North Sydney railway station

North Sydney Station Platform 1.

The North Sydney railway station is a CityRail station that was created as part of the construction project for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and opened to traffic on 19 March 1932 at the same time that the bridge was opened. It lies on the North Shore line, 5.1 km from Central railway station, Sydney, Australia and is the fourth busiest railway station in NSW.

The station has four platforms which correspond with the four railway tracks that were designed to cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Rail services through North Sydney have been electrified since their inception.

From 1932 to 1958 two of the rail tracks designed for the bridge were used by trams, the latter being diverted onto Blue St just before they would have entered North Sydney Station. After 1958 the tram tracks were removed from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and replaced by roadway. The result is that the four platforms at North Sydney serve a double track railway to the north and south of the station. Thus it is a suitable station for terminating traffic.

The station was built in a cutting in rock in North Sydney, and has progressively been covered by high-rise commercial buildings above it. Trains travelling north from the station (in the direction of Waverton) travel through tunnels cut into the rock. There are some unused parts of tunnels which make provision for trains to travel north to a different destination. Since 1932 there has been no construction work on these vestigial tunnels.

The station is currently located at the entrance to Greenwood plaza.

Platforms/Service

The four platforms at North Sydney can have different usages, but the outer platforms are generally the only ones used in off-peak; the middle platforms generally serve terminating trains from the Northern Line or some trains that originally came from the Western Line.

Platform 1:

• North Shore Line - all stations and limited stops services, and peak hour intercity services to Central; then to Blacktown, Penrith, Emu Plains, Riverstone, or Richmond via the Western Line, or to Eastwood or Hornsby via the Northern Line

Platform 2:

• North Shore Line - terminating services; all stations and limited stops services, and peak hour intercity services to Central; then to Blacktown, Penrith, Emu Plains, Riverstone, or Richmond via the Western Line, or to Eastwood or Hornsby via the Northern Line
• Northern Line - terminating services; all stations and limited stops services to Eastwood or Hornsby.

Platform 3

• North Shore Line - terminating services; all stations and limited stops services, and peak hour intercity services to Central; then to Blacktown, Penrith, Emu Plains, Riverstone, or Richmond via the Western Line, or to Eastwood or Hornsby via the Northern Line
• Northern Line - terminating services; all stations and limited stops services to Eastwood or Hornsby.

Platform 4

• North Shore Line - all stations and limited stops services to Lindfield, Gordon, Hornsby & Berowra; peak hour intercity services to Gosford and Wyong.

Train stabling and future plans

Up to six trains are stabled in the sidings at Lavender Bay during the day. Up to six trains are stabled in the middle road tunnels at North Sydney itself.

The station will be upgraded in the near future to handle extra traffic as a result of the Epping to Chatswood line opening in 2008. Local business interests and the local council have said that North Sydney station is now inadequate for the passenger traffic that flows through it, with 45,000 passengers per day using the station and up to 75,000 passengers by 2021. Major work is expected to commence in mid-2006 providing an expanded concourse, enhanced station safety and security systems and new lifts and escalators.

Neighbouring stations

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External links

• Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation project profile