Southern Cross railway station - Melbourne

This blog is primarily for those who might be using this station.

In Melbourne the interstate and regional trains arrive and depart from Southern Cross Station. It was formerly known as Spencer Street Station after its location on Spencer Street on the western side of the central business district. 

 The unusual wavy roof is quite distinctive.

 Arrival and departures for interstate and in state trains. Suburban trains also use the station but use the higher numbered platforms.

 Underneath a set of escalators and beside platform 2 is this office which houses Country Link. For questions about using the XPT to Sydney and Brisbane, this is the office you want.

I had reserved several sleepers on the Queensland trains and needed to pay for them. I was able to do this here, but the bloke behind the counter needed to call QRail in Brisbane to do it. He was friendly and helpful.

When I arrived from Adelaide on the Overland at 7:30pm, one of the train staff took me to this office. However the single person on duty asked me to come back at 9:00 the next morning when things were less busy. The night train to Sydney was about to depart and he needed to deal with passengers for that train which was about to leave. A quite reasonable request.

 A few steps away is a place to leave your luggage.

 A few more steps and there is a place to by V Line train tickets for Victorian in state trains. My Ausrail pass was not valid for these trrains but was valid for the XPT from Melbourne to Sydney. Further along (walking north) is the bus terminal including the bus to Melbourne Airport.

 Some of the luggage lockers are quite large. ($12 for 24 hours).

 V Line in state trains.

These passengers are walking past one of the wonders of the world. Some may have visited it but few would want to make a repeat visit. I am referring to the men's toilet that lurks next to the waiting room.

The smell in that toilet comes straight from Satan's bottom and bladder. I've been in a bunch of odoriferous places over the years and nothing has come close to the revolting pong of that lavatory. Somehow it manages to smell really old, concentrated and complex. If it were a desirable  bouquet such as in a grand old red wine it would be magnificent but as an appalling odour it is truly horrible.

How all this happens, I am not sure. The toilet area and wash basins are relatively clean. Maybe Satan did visit that day and I was just unlucky.

There is another major station in downtown Melbourne on the south side. This is Flinders Street Station and it  is the primary station for suburban trains.