https://Railpage.com.au/news/s/bunnings-fyshwick-may-be-site-for-new-railway-station

Ok, so ignoring the pushing the station closer to the border bit which I'm sure will erk some, could this however be very practical and cheap option to relocate the station.

They don't say what the plan is but picture this
- Bunning's is about 200m off the mainline and slightly elevated above the line
- The warehouse is at around 70 degree's off the main line, not full right angle.
- So a branch off the main, turning right, then running into the hardware store shed building in a trench say 10m wide from right side of building. Enough for two tracks and servicing facilities.
- The platform height is the warehouse floor.so just need to cut a trench in the floor for the track at the right depth.
- The hardware store is around 140m long (50m wide), so enough room for a 5 car XPL set on platform, buffer at end and you can close the door at night to secure the train.
- On far side of warehouse the trench is made wider for access to water and sewer connections to service the train.
- On entrance side, you have the usual station facilities, coffee shop, checked baggage etc.
- The current outside hardware store customer carepark becomes the Railway station customer car park. just add a drive through option for buses and bus pickup which could be along side the building so use the waiting area inside the building.
- Building provides all round weather protection.
- Just need extraction system suspended from roof above the train for exhaust.

https://Railpage.com.au/news/s/bunnings-fyshwick-may-be-site-for-new-railway-station

Ok, so ignoring the pushing the station closer to the border bit which I'm sure will erk some, could this however be very practical and cheap option to relocate the station.

They don't say what the plan is but picture this
- Bunning's is about 200m off the mainline and slightly elevated above the line

It's a bit more than slightly elevated: Bunnings is a bit higher than Newcastle Street, which in turn runs over a high bridge over the railway at that site. I think you'd have to knock Bunnings down (no big deal, it's just a shed) and then dig out the site. Getting buses to and fro will be tricky around there.

Why does the station need to move?

Why does the station need to move?

It doesn't. But it is in a silly place (for historical reasons), and the ACT government likes selling off land to pay for things like light rail, more MLAs and rainbows.

When I used the station i found it to already be too far out of town.  It would be a little better closer.

When I used the station i found it to already be too far out of town.  It would be a little better closer.

Its not much different than the airport, probably slightly better with the area around it more developed. The way Canberra is laid out there is no ideal location. Its not a commuter service so it doesn't matter really where it is. Personally I think they should rip it back to Bungendore and build a new more direct line direct to the airport and have a terminus there using the shared facilities of the airport.

Well that is one way to reduce the rail travel time between Canberra and Sydney

What happened to the tilt train proposal? This would finally make rail travel faster than the bus.

I recently had to work in Canberra for one day and surprisingly I found the bus from Civic to the station at Kingston and the train to Sydney to be quite convenient.

It would just be good to have the light rail meeting up with the railway and just a faster rail service between the national capital and Sydney.

I've only just found Griffin's original drawings (well a copy of them from a 1912 USA magazine).

The main railway station was to be built at Russell Hill, where the Defence offices are located. Griffin intended that the main shopping area would be there, and the present Civic would mainly have administrative offices.

The railway continued on up the east side of Northbourne Avenue towards Yass, with a marshalling yard in Braddon.

Trams ran on the main roads with reversing loops at the main roundabouts, including up Northbourne Avenue but only as far as Wakefield Avenue.

Peter