The Glen Waverley line leaves the Lilydale, Belgrave and Alamein lines at Burnley, and crosses the Yarra River to follow the Monash Freeway and the valley of Gardiners Creek through seven stations to Holmesglen. Next it rises through Jordanville and Mount Waverley stations, before reaching a peak just over 130 metres above sea level west of Lawrence Road. After this the line descends rapidly to a bridge across a valley before the next station, Syndal. The line rises and falls again to the terminus, Glen Waverley.

The journey from Holmesglen to the terminus involves some of the steepest grades in Melbourne (1 in 30).

The Glen Waverley Line began as a branch line of the Melbourne and Suburban Railway Company’s line from Princes Bridge to Punt Road (Richmond). The Branch Line, from Richmond to Burnley, opened in 1861. In 1890, what would become the Glen Waverley line, opened from Burnley to Darling. In 1930, the line was extended to Glen Waverley and became the Glen Waverley railway line.