Marino Rocks railway station

Marino Rocks railway station is located on the Seaford line. Situated in the southern Adelaide suburb of Marino, it’s 18.9 kilometres from Adelaide station and leads directly into Nimboya Road Reserve and park. In addition to serving the hillside Marino community, the station also provides public transport access to a host of outdoor attractions and cycle routes within the local reserves, conservation park and coastline.

The station is cared for by dozens of local volunteers in Marino Rocks, as part of the South Australian Government’s Rail Care Program. Regular working bees are held at Marino Rocks station bringing together the whole Marino community of all ages, with great support from the Government of South Australia, Marion Council and local MPs. This station is used by visitors to the Marino Conservation Park and Lighthouse with sea and city views, Marino Rocks beach, the refurbished playground and sporting facilities at Bandon Reserve, the famous cliff top Marino to Hallett Cove Boardwalk and the extended Adelaide Coast Park coastal walk between Marino Rocks and Seacliff. The station is well used by cyclists, with the Coast to Vines Rail Trail starting at the station then following the former Willunga railway alignment south to McLaren Vale wine region. The Marino Rocks Greenway also starts at Marino Rocks station and provides a cycling route near the inward-bound railway line into the heart of Adelaide.

The Seaford-bound platform sits adjacent to Newland Avenue, with multiple access points for Marino residents to enter directly from Newland Avenue, Coolinga Road, Jervois Terrace and Nimboya Road Reserve. The Adelaide-bound platform sits adjacent to the busy Cove Road, with multiple access points to enter from The Cove Road, Newland Avenue, Jervois Terrace and a short subway located in Nimboya Road Reserve. The station benefits from a medium-sized car park with 14 spaces and 1 disabled bay easily accessed via The Cove Road. In July 2019, an artwork by Adelaide artist Blake Lovas was completed at the station as part of the stations Rail Care community volunteer program.

History
The station is one of the most historic on the line and was initially opened as part of the Willunga railway extension to the Brighton line in 1915, allowing people from inner-Adelaide to visit the surrounding clifftop coastline and beach. The station was rebuilt in 1970 and received a minor upgrade in February 2011 when the line was closed for six months to allow for upgrade works between Oaklands and Noarlunga.

On 2 January 2013, the station was closed again with the whole Seaford line, to allow for its electrification and extension, with trains being replaced by bus services. Rail services resumed at Marino Rocks on 1 December 2013 with electric trains entering service at the station for the first time. In May 2018 the station was the focus for an unprecedented 1500-strong community petition by Marino residents to gain more peak services, following their cuts in an April 2018 timetable change. Following widespread coverage in the media and lobbying by schools with pupils in Marino, one peak morning service was reinstated.