Southern Cross

Southern Cross Station is Melbourne's principal intercity and regional rail hub, also serving as a major node on the Metro Trains Melbourne suburban network. A station has stood on this site since 1859, founded amid Victoria's gold rush when Melbourne was rapidly becoming one of the wealthiest cities in the British colonial world. The current structure, completed in 2006 to a design by British firm Grimshaw, is immediately recognizable for its undulating steel canopy — a roof form engineered not only for visual drama but to funnel diesel fumes upward and out of the concourse. Multiple operators including V/Line, NSW Trains, and Great Southern Rail share the facility, making it the gateway for long-distance travel across southeastern Australia.