Melbourne Broad Gauge Freight Trains

Below is a listing of trains sighted taking the viaduct between Southern Cross Station and Flinders Street Station. Trains, as they pass through this area, will (where possible) be recorded in the table below. The times indicate when they pass through, not when they arrive. Sometimes the trains sit in this area waiting for a path in either direction!

Service	Frequency	Description
9343/9348 QUBE Apex Gravel Service	Tue - Fri	Runs from Kilmore East Quarry to Westall Cement Plant. Usually around midnight on the down and then a 10am up through South Yarra/Richmond/Flinders St. Note that if the morning time is around 4am then it's actually the 9350 service... but I've put them both in the same column.
9571/9572 QUBE Cement Service	Mon & Thu/Fri	Runs from Tottenham(?) to Dandenong. New Service. Very random runner... sometimes mondays instead of tuesdays and sometimes fridays instead of thursdays.
9475/9476 QUBE Maryvale Paper Train	Daily	Runs from Appleton Dock to the Maryvale Paper Plant. Takes paper to be recycled out to plant and returns empty? Heads out at 8pm at night and returns around 2pm the next day. Every so often you'll find the train heading out at around 4am in the morning. This is actually the 9473 service, but I've put it in the same column as the evening down. Note that it means it actually ran the next morning!
955* PacNat Long Island Steel Train	Daily (excl Friday)	Runs from the northernmost road of South Dynon to the Long Island Steel Plant in Frankston. The midday runner 9553 usually DOES NOT run on Fridays unless there's a weekend shutdown and they need to shift more steel beforehand. 9557 (1pm) and 9559 (7pm) are also only as-required! The actual service pairing is as follows: 9555-9552, 9553-9556, 9557-9558, 9559-9550
708, 9*2 Possible Metro Train Transfer	Totally Ad-Hoc	Currently serviced by SSR, this might be the HCMT Metro Train Transfer path from Newport to Pakenham. It's totally random and the train running this path may not actually be a transfer! Please note that I've merged services 7080, 7082, 7084, 7086 and 7088, 9502, 9902 into once cell. Spoil trains and driver training runs will also fall into this path.

2022 NOTE: QUBE has taken over the PacNat Steel Services.. the numbers have changed. They've been piped into the PacNat slots and are showing below. Once they've stabilised, I'll explain them further.

Please note that this is an automated service based on sightings from another location. It wont be 100% foolproof but, with careful consideration of the numbers and days, one should be able to get a good idea as to what is visible and when. Also note that services might show up out-of-order. For example, the Apex gravel ran in a much later slot on 30/31st January 2020.

Date	9550	9348	9552	9571	9343	9553	9557	9476	9572	9559	9556	9475	9558	9555	7088
September 2026
Mon 7th			0128 VL357				1343 G524	1532 VL353			1935 VL357	0413 G538
Sun 6th			0609 VL357			1150 G524
Sat 5th			0453 VL357			1206 G524					1926 VL357			2351 G524
Fri 4th			0550 VL357			1143 G524		1454 VL353			1938 VL357	2007 G538		2335 G524
Thu 3rd			0614 VL357			1140 G524		1453 VL353			1933 VL357	2038 G538		2307 G524
Wed 2nd			0603 VL357			1138 G524		1454 VL353			1929 VL357	2025 G538		2240 G524
Tue 1st			0356 VL357			1115 G524					1933 VL357	1959 G538		2331 G524
August 2026
Mon 31st			0554 G524					1453 VL353			1935 G524			2318 G524
Sun 30th			0546 G524			1148 VL357					2242 G524			2242 VL357
Date	9550	9348	9552	9571	9343	9553	9557	9476	9572	9559	9556	9475	9558	9555	7088
Sat 29th			0537 G524			1145 VL357					1744 G524			2306 VL357
Fri 28th						1132 VL357		1441 VL353			1935 G524	1954 G538		2341 VL357
Thu 27th			0331 G524				1344 VL357	1452 G538				2042 G538	2117 G524
Wed 26th			0552 G524			1121 VL357		1455 G512			2232 G524	2100 VL353
Tue 25th			0555 G524			1140 VL357		1452 VL353			1925 G524	2029 VL353		2313 VL357
Mon 24th			0546 G538			1126 VL357		1455 VL353			1926 G538	1958 G512		2320 VL357
Sun 23rd						1222 VL357					1933 G538			2305 VL357
Sat 22nd						1134 VL357					1803 G538
Fri 21st			0551 G538			1136 VL357		1451 VL353			1932 G538	1953 G512		2308 VL357
Thu 20th			0553 G538			1127 VL357		1451 VL353			1926 G538	2019 G512		2320 VL357
Date	9550	9348	9552	9571	9343	9553	9557	9476	9572	9559	9556	9475	9558	9555	7088
Wed 19th			0616 G538			1209 VL357		1452 VL353			2002 G538	2032 G512		2343 VL357
Tue 18th			0557 G538			1125 VL357		1450 VL353			1940 G538	2014 G512		2343 VL357
Mon 17th											1937 G538	1950 G512		0005 VL357
Sun 16th	No trains recorded
Sat 15th	No trains recorded
Fri 14th			0607 G538			1140 VL357					1927 G538
Thu 13th			0555 G538			1143 VL357					1934 G538	2017 G512		0001 VL357
Wed 12th			0556 G532			1142 VL357					1936 G538			2259 VL357
Tue 11th			0556 G532								1927 G532	0418 G512		2320 G538
Mon 10th			0606 G512			1200 G538		1452 VL353				0408 G512		2315 G538
Date	9550	9348	9552	9571	9343	9553	9557	9476	9572	9559	9556	9475	9558	9555	7088
Sun 9th						1125 G512					1932 G538			2356 G538
Sat 8th		1015 G526	0359 VL351			1149 G524		1448 VL353			1938 VL351	2005 VL357		2234 G512
Fri 7th			0557 VL351			1128 G524		1453 VL353			1925 VL351	2029 VL357		2223 G524
Thu 6th						1108 G524					1924 VL351	2030 VL357		2310 G524
Wed 5th							1316 G524	1451 VL353			1932 VL351
Tue 4th							1351 G524	1452 VL353			1931 VL351	2036 VL357
Mon 3rd							1313 G524	1447 VL353			1942 VL351	2051 G515
Sun 2nd			0648 VL351			1213 G524					1928 VL351
Sat 1st			0404 VL351			1151 G524					1933 VL351			2340 G524
July 2026
Fri 31st			0553 VL351			1126 G524		1452 VL353			1931 VL351	2024 G515		2311 G524
Date	9550	9348	9552	9571	9343	9553	9557	9476	9572	9559	9556	9475	9558	9555	7088
Thu 30th			0550 VL351			1141 G524		1451 VL353			1934 VL351	2018 G515		2319 G524
Wed 29th							1341 G524						2123 VL351	2318 G524
Tue 28th			0556 VL351			1143 G524		1501 VL353			1927 VL351	2007 G515		2233 G524
Mon 27th							1339 VL357	1451 VL353				2101 G515		2334 VL357
Sun 26th	No trains recorded
Sat 25th	No trains recorded
Fri 24th			0618 G526			1111 VL357		1458 VL353			1932 G512	2029 G515
Thu 23rd			0553 G526			1122 VL357		1442 VL353			1926 G526	2025 VL351		2249 VL357
Wed 22nd			0442 G526			1138 VL357		1452 VL353			1925 G526	2119 VL351		2308 VL357
Tue 21st			0551 G526			1127 VL357					2232 G526	2056 VL351
Date	9550	9348	9552	9571	9343	9553	9557	9476	9572	9559	9556	9475	9558	9555	7088
Mon 20th								1454 VL353			1924 VL356			2321 VL357
Sun 19th											1902 VL356			2333 VL357
Sat 18th			0417 VL356			1205 VL357					1756 VL356			2353 VL357
Fri 17th			0551 VL356			1129 VL357		1451 VL353			1924 VL356	2032 VL351		2241 VL357
Thu 16th			0555 VL356			1114 VL357		1448 VL353			1922 VL356	2007 VL351		2237 VL357
Wed 15th			0604 VL356			1121 VL357					1938 VL356			2321 VL357
Tue 14th			0550 VL356			1142 VL357		1451 VL353			1924 VL356	0409 VL351		2302 VL357
Mon 13th			0552 VL356			1148 VL357		1452 VL353			1932 VL356	0355 VL351		2319 VL357
Sun 12th			0408 VL356			1222 G515					1938 G515			2303 VL357
Sat 11th			0504 VL356			1216 VL357					1935 VL356			2249 VL357
Date	9550	9348	9552	9571	9343	9553	9557	9476	9572	9559	9556	9475	9558	9555	7088
Fri 10th			0554 VL356			1327 VL357		1451 G512				2031 VL351	2127 VL356	2325 VL357
Thu 9th						1130 VL357					1931 VL356			2240 VL357
Wed 8th			0552 VL356

Comments (11) Trackbacks (0) ( subscribe to comments on this post )

Royden
November 28th, 2019 - 08:27

Great Work Steven. Would it be possible to include the HCMT transfers as well?

( REPLY )
- stevenh
  November 28th, 2019 - 08:43
  
  Morning,
  Very good question. Due to the infrequency, there wont be much data… but I can try keep an eye out for them.
  Steven
  
  ( REPLY )
  - Royden
    November 28th, 2019 - 08:49
    
    Ok Thanks. Would be great to know when they are coming through!!
    
    ( REPLY )
    - stevenh
      April 2nd, 2020 - 08:28
      
      I’ve added, based on the historical data, what I think are the transfers.
      I just missed one last night!
      
      ( REPLY )
      - Royden
        April 2nd, 2020 - 18:54
        
        Hello Steven
        Thank you for including this data into the table!!
        Would it be possible to change the destination on the possible metro transfers to include Pakenham as well, just to get the correct information.
        Thanks
        Royden
        
        ( REPLY )
        
        stevenh
        April 2nd, 2020 - 23:30
        
        Ah ha… of course. No point having incorrect information!
        
        ( REPLY )
      - Royden
        April 2nd, 2020 - 19:08
        
        Hello Steven
        Thank you for adding the HCMT transfer data into the table!!
        Royden
        
        ( REPLY )
Royden
November 28th, 2019 - 09:13

Hello Steven,
Can i ask how you receive this data for these trains?
Thanks
Royden

( REPLY )
- stevenh
  December 2nd, 2019 - 14:13
  
  A mixture of sightings from Facebook and other locations.
  
  ( REPLY )
chicane
August 13th, 2020 - 15:14

Great site and record of freight trains, i live near Richmond Station and you have demystified the freight train movements i hear at various times during the day. Cheers

( REPLY )
- stevenh
  August 13th, 2020 - 17:11
  
  chicane,
  Very happy to help!
  
  ( REPLY )