St Leonards Railway Station

bevans · Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 3:05 pm

I have been spending two days per week in Sydney looking after a client and as a result have been using the cityrail network to travel around Sydney. I do have a question, I travel to St Leonards weekly and have been wondering why the platforms are numbered 2 and 3 with the platforms on the outer side of the islands without track. Has this always been the case? Was there ever a platform 1?

Regards,
Brian

RP2 - Project Director

The Hon Peter Garrett, every performance a sell-out!

OzFrog · Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 3:24 pm

This is actually the new St Leonards station. There was an old St Leonards station on the site until about 15 years ago, when it was demolished (and subsequently dug up and left as a hole in the ground for many years). This old station only had 2 platforms to begin with. In the meantime, the station was relocated to the south side of the road bridge.

When the new buildings were built at the old site, a new St Leonards station was built along with it. Around the same time, the Parramatta-Chatswood rail project was gaining momentum, and it was proposed (I think) that St Leonards would act as a terminus for the Chatswood end of the end (I'm going off old network maps here, so someone please correct me).

Anyhoo, the above meant that the new St Leonards station would need extra capacity for the eventual opening of the new line, which led to two (as yet unused) extra platforms being built on either side. They will become platforms 1 & 4 when the new line opens in 2008. Again someone please correct me if I'm completely off base.

Hope the above helps you anyway! Smile

bevans · Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 3:34 pm

OF, thanks for the response. I also note the siding on the down side of the station coming off the up line. Can you please comment on the possible uses of this siding?

Regards,
Brian

RP2 - Project Director

The Hon Peter Garrett, every performance a sell-out!

happygilmour · Beginner Joined: Apr 02, 2005 Last Visited: Apr 2, 2005

Ron_D · Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 6:11 pm

BrianB · Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 6:26 pm

If the siding looks very old and rusty, it could be the remains of a siding used up till the late 60's for unloading refrigerator meat vans for local distribution around the Norrth Shore - there was a small cold stores building owned by a major meat company in Sydney ( the name of it escapes me at the moment ).

As a young electrician during the 60's, the company I worked for had the electrical maintenance contracts for that meat company, and over a five year period, I spent a number of days fitting out electrical work in the building in the St. Leonards siding and also at their other rail-served meat cold stores at Darling Harbour goods yard, and the main meat works in Harris Street, Ultimo.

As I haven't lived in Sydney for over twenty years, I don't know if any of these meatworks buildings remain, but I suspect they would have been demolished and the land re-developed by now.

Regards, BrianB

mattyfitzh · Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 1:00 am

So in actual fact it has moved twice. A map of 1994 shows the station to the south of the highway bridge.

With regards to St. Leonards quadruplification, it does appear that they are not making the room for it, so i guess the fact is it won't be quadruplified.

Also, in the future (2020+) the plan is build the new CBD line (MetroWest) which goes underground after St Leonards under the harbour via a new North Sydney station (Victoria Cross), so that should be when it does become quadruplified.

I have always wondered in the original plan for the Parra-Chatswood link, how this would integrate in with the North West Rail Link, as they both divert at Epping. And how would the trains be run? You would have three paths to worry about (1) Hornsby - Epping - Chatwood - City (2) Castle Hill (Richmond) - Epping - Chatwood - City, and (3) Parramatta - Epping - Chatwood - City. All with only 2 lines for the Epping - Chatswood section? I don't think so.

Sorry if that was a bit too Off-Topic

edison · Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2005 2:11 pm

There were sidings both sides of the line, north of St Leonards. On the up side there were a general goods shed and the cold-stores refered to (and a connection to the North Sydney tram system), and on the down side was a siding providing access to Stewarts and Lloyds steel goods premises, and under Herbert St by tunnel to the brickworks (behind the Royal North Shore hospital). These sidings were served by a pick-up goods each night about 9 pm, hauled in my childhood days by a standards goods steam loco, then later by 48 class. Could hear them from my home in Greenwich if the wind was blowing the right way!

Most of the infrastructure (overhead and earthworks) are in place for 4 tracks Chatswood - St Leonards - even North Sydney. Just need the political will and the money.

ravenoak · Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 9:26 am

That siding is still used to store Track maintenance machines. Often on the Friday before they shut down the North Shore line for the weekend, you will see the track maintenance machines on the siding. I guess they position them on Thursday night when they can get a clear path up the line.

edison · Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:09 pm

Further to Happy Gilmor's post, where can one obtain a copy of the track plans for Chatswood?

Cheers

Denis Elwood

5711i · Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 3:21 pm

remotemants · Posted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 7:01 pm

mattyfitzh · Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 12:27 am

cammo2005 · Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 12:34 am

mattyfitzh · Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 12:42 am