Milsons Point railway station

Milsons Point is a station on the North Shore railway line, serving the Sydney suburb of Milsons Point. It is served by Sydney Trains' T1 North Shore and T9 Northern Lines. The station is located on a viaduct just north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, accessible via a tunnel from Alfred Street.

During some special events, such as VIVID Sydney and New Year's Eve, the station closes to prevent overcrowding. Customers are directed to walk to North Sydney station when Milsons Point is closed.

History
The original Milsons Point station was on the edge of Sydney Harbour approximately on the site of the present northern pylon of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the North Sydney Olympic Pool. This location enabled passengers from the North Shore to transfer directly from steam trains to ferries to reach Circular Quay. It opened as the southern terminus of the North Shore railway line on 1 May 1893, when extended from its previous terminus at St Leonards (opened from Hornsby 1 January 1890). The site, squeezed between the rock cliffs and the edge of Sydney Harbour was cramped, with two side platforms, one of which was built on piles partly over the water's edge, and three tracks between, including a centre road. Immediately adjoining it to the west was the colonnaded Milsons Point ferry wharf for the ferry service to Circular Quay in the Sydney central business district and tram terminus for the North Sydney cable tramway (opened 22 May 1886) and subsequently electrified from 11 February 1900.

In 1815, government architect Francis Greenway proposed the building of a bridge from Dawes Point at the city's edge to the northern shore, in a report to Governor Macquarie. Construction of this bridge, named the Sydney Harbour Bridge started in 1915. To allow for construction of the bridge to start, the station was moved slightly west. This new station was in operation for just seven weeks, from 30 May 1915 to 18 July 1915, as the inconvenience to passengers transferring between ferries and trains was unacceptable. Due to later overcrowding, a third platform was added on 12 December 1920 by removing the centre road track and laying a new track on inland side of the new platform 2. This station remained in use until the site was requisitioned to allow construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

It was not until 1922 that legislation was passed and acted upon, authorising the construction of a bridge. Over the following years, a design was chosen for the bridge and construction was started.

The new Milsons Point station was built on the northern approach to the bridge, between 1929 and 1932. It was initially called Kirribilli Station, but was changed to Milsons Point before its opening. By June 1931 the station platform had been completed and a portion of the platform awnings had also been erected. The railway decking had advanced as far as Milsons Point, tracks had begun to be laid and the transoms delivered for installation. By January 1932 the platforms had been covered with asphalt, the brickwork of the shops in the arcade below the station was completed as was the tiling, the laying of magnesite flooring in the station office, terrazzo flooring in the lavatories, the erection of the metal awnings at the Alfred Street and Broughton Street entrances, terracotta facing to the station and installation of gates and barriers. Trackwork was completed and ballast laid along the tracks at the same time.

On 19 March 1932, the current Milsons Point station was officially opened as part of the larger bridge opening celebrations to roadway, railway and pedestrian traffic by the then Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang. This station was in two parts: two platforms each side of the roadway. The western platforms were connected to the North Shore line with the eastern pair used for a tramway service between Wynyard and the northern suburbs. The tramway and the associated platforms at Milsons Point were removed in 1958 as part of the conversions of lanes 7 and 8 of the Harbour Bridge to become the Cahill Expressway.

Services
The station has a single island platform and is served by both the T1 and T9 lines. The station is also an interchange point for buses and ferries.