The Melbourne & Suburban Railway Company was formed in June 1857. Under an Act of Parliament assented to on November 24, 1857, the company was authorized to build a line from Princes Bridge to Windsor and a branch from Richmond to Hawthorn with an authorized capital of ₤ 300.000. The act included the following conditions: double tracks to be provided; where the railway passed through crown lands, a strip of 50 yards wide to be granted free; six acres to be allotted for Princes Bridge station; power given to the company by Hobson’s Bay line; a suitable overline bridge to erected at Gisborne Station; a bridge to carry the line over Punt Road; Richmond built to Government specifications for design and clearances.

The promoters experienced much difficulty in obtaining financial support for their plans and, after some months, found it necessary to make drastic limitations for the time being. It was, therefore, decided to build only a singletrack line to a temporary terminus at Punt Road, Richmond thereby avoiding the expense of the bridge.

On July 1, 1858, Governor Sir Henry Barkly performed the ceremony of cutting the first turf at a spot near Punt Road. Rails for the line and the first engine “Hercules” were purchased from the Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company. The Government railway to Williamstown connecting with Geelong line, had just been completed, and the engine steamed up to Spencer Street station. It was then dragged along short sections of rails laid on the roadway along Flinders Street to Princes Bridge.

The line was officially opened on Saturday afternoon, February 5, 1859, with a special hauled by “Hercules”. Public traffic commenced on February 8. On March 2, 1859 a small station was made available to serve passengers for the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Botanic Gardens. It was round about the site of the present footbridge over the lines near the Cricket Ground, and it was worked for afternoon traffic on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

About this time, the disposal of a large block of shares enabled the company to proceed with the extensions of the railway to the River Yarra at Cremorne on the Windsor line and to Pic-Nic on the Hawthorn branch. The Cremorne section was opened on December 12, 1859, and a new station at Swan Street displaced the Punt Road terminus, which was dismantled. The line to Pic-Nic was completed by June 1860, but did not start working until September 24.

Depletion of the capital fund necessitated borrowing ₤ 78.000 to complete Windsor line, which was opened for traffic on December 22, 1860. This formed a junction with the St. Kilda and Brighton Railway line.

Service to Hawthorn commenced on April 15, 1861, completion of this section having been delayed by the slow progress of the contractor in building the bridge over the Yarra at Hawthorn. By this time the company was in bad position financially, although the railway returned a profit on working expenses. Subscribed capital totalled ₤ 250.000, but line construction costs amounted to ₤ 475.000, and creditors were clamouring for payment. Eventually, authority to sell the lines was granted by Parliament and, at a public auction on March 31, 1862 they were bought by the Melbourne Railway Company.

In May 1862, the new company entered into an agreement with the St. Kilda and Brighton Company to work that system for a period of five years. Traffic was then diverted from the Hobson’s Bay line, and passenger for Brighton went direct from Princes Bridge through Windsor. Less then three weeks later, this arrangement was suspended owing to a collision between two trains at Elsternwick. This alarmed Brighton executive that they reverted to the Hobson’s Bay St. Kilda route. However, the Melbourne Railway Company resumed working of the Brighton line on October 1, 1862, and continued until amalgamation in 1865.

Entrance to Flinders St Station ©State of Victoria

References: The Victorian Railways News Letter

Author: Dieter Engel (website)