Sydney Central railway station

For other uses of Central see: Central (disambiguation)

Sydney Central railway station
Details
Station Code	CEN
TfNSW Stop Number	200060
Suburb	Haymarket
Number of Platforms	27 (25 in use)
Platform Config.	1 side, 12 island
Services
Lines served	Indian Pacific

Town Hall Sydney Central Redfern

Town Hall Sydney Central Redfern

Sydney Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is located at the southern end of the Sydney CBD and is the largest railway station in Australia. It services on all of the lines on the Sydney Trains network (except for the T5 Cumberland Line), and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services. Sydney Trains also has a number of offices in the station. It sits beside Railway Square and is officially located in Haymarket. It is also the station closest to the University of Technology Sydney at Broadway.

History

Sydney’s Central station has changed three times since 1855. On this year the first terminal station was built in an area known as ‘Cleveland Paddock’, located between Devonshire and Cleveland Streets. The station consisted of a single 30m wooden platform in a corrugated iron shed. Despite the construction of additional railway sheds and yards, by the early 1870s the station was not able meet the needs of the expanding railway network.

The second Central station opened 1874 on the same site as the first. It featured a new brick station building and space for future expansion. Almost immediately additional platforms and branch lines were added due to rapidly increasing demand. By the 1890s a combination of congestion and a proposed duplication of the Main Western Railway resulted in plans for a new location to go ahead.

In 1901, work began on the current Central Railway Station, with major construction occurring between 1902 and 1906. The new station was a block north of previous installations, closer to the city. This required exhumations, excavations, and demolition of buildings on the site. By 1903 general earthworks were completed and work on subways and the clock tower began.

The station officially opened on August 4th 1906. All underground cargo and pedestrian subways were ready, however the main building was not completed at that time, reaching only the first floor.[1][2]

Starting in 2017, Central station started ungoing changes to prepare for the opening of Sydney Metro City and Southwest, currently planned for 2024. The first major work was to build a large road bridge from Regent St to the large space between Sydney Yard and the flying junctions. This was to replace the hi-rail vehicle access from Eddy Avenue to platform 15. Platforms 13-15 were closed next, to build the new Sydney Metro platforms underneath them using the cut-and-cover method. Platforms 13-14 were rebuilt once the metro platforms were complete.

Next came Central Walk, a new concourse that connects all heavy rail platforms to the new metro platforms and to a new entrance on Chalmers St. It opened in sections during 2023.

Fatalities (viewer discretion advised)

On December 24th 1947 a 64-year-old man died in Sydney Hospital after being struck by an incoming train on platform 18 in Central station. The man was allegedly looking for his spectacles at the time of the collision.[3]

On August 10th 2016 a 91-year-old woman sustained head and back injuries from falling down the stairs of a V Set during a shunting operation. The woman died 15 days after the incident in hospital. [4]

Town Hall Sydney Central Redfern

Town Hall Sydney Central Redfern

Redfern Sydney Central Terminus

Town Hall Sydney Central Green Square

Town Hall Sydney Central Redfern

Configuration

Intercity and Country platforms

In the days of steam, the station was regarded as being divided into "steam" and "electric" parts. The western ("steam") half, known as Sydney Terminal, originally comprised of 15 terminal platforms and was opened in 1906. This section is served by the Grand Concourse, located to the north of the platforms, dominated by a large vaulted roof and elaborate masonry, primarily sandstone, the most common rock in the Sydney

region. This section is popularly known as the country platforms, even though only three platforms are commonly used for long-distance trains: most of the platforms are used for NSW TrainLink intercity services. South of the station, there is a complex series of junctions (named Sydney Yard) allowing trains from all 15 platforms to merge into the Main Suburban line.

Trains arriving on this side of the station are marked in the timetable with an i next to the arrival/departure time.

Terminus Sydney Central Redfern

To the west of Platform 1 there was a siding leading to two dock platforms for use of mail trains, which were cut back to create car loading ramp for the Indian Pacific (now disused). The space where the mail sidings were is now a youth hostel. The hostel rooms are modelled on old train carriages.

Platforms 13-15 were closed and demolished for Sydney Metro construction. Platforms 13-14 will be restored in the future, however platform 15 will not.

Suburban Platforms

Terminus Sydney Central Strathfield

The eastern ("suburban" or "electric") part of Central Station, formerly known as 'Central Electric', consists

Town Hall Sydney Central Redfern

Glenfield Sydney Central Terminus

of 12 through platforms, all aligned north-south, four of which are underground, used by Sydney Trains services and by a limited number of intercity services during peak hours. The eight above-ground platforms were opened in 1926 as part of a large electrification and modernisation program aimed at improving Sydney's suburban railway services.

These platforms are connected by a myriad of underground tunnels and concourses:

• The North Concourse runs east/west along the northern end of the platforms and is comprised of two parallel corridors. One lift and two stairs (one for each corridor) run up to each platform. It has escalators and lifts to the Grand Concourse to allow for intercity connections.
• The Suburban Tunnel once ran diagonally across the middle of the platforms, connecting the Grand Concourse to the Eastern Suburbs Concourse. The tunnel originally only had stairs up to platforms 16-19, however some were temporarily added for platforms 20-23, just before the entire tunnel closed upon the opening of Central Walk.
• Central Walk runs east/west along the middle of the platforms, connecting the Metro Concourse to the Eastern Suburbs Concourse. It has two sets of escalators and a lift to each platform. It opened in 2023, replacing the Suburban Tunnel.
• The Metro Concourse runs north/south, providing access from Central Walk and the Grand Concourse to the metro platforms 26-27.
• The South Concourse runs east/west along the southern end of the platforms. It originally consisted of two parralel corridors, similar to the north concourse, with stairs down to each from all platforms. The southern corridor also continued to intercity platforms 4-15. With the opening of Central Walk, the northern corridor was closed, with the stairwells filled in to provide more room on the narrow platforms. The southern corridor was split, with the intercity portion now connecting to the Metro Concourse.
• The Eastern Suburbs Concourse runs north/south, providing access from the North Concourse, Central Walk and South Concourse to underground platforms 24-25.

South of the station is a set of flying junctions (simply named the Flying Junctions), allowing trains from various lines to cross over to other lines without too much disruption. To the north are a lesser used set of flat junctions (named Tivolli Crossovers), intended for use during service disruptions and trackwork.

The four underground platforms (24-27) were built as part of the Eastern Suburbs Railway. Construction commenced in 1948 but the Eastern Suburbs line was not finished until 1979. The T4 Eastern Suburbs line

Metro City & Southwest Line
Gadigal Sydney Central Waterloo

uses platforms 24-25. Located directly over platforms 24 and 25 are platforms 26 and 27, which are abandoned. They were intended to service the proposed Southern Suburbs line, which was never built. Instead, they became used for storage and are now used to house electrical equipment for Sydney Metro. The platforms are labelled by many as "ghost platforms", as Sydney Trains officials have allegedly heard voices echoing along the walls and as the station occupies a former cemetery site. Tours of the platforms are occasionally offered as part of Sydney Open, featuring presenters from the Australian Railway Historical Society and Sydney Trains staff.[5]

Services

Central Station serves all suburban, intercity and Regional lines except for the T5 Cumberland line and the Hunter line. All long-distance rural and interstate passenger trains operated by the State-owned NSW TrainLink and the famous Indian Pacific, the twice-weekly train between Sydney and Perth, Western Australia, terminate at Central.

Platforms

The platforms are numbered from 1 to 27, with 1 being the westernmost platform and 27 being one of the easternmost. The services which generally use each platform are listed below.

Platforms 4-12 are occasionally used to terminate some suburban services if the City Circle is affected by trackwork. This happens under most circumstances for T1 Western Line and T9 Northern Line services to Penrith and Hornsby. T2 Inner West and Leppington Line trains also occasionally use these platforms in some City Circle trackwork periods.

Platforms 26 and 27 are the new underground platforms that will service Sydney Metro services to Tallawong and Sydenham starting in 2024, with extension to Bankstown in the years to follow.

Platform	Line	Stopping Pattern	Notes
to		XPT services to Grafton, Casino and Brisbane	Terminal platforms Also occasional heritage and train enthusiasts' special trains
		Xplorer services to Armidale and Moree
		Xplorer services to Canberra/Griffith, and XPT services to Melbourne
		XPT services to Dubbo, and Xplorer services to Broken Hill
		Intercity services to Bathurst via Lithgow
	Indian Pacific	Indian Pacific service to Perth
and		XPT services to Grafton, Casino and Brisbane	Dead-end terminal platforms
		Xplorer services to Armidale and Moree
		Intercity services to Gosford, Wyong and Newcastle Interchange via Strathfield
		Intercity services to Springwood, Katoomba, Mount Victoria and Lithgow via Parramatta
		Intercity services to Kiama via Wolli Creek
		Peak hour intercity services to Moss Vale or Goulburn via Campbelltown
		Special event express services to Olympic Park
to		Intercity services to Gosford, Wyong and Newcastle Interchange via Strathfield	Dead-end terminal platforms
		Intercity services to Springwood, Katoomba, Mount Victoria and Lithgow via Parramatta
		Intercity services to Kiama via Wolli Creek
		Peak hour intercity services to Moss Vale or Goulburn via Campbelltown
		Special event express services to Olympic Park
and		Intercity services to Gosford, Wyong and Newcastle Interchange via Strathfield	Dead-end terminal platforms
		Intercity services to Kiama via Wolli Creek
		Special event express services to Olympic Park
to	Disused	Closed for construction of Sydney Metro platforms. Platforms 13 and 14 will reopen in the future.
		Suburban services to North Sydney, Lindfield, Gordon, Hornsby and Berowra via Chatswood Some peak hour intercity services to Gosford and Wyong via the North Shore Line.
		Suburban services to the City Circle via Town Hall	Continuation of services from T2 Inner West and Leppington and T3 Bankstown lines
		Suburban services to Blacktown, Penrith, Emu Plains, Schofields and Richmond via Parramatta
		Suburban services to Epping and Hornsby via Strathfield
		Intercity services to Blacktown
		Suburban services to Homebush, Parramatta and Leppington
		Suburban Services to Liverpool via Bankstown
		Suburban services to the City Circle via Museum	Continuation of services from T3 Bankstown line
		Suburban services to the City Circle via Museum	Continuation of services from T8 Airport & South line
		Suburban services to Lidcombe and Liverpool via Bankstown
		Suburban afternoon peak express services to Campbelltown and Macarthur via Sydenham and East Hills
		Suburban services to Revesby, Campbelltown and Macarthur via Airport
		Suburban services to Bondi Junction
		Service to Bondi Junction
		Suburban services to Cronulla and Waterfall, and peak hour suburban services to Hurstville
		Service to Wollongong, Port Kembla and Kiama
		Sydney Metro services to Tallawong via Chatswood
		Sydney Metro services to Sydenham

Map

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T1 North Shore and Western Line

Richmond Branch ↑ Terminus, Richmond, East Richmond, Clarendon, Windsor, Mulgrave, Vineyard, Riverstone, Schofields, Quakers Hill, Marayong, Western Line ↓ Western Line ← Terminus, Emu Plains, Penrith, Kingswood, Werrington, St Marys, Mount Druitt, Rooty Hill, Doonside, Blacktown (Richmond Branch ↑), Seven Hills, Toongabbie, Pendle Hill, Wentworthville, Westmead, Parramatta, Harris Park, Granville, Clyde, Auburn, Lidcombe, Strathfield, Redfern, Central, Town Hall, Wynyard, North Shore Line → North Shore Line ← Western Line, Milsons Point, North Sydney, Waverton, Wollstonecraft, St Leonards, Artarmon, Chatswood, Roseville, Lindfield, Killara, Gordon, Pymble, Turramurra, Warrawee, Wahroonga, Waitara, Hornsby, Asquith, Mount Colah, Mount Kuring-gai, Berowra, Terminus → Fleet A set (Waratah) - T set (Tangara) - H set (OSCAR) Line details - Sydney Trains

T2 Inner West and Leppington Line

City Circle Town Hall, Wynyard, Circular Quay, St James, Museum, Central Main Suburban City Circle ← Redfern, Macdonaldtown, Newtown, Stanmore, Petersham, Lewisham, Summer Hill, Ashfield, Croydon, Burwood, Strathfield, Homebush, Flemington, Lidcombe, Auburn, Clyde, Granville Parramatta Branch → Main South ↓ Main South Merrylands, Guildford, Yennora, Fairfield, Canley Vale, Cabramatta, Warwick Farm, Liverpool, Casula, Glenfield South West → Parramatta Branch Harris Park, Parramatta Terminus ← South West Edmondson Park, Leppington Terminus ← Fleet B set (Waratah Series 2) - A set (Waratah) - M set (Millennium) - K set Line details - Sydney Trains

T3 Bankstown Line

City Circle Town Hall, Wynyard, Circular Quay, St James, Museum, Central Redfern to Birrong ← City Circle Redfern, Erskineville, St Peters, Sydenham, Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Canterbury, Campsie, Belmore, Lakemba, Wiley Park, Punchbowl, Bankstown, Yagoona, Birrong Lidcombe Branch ↓ Liverpool Branch → Lidcombe Branch Regents Park, Berala, Lidcombe Terminus ← Liverpool Branch Sefton, Chester Hill, Leightonfield, Villawood, Carramar, Cabramatta, Warwick Farm, Liverpool Terminus ← Fleet B set (Waratah Series 2) - A set (Waratah) - M set (Millennium) - K set Line details - Sydney Trains

T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra Line

City & Eastern Suburbs Terminus ← Bondi Junction, Edgecliff, Kings Cross, Martin Place, Town Hall, Central, Redfern Sydenham to Sutherland Sydenham, Tempe, Wolli Creek, Arncliffe, Banksia, Rockdale, Kogarah, Carlton, Allawah, Hurstville, Penshurst, Mortdale, Oatley, Como, Jannali, Sutherland Cronulla Branch → Main Illawarra Line ↓ Main Illawarra Line Loftus, Engadine, Heathcote, Waterfall Terminus ↓ Cronulla Branch Kirrawee, Gymea, Miranda, Caringbah, Woolooware, Cronulla Terminus → Fleet T set (Tangara) - H set (OSCAR) Line details - Sydney Trains

T8 Airport and South Line

City Circle Town Hall, Wynyard, Circular Quay, St James, Museum, Central Airport Line City Circle ← Green Square, Mascot, Domestic, International, Wolli Creek East Hills Line Airport Line ← Turrella, Bardwell Park, Bexley North, Kingsgrove, Beverly Hills, Narwee, Riverwood, Padstow, Revesby, Panania, East Hills, Holsworthy Main South Line East Hills Line ← Glenfield, Macquarie Fields, Ingleburn, Minto, Leumeah, Campbelltown, Macarthur Terminus → Illawarra Junction (peak only) Redfern, St Peters, Sydenham East Hills Line → Fleet B set (Waratah Series 2) - A set (Waratah) - M set (Millennium) - K set Line details - Sydney Trains

T9 Northern Line

City & North Shore ↑ Terminus Gordon, Killara, Lindfield, Roseville, Chatswood, Artarmon, St Leonards, Wollstonecraft, Waverton, North Sydney, Milsons Point, Wynyard, Town Hall, Central Redfern to Hornsby Redfern, Burwood, Strathfield, North Strathfield, Concord West, Rhodes, Meadowbank, West Ryde, Denistone, Eastwood, Epping, Cheltenham, Beecroft, Pennant Hills, Thornleigh, Normanhurst, Hornsby Terminus ← Fleet A set (Waratah) - T set (Tangara) Line details - Sydney Trains

Blue Mountains Line

Sydney Metropolitan ← Terminus, Central, Redfern, Strathfield, Parramatta, Westmead, Blacktown, Penrith, Emu Plains Blue Mountains area Lapstone, Glenbrook, Blaxland, Warrimoo, Valley Heights, Springwood, Faulconbridge, Linden, Woodford, Hazelbrook, Lawson, Bullaburra, Wentworth Falls, Leura, Katoomba, Medlow Bath, Blackheath, Mount Victoria, Bell, Zig Zag, Lithgow, Rydal, Tarana, Bathurst, Terminus → Fleet V set - N set (Endeavour) Line details - NSW TrainLink

Central Coast and Newcastle Line

Sydney Metropolitan ↓ Terminus, Central, Strathfield, Epping, Hornsby, Berowra Peak only Town Hall, Wynyard, Milsons Point, North Sydney, Waverton, Wollstonecraft, St Leonards, Artarmon, Chatswood, Gordon Central Coast to Newcastle Cowan, Hawkesbury River, Wondabyne, Woy Woy, Koolewong, Tascott, Point Clare, Gosford, Narara, Niagara Park, Lisarow, Ourimbah, Tuggerah, Wyong, Warnervale, Wyee, Morisset, Dora Creek, Awaba, Fassifern, Booragul, Teralba, Cockle Creek, Cardiff, Kotara, Adamstown, Broadmeadow, Hamilton, Newcastle Interchange, Terminus → Fleet V set - H set (OSCAR) Line details - NSW TrainLink

South Coast Line

Sydney Metropolitan Terminus ← Bondi Junction, Edgecliff, Kings Cross, Martin Place, Town Hall, Central, Redfern, Wolli Creek, Hurstville, Sutherland, Loftus, Engadine, Heathcote, Waterfall Main Illawarra Line ↓ Main Illawarra Line Helensburgh, Otford, Stanwell Park, Coalcliff, Scarborough, Wombarra, Coledale, Austinmer, Thirroul, Bulli, Woonona, Corrimal, Towradgi, Fairy Meadow, North Wollongong, Wollongong, Coniston Port Kembla Branch → Kiama Branch ↓ Kiama Branch Unanderra, Kembla Grange, Dapto, Albion Park, Oak Flats, Shellharbour Junction, Minnamurra, Bombo, Kiama Bomaderry Line ↓ Bomaderry Line Gerringong, Berry, Bomaderry Terminus ↓ Port Kembla Branch Lysaghts, Cringila, Port Kembla North, Port Kembla Terminus → Fleet T set (Tangara) - H set (OSCAR) - N set (Endeavour) Line details - NSW TrainLink

NSW TrainLink Regional North Coast Line
Sydney Metropolitan Central, Strathfield, Hornsby, Gosford, Wyong, Fassifern, Broadmeadow, Maitland, Dungog, Gloucester, Wingham, Taree, Kendall, Wauchope, Kempsey, Eungai, Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Urunga, Sawtell, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Casino, Kyogle, Queensland Roma Street (Brisbane),

NSW TrainLink Regional North Western Line
Sydney Metropolitan Central, Strathfield, Hornsby, Gosford to Werris Creek Gosford, Wyong, Fassifern, Broadmeadow, Maitland, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Aberdeen, Scone, Murrurundi, Willow Tree, Qurindi, Werris Creek, Armidale Branch Tamworth, Kootingal, Walcha Road, Uralla, Armidale Moree Branch Gunnedah, Boggabri, Narrabri, Bellata, Moree

NSW TrainLink Regional Western Line
Sydney Metropolitan ↑ Terminus, Central, Strathfield, Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith, Blue Mountains and Western NSW Katoomba, Mount Victoria, Lithgow, Rydal, Tarana, Bathurst, Blayney, Orange, Dubbo Branch Line Stuart Town, Wellington, Geurie, Dubbo, Terminus ← Broken Hill Branch Line Parkes, Condoblin, Eubalong West, Ivanhoe, Darnick, Menindee, Broken Hill, Terminus ←

NSW TrainLink Regional Southern Line

Sydney Metropolitan ↑ Terminus, Central, Campbelltown, Main South Line (Southern Highlands) Mittagong, Bowral, Moss Vale, Bundanoon, Goulburn, Bombala Branch line (to ACT) Tarago, Bungendore, Queanbeyan, Canberra, Terminus ← Main South Line (Gunning to Junee) Gunning, Yass Junction, Harden, Cootamundra, Junee, Yanco-Griffith rail-line Coolamon, Narrandera, Leeton, Griffith, Terminus ← Main South Line (Wagga Wagga to Culcairn) Wagga Wagga, The Rock, Henty, Culcairn, Victoria Albury, Wangaratta, Benalla, Seymour, Broadmeadows, Southern Cross, Terminus ↓