Flagstaff railway station

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The station was constructed by mining methods, and has four levels to a maximum depth of {{Convert|32|m|ftin}}. The site was a geological "sandwich" of basalt in the arch area, Silurian mudstone bedrock in the lower half, and silt in the middle, which precluded the construction of lower and upper platforms as separately driven tunnels.{{cite web|url=http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/383.html|title=The Melbourne Underground Railway Loop|work=Technology in Australia 1788–1988|page=383|publisher=www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au|access-date=20 July 2008}}

Instead, the station platforms consist of two chambers linked by cross tunnels, each having two platforms on top of each other. The side of each chamber was made up of two drift tunnels, one at the top and one at the bottom. They were then linked by 228 vertically raise bored shafts, {{Convert|1|m}} in diameter and {{Convert|3|m|ftin}} apart. The shafts and drifts were then filled with concrete, and formed the side skeleton of the station chambers. The arch of each chamber was then constructed across the top of the two side walls, the material below the arch being excavated down to the bottom of the side walls, with temporary cross struts added between the raise bored columns, until the permanent elements were added. That innovative method resulted in a $1 million saving in construction costs.[http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090628211644/http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/doi/doielect.nsf/2a6bd98dee287482ca256915001cff0c/44507f9d12a4406cca25700c0012fe36/$FILE/MURL%20booklet.pdf History of Melbourne's Underground Rail System] Metropolitan Transit Authority

Flagstaff was the last station to open on the City Loop. Although trains had run through the station site since 24 January 1981, when the Loop began operating, Flagstaff did not open to passengers until 27 May 1985.Stations opened, stations closed Electric Traction August 1985 page 123{{cite web|url=http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/Doi/Internet/transport.nsf/AllDocs/74164766E0CEAF95CA25700500122952?OpenDocument|title=Public transport – City Loop history|author=Department of Infrastructure|publisher=www.doi.vic.gov.au|access-date=20 July 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090520044857/http://www.doi.vic.gov.au/DOI/Internet/transport.nsf/AllDocs/74164766E0CEAF95CA25700500122952?OpenDocument|archive-date=20 May 2009}}

Initially, the City Loop did not operate at all on Sundays. That was changed with the introduction of Sunday trading but, at the same time that the other two underground loop stations opened on Sundays, Flagstaff station had its Saturday services cancelled.{{cite news |last=Carey |first=Adam |title=Push for Flagstaff to open 7 days |url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/push-for-flagstaff-to-open-7-days-20121022-281jr.html |access-date=23 October 2012 |work=The Age |date=23 October 2012}} That was due to its proximity to business-related buildings such as the Commonwealth Law Complex, banks and major office buildings, which were usually closed on weekends and public holidays. After a number of residential developments had been built in the area, the station was scheduled to open on weekends from June 2015 with both the Labor and Liberal political parties having committed to that in the 2014 Victorian state election."Flagstaff station to open on weekends" Railway Digest November 2014 page 24 However, that was deferred until 1 January 2016 when it permanently opened to services on both Saturdays and Sundays.{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoia/countdown-to-flagstaff-station-opening-on-weekends-20151128-glafqg.html |title=Countdown to Flagstaff Station opening on weekends |last1=Gough |first1=Deborah |first2=Goya |last2=Dmytryshchak |date=28 November 2015|work=The Age |access-date=3 December 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/flagstaff-station-to-open-on-weekends-in-under-a-month/ |title=Flagstaff Station to open on weekends in under a month |date=8 December 2015 |publisher=Public Transport Victoria |access-date=18 December 2015}}

In May 2017, CDC Melbourne operated bus route 605 to Gardenvale from Flagstaff Station.

As of 2023-24, Flagstaff is the seventh-busiest station on Melbourne's metropolitan network, with 3.435 million passengers.{{cite web |title=Station Patronage Data 2013–2018 |url=https://philipmallis.com/blog/2019/02/14/station-patronage-in-victoria-2013-2018/ |website=Philip Mallis |date=13 February 2019 |publisher=Transport for Victoria |access-date=4 November 2019}}{{cite web |date=14 May 2015 |title=Train Station Patronage FY2008-2014 |url=https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/assets/PTV/PTV%20docs/research/PTV-Station-by-Station-Fact-Sheet-accessible-version-2015.xls |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330211628/https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/assets/PTV/PTV%20docs/research/PTV-Station-by-Station-Fact-Sheet-accessible-version-2015.xls |archive-date=30 March 2016 |access-date=1 November 2016 |publisher=Public Transport Victoria |format=XLS}} (access from [https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/about-ptv/ptv-data-and-reports/research-and-statistics/] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103220141/https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/about-ptv/ptv-data-and-reports/research-and-statistics/|date=3 November 2016}})

The station is located under the intersection of La Trobe and William streets and has two entrances – via lift or escalator south of La Trobe Street, and by stairs on the north. Flagstaff has three underground levels. The concourse level has a ticket office, ticket-operated gates, toilets, a news stand and a hot snack shop. Flagstaff's four platforms are on the two levels below, with each level having an island platform. The levels are linked by elevators, 14 escalators and stairs. The four platforms serve a separate group of rail lines that leave the loop and radiate out into the city's suburbs.

File:FlagstaffStationUsage200824.svg

Flagstaff is the seventh-busiest station on Melbourne's metropolitan rail network.

File:Xtrapolis-train-flagstaff-station-melbourne.jpg|Flagstaff station with an X'Trapolis train departing, March 2006

File:Flagstaff Station Concourse 2017.jpg|Station concourse, Myki barriers and entrance, August 2017

File:Flagstaff Station Escalator 2017.JPG|Escalators to Platforms 3 and 4, August 2017

File:Flagstaff Station Platform 4 2017.jpg|Flagstaff station Platform 4, August 2017, prior to the replacement of ceiling panels in 2023

File:Flagstaff Station Platform 1 2 concourse, Melbourne (50936535883).jpg|Station Platforms 1 and 2 concourse,
December 2020

File:Flagstaff station platform 1 on Melbourne City Loop, July 2023.jpg|Westbound view from Platform 1, July 2023

File:Flagstaff station platform 1 with X'Trapolis train on Melbourne City Loop, July 2023.jpg|Westbound view from Platform 1 with an X'Trapolis train arriving, July 2023

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Category:Buildings and structures in Melbourne City Centre

Category:Premium Melbourne railway stations

Category:Railway stations in Australia opened in 1985

Category:Railway stations in the City of Melbourne (LGA)

Category:Railway stations located underground in Melbourne