the melbourne and suburban railway company opened a line from princes bridge railway station to punt road (richmond) and south yarra in 1859 and extended to dandenong in 1879. the south gippsland railway line was opened from dandenong to cranbourne in 1888 and extended to koo wee rup, nyora and loch in 1890, korumburra and leongatha in 1891 and welshpool, alberton and port albert in 1892. the section from alberton to port albert was closed in the 1940s. a branch line was built from alberton to yarram and woodside in 1921.