roads. The trench, 1.26 kilometres in length, will be at least 30 metres wide. That will facilitate the reinstatement of the dock platform (Platform 1) as part of a duplication of the down track (towards Frankston). Road bridges will be constructed over the rail line at Charman and Park roads. A multi–storey car-park will be built within the existing station car park.[12]

From its opening in 1881, the station was located between Mentone and Highett. The opening of Southland station in 2017 meant that Southland replaced Highett as the closest station to Cheltenham in the up direction (towards Melbourne).

On 16 August 2020, the new station opened after being fully reconstructed over the top of the railway line afterthe line was lowered into a cutting, removing the park road and Charman Road level crossings.

On 10 May 2008, former The Saddle Club actress Jessica Jacobs died instantly from her injuries after she was hit by a train.[13] In 2012, a motorist was killed after a train hit his car.[14]

Cheltenham is served by Metro Trains' Frankston line services.[15] Until March 2020, it had two side platforms and one dock platform. The latter was served by one afternoon terminating service from Flinders Street, that returned empty to the city, but from 12 October 2014, extra weekday Flinders Street bound services began to use the platform.

Following the reconstruction and reconfiguration of the station and tracks, as of July 2020 the dock platform 1 has been turned into a through track servicing all city bound trains. The station now has the following configuration:

Platform 1:

•  Frankston line  all stations and limited stop services to Flinders Street, Werribee and Williamstown

Platform 2:

•  Frankston line  all stations and limited stop services to Flinders Street, Werribee and Williamstown

Platform 3:

•  Frankston line  all stations services to Frankston

Transdev Melbourne operates three bus routes via Cheltenham station:

• 600: Westfield Southland – St Kilda station[16]
• 922: Westfield Southland – St Kilda station[17]
• 923: Westfield Southland – St Kilda station[18]

Ventura Bus Lines operates four bus routes via Cheltenham station:

• 811: Dandenong station – Brighton[19]
• 812: Dandenong station – Brighton[20]
• 822: Chadstone Shopping Centre – Sandringham station[21]
• 828: Hampton Station – Berwick Station[22]

• 
  Drawings of the Cheltenham railway station building in c.1881
• 
  Cheltenham railway station in c.1920
• 
  Cheltenham railway station in c.1920
• 
  Cheltenham railway station in 2007
• 
  Cheltenham railway station in 2017
• 
  Station entrance in November 2020

• Melway map