Unanderra
Unanderra Station
Platforms in June 2023, after access upgrade
General information
LocationCentral Road, Unanderra
New South Wales
Australia
Coordinates34°27′17″S 150°50′45″E / 34.4548°S 150.8459°E / -34.4548; 150.8459
Elevation14 metres (46 ft)
Owned byTransport Asset Holding Entity
Operated byNSW TrainLink
Line(s)South Coast railway line
Distance88.273 km (54.850 mi) from Central[1]
Platforms2 (island), 132 and 139 metres (433 and 456 ft)[1]
Train operatorsNSW TrainLink
Bus operatorsPremier Illawarra
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
ParkingYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
WebsiteTransport for NSW
History
Opened9 November 1887[2]
Electrified24 January 1993[3]
Passengers
2013500 (daily)[4] (Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink)
Rank187
Services
Preceding station NSW TrainLink Following station
Kembla Grange
Weekends & race days only
towards Kiama
South Coast Line Coniston
Dapto
towards Kiama
Location
Unanderra is located in New South Wales
Unanderra
Unanderra
Location within New South Wales

Unanderra railway station is located on the South Coast railway line in the Wollongong suburb of Unanderra, New South Wales, Australia.

History

The first railway in the district was a privately operated track between Mount Kembla and Port Kembla, opened in 1882 to bring coal to port. In 1912, the NSW Government Railways assumed control of the line east of Unanderra. The government railway from Clifton to North Kiama opened in 1887 and included a single-platform Unanderra Station complete with weatherboard platform building and stationmaster's residence.[5]

Premier George Fuller turned the first sod for the Illawarra Mountain Railway – now known as the Unanderra–Moss Vale line – at Unanderra on 26 June 1925. Fuller, whose family owned much of the Shellharbour district (indeed, Dunmore was named for his father's birthplace), took a keen interest in the development of the railways in his native Illawarra region. Despite costs doubling to £3 million, the line opened in August 1932, channelling freight traffic from the Southern Tablelands and Riverina regions through Unanderra and on to Port Kembla. To accommodate the increased traffic, the line was expanded to three tracks through the town, and the station became an island platform.[6]

Between 1983 and 1988, electrical masts were installed along a section of the Moss Vale line near Unanderra in preparation for the subsequently cancelled Maldon–Dombarton rail link. For further history see Unanderra–Moss Vale railway line. The line through Unanderra was electrified in 1993.

In 2009, the NSW Government announced that it would install lifts at Unanderra Station at a cost of $11.4 million. The project stalled the following year after it was discovered that the plans had been approved without a proper utilities search at the site: water, gas and signal cables would need to be relocated to accommodate the lift shafts, at an additional cost of $5 million. By that stage, the platform building had been replaced and the platforms resurfaced. Following a change of government in 2011, the project was cancelled in favour of accessibility projects at Albion Park, Dapto and Gerringong; and a new station at Flinders. In response to criticism from the Opposition, the new transport minister simply noted that "unfortunately, commitments made by Labor when in government did not come to fruition."[7] The absence of a lift has received significant local media coverage since that time.

Electronic ticketing, in the form of the Opal smartcard system, arrived at the station in 2014.[8]

The lift access upgrade was finally completed in June 2023, which involved construction of a new footbridge and a lift to the island platform, linked by a lift at each side entrance to the station.[9]

Platforms and services

Unanderra has one island platform with two side faces. It is serviced by NSW TrainLink South Coast line services travelling between Sydney Central, Bondi Junction and Kiama.[10] Unlike other New South Wales stations, Platform 2 is for Sydney bound services, with trains normally operating on the right-hand side of the platform rather than the left. Platform 1 is on the western side while Platform 2 is on the eastern side.

Platform Line Stopping pattern Notes
1 services to Kiama [10]
2 services to Sydney Central & Bondi Junction [10]

Premier Illawarra operates seven bus routes via Unanderra station, under contract to Transport for NSW:

References

  1. 1 2 Asset Standards Authority (30 April 2015). "Train Operating Conditions (TOC) Manual – Track Diagrams (version 3.0)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015.
  2. Bozier, Rolfe. "NSWrail.net: Unanderra Station".
  3. Bureau of Transport Statistics (November 2012). Compendium of Sydney Rail Travel Statistics, 8th Edition.
  4. Bureau of Transport Statistics. "Train Statistics 2014" (PDF). Transport NSW. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  5. Office of Environment & Heritage (26 June 2009). "Unanderra stationmaster's residence".
  6. City of Wollongong Library (29 June 2015). "Suburb profile: Unanderra".
  7. Arnold, Alex (3 October 2012). "No money for Unanderra station lifts". Wollongong Advertiser.
  8. Opal card available on all Sydney trains by next Friday Sydney Morning Herald 20 March 2014
  9. Transport NSW
  10. 1 2 3 "South Coast line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  11. "Premier Illawarra route 31". Transport for NSW.
  12. "Premier Illawarra route 33". Transport for NSW.
  13. "Premier Illawarra route 35". Transport for NSW.
  14. "Premier Illawarra route 36". Transport for NSW.
  15. "Premier Illawarra route 37". Transport for NSW.
  16. "Premier Illawarra route 41". Transport for NSW.
  17. "Premier Illawarra route 57". Transport for NSW.
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