Parliament railway station

Parliament railway station is an underground station on the metro network in Melbourne, Australia. It is one of five stations (and one of three underground) on the City Loop, which encircles the Melbourne CBD. In 2011/12 it was the 4th busiest station on Melbourne's metropolitan network, with 10.7 million passenger movements.

The station services Melbourne's government district, and is underneath the Parliament House of Victoria and the intersection of Bourke and Spring Streets, at the eastern end of the CBD, and is currently the world's southernmost underground railway station, but will be surpassed by Anzac station when the Metro Tunnel opens in 2025.

History
The station platforms were constructed using mining methods. Each platform is an individual tunnel, and are linked to the other platform in the same level by a number of cross tunnels. This choice in design left the remaining pillar of rock between the tunnels too weak to support the required loads, so it was replaced with concrete. A pilot tunnel was made, enabling the walls to be constructed ahead of the main excavation.

The booking hall to the south was constructed 'upside down', with the support columns dug with augers from ground level, then filled with concrete. The roof was then constructed over these piles from ground level during a series of staged road closures, and once this was completed the excavation of the booking hall could be carried out underneath, while road traffic continued overhead. During construction the Parliament House fence had to be removed, stored then re-erected.

The station opened on 22 January 1983. At the time of opening the station had the longest escalators in the southern hemisphere.

In 2025 the Pakenham, Cranbourne and Sunbury railway lines will cease to stop at Parliament Station when the Metro Tunnel is due to open.

Facilities
Parliament station has three underground levels. It has a concourse level and four platforms on the two levels underneath. Each platform serves a separate group of rail lines that leave the Loop and radiate out into the city's suburbs.

Parliament has two separate concourses. They each have a ticket office, toilets and ticket operated gates.
 * The northern is located at the junction of Spring, Lonsdale and Nicholson Streets, and has three escalators and a lift going down to the platforms, as well has a lift and steps leading to street level.
 * The southern concourse is near the Spring and Collins Street intersection, and has four escalators descending to the platforms. There are three exits to ground level via steps: one to MacArthur Street, the other two exits on Spring Street, facing Bourke Street and near Collins Street.

Platforms & services
Platform 1 - Clifton Group
 * Mernda line: all stations and limited stops services to Mernda
 * Hurstbridge line: all stations and limited stops services to Hurstbridge

Platform 2 - Caulfield Group
 * Pakenham line: all stations and limited stops services to Pakenham
 * Cranbourne line: all stations and limited stops services to Cranbourne
 * Frankston line: all stations and limited stops services to Frankston
 * Sandringham line: weekend all stations services to Sandringham

Platform 3 - Northern Group
 * Craigieburn line: all stations services to Craigieburn
 * Upfield line: all stations services to Upfield
 * Sunbury line: all stations and limited stops services to Sunbury
 * Werribee line: weekend all stations services to Werribee

Platform 4 - Burnley Group
 * Lilydale line: all stations and limited stops services to Lilydale
 * Belgrave line: all stations and limited stops services to Belgrave
 * Glen Waverley line: all stations and limited stops services to Glen Waverley
 * Alamein line: weekday all stations and limited stops services to Alamein

Transport links
Yarra Trams operate seven services via Parliament station:

Spring Street


 * 35: City Circle

Bourke Street


 * 86: Bundoora RMIT - Waterfront City Docklands
 * 96: East Brunswick - St Kilda Beach

Collins Street
 * 11: West Preston - Victoria Harbour Docklands
 * 12: Victoria Gardens - St Kilda
 * 48: North Balwyn - Victoria Harbour Docklands
 * 109: Box Hill - Port Melbourne