The Flemington Racecourse railway line is a commuter rail passenger train service in Melbourne, Australia. The full service operates between Flemington Racecourse in the inner suburb of Flemington and Flinders Street in the central business district. The service is part of the Public Transport Victoria metropolitan rail network. Flemington Racecourse line services only operate during selected special events at Flemington Racecourse or Melbourne Showgrounds (or both), serving only their respective stations. Services usually do not serve Newmarket nor Kensington, and services for smaller events terminate and originate from Southern Cross instead of Flinders Street. Transport Yarra Trams operates one route that interchanges with the Flemington line at Showgrounds station: 57: West Maribyrnong - Flinders Street Description The Flemington Racecourse line is a short branch off the Craigieburn line that serves the Melbourne Showgrounds and Flemington Racecourse. The line is fairly level and has only minor earthworks. It has one level crossing and one rail-over-road bridge. The line has no regular services, as it only opens for special events: racedays at the racecourse such as the Melbourne Cup or Oaks Day, and large events at the Showgrounds such as the Royal Melbourne Show itself in September, or the Big Day Out in January. It is otherwise used to store trains between peak hours. At times, services are quite intense, with trains running as frequently as every four minutes. Services are usually operated to either the Showgrounds or the Racecourse, though both stations are served on the rare occasion that there are major events at both places. Trains generally run express through Kensington and Newmarket stations. History The Flemington Racecourse branch from Newmarket was opened by the Melbourne and Essendon Railway Company in February 1861, but closed three years later, in July 1864. The line was taken over by the Victorian Railways and reopened in November 1867. The line was electrified in 1918 for testing of electric trains, and therefore became the first electrified line in Melbourne. The first electric train ran a test trip from Newmarket to Flemington Racecourse station in October 1918. Automatic signalling, using two-position signals, was provided in September 1919. The line also had sidings serving the Newmarket sale yards and other industries, and the line was operated as a siding most of the time, the points being connected to adjacent point levers and the signals being put out of use. When passenger services were operated on the