(HLR)801
Hillcrest Station by the 1950's had a new signal cabin built onto the side of the station building, equipped with 20 levers and had track circuiting. This was a busy station in its day, by the mid 1980's, Eight suburban trains, (usually 4M2 sets), Two Wayside Goods & One Fast Parcels No.5502 ran daily.. By then, Hillcrest was only required to be open Monday to Saturdays during the day, but during the weeks of October 1987, when floods hit the region, parts of the New Main Line were completely washed away, The Old Main Line came to the rescue and Hillcrest was open on a daily basis for 24 hours for about a month. 12-24 Main Line trains were booked in the Up direction after the evenings Trans Natal, then 12-24 Main Line trains in the Down direction following the Trans Natal in the morning, (amongst this, the daily Waysides still shunted here & Suburban Trains still ran). By 1988 traffic had dwindled down to just 4 Trains per day, No. 0017 Down Passenger from Cato Ridge in the morning & No. 0056 Up Passenger from Durban in the afternoon, and No. 2115 Down Wayside & No. 2110 Up Wayside. By 1991, Only a daily Monday to Friday Wayside pick up (2108/2125) ran up to Botha's Hill and returned to Pinetown, by then Kloof had already been closed, with the Van Schoor section being Pinetown - Hillcrest, and Hillcrest - Botha's Hill. By October 1992, the demand for a Station Foreman to be working full time at Hillcrest and Botha's Hill was no longer warranted, and the station finally closed. All signals were removed and hand tumblers were installed. During the years 1992-2005, Hillcrest would open now and then during the times when the Natal Main Line would be closed, with Telegraph Orders being being in use.