When the Inner Circle line first opened, services originated from Spencer Street station at the western end of the Melbourne central business district.

Locomotives would then have to change ends and the trains return to Clifton Hill station, where they diverged east on to the line to Heidelberg.

For a short period between March and May 1891, the Inner and Outer Circle routes formed the only link between the eastern and western halves of the Victorian Railways system.

In 1901 a new direct line to Clifton Hill was opened from the central Princes Bridge station at the southern edge of the CBD through the inner eastern suburb of Abbotsford.

This meant that Heidelberg-bound trains could run direct to their destination, removing the need for the reversal manoeuvre at Victoria Park.

[2] Electrification of the line between Royal Park and Clifton Hill stations was commissioned on 31 July 1921,[2] but the Fitzroy branch was not electrified.

[2] Two trains on weekdays, and a larger number at weekends were extended to Royal Park station to serve patrons of the Melbourne Zoo.

Only the main feeder cables needed for Epping (now Mernda) line trains, and for shunting at the Royal Park end, were retained.