Templestowe lies between two of Melbourne's suburban rail lines, (the Hurstbridge and Belgrave/Lilydale lines), which hindered the area's development. In the 1970s, the Doncaster line was planned by the State Government to run down the middle of the Eastern Freeway, and then veer away from the freeway to run towards the suburb. However, the land acquired for the off-freeway section was sold in the 1980s.
