Darling Harbour Yard

Last updated
Darling Harbour Yard
Location
Location Darling Harbour
Coordinates 33°52′24″S151°11′59″E / 33.8734°S 151.1996°E / -33.8734; 151.1996 [1]
Characteristics
Owner State Rail Authority
OperatorState Rail Authority
Public Transport Commission
New South Wales Government Railways
TypeFreight
History
Openedcirca 1856
Closed6 June 1993

Darling Harbour Yard was a goods railway yard in Darling Harbour, New South Wales, Australia. [2] The yard was once the origin of all outgoing goods traffic from Sydney. It was one of two major yards on the former Metropolitan Goods line, the other being in Rozelle. [3] After closing to heavy rail in 1993, the alignment of the Metropolitan Goods line which passed through it was reutilised by light rail. The precinct around the yard was significantly redeveloped in the decades following its closure.

Contents

History

From the time when the Sydney Railway Company was formed in 1848, it had been the intention of the company to build a freight terminal at Darling Harbour. To this end, a railway line was constructed between the Sydney railway station (the predecessor to Central railway station) and Darling Harbour, which opened on 26 September 1855. [4] Initial traffic was spoil for the construction of the Main Suburban line between Sydney and Parramatta, then for the carriage of departmental coke for steam engines, and a small amount of timber from 1860. Initial reports of the traffic on the line suggested that freight revenue amounted to only £20 a year, and there was only 60 tonnes of coke carriage a week. [4]

Other problems beset the line in the 1860s. Darling Harbour had begun to silt up by 1863, and the 3d. charge per person, each way on the nearby Pyrmont Bridge (at that time privately owned) was a turnoff to traders looking to use the railway for the transport of their goods. Other factors combined to offset these problems: a plan to convey goods by horse tram to Circular Quay turned out to be a failure; traffic in hay, straw and chaff was transferred to the Darling Harbour yards in 1878; and by 1881, the main goods terminal in Sydney had become overcrowded, leading to directions that traffic for Sydney was to be directed to Darling Harbour. The Pyrmont Bridge was later purchased by the New South Wales Government for £48,600. By 1891, all outwards goods traffic was also being dispatched from Darling Harbour. [4]

By 1908, goods traffic on the line to Darling Harbour and the neighbouring suburban lines had become excessive, with 592 wagons arriving each day and 512 being dispatched. [5] It was decided to construct separate goods lines from Sefton to Darling Harbour via Enfield, Dulwich Hill and Rozelle, with extensions to Botany and the State Abattoirs at Homebush Bay. The initial scheme, approved by the Parliamentary Committee on Public Works, approved the initial line from Dulwich Hill to Darling Harbour. To avoid an opening rail bridge alongside the existing Glebe Island Bridge, a circuitous route was built around Rozelle Bay through the suburb of Pyrmont. The proposal, which included two tunnels under Pyrmont and Glebe, was approved on 23 November 1914, and the line opened on 23 January 1922. [6] [7]

Redevelopment

Convention light rail stop in Darling Harbour Convention light rail stop 20171129 01.jpg
Convention light rail stop in Darling Harbour

The Darling Harbour Authority was established in 1984, with the goal of redeveloping the Darling Harbour precinct. [8] The yard was demolished and redeveloped between 1985 and 1988, with a single line of track retained. [9]

In January 1996, the Lilyfield to Central section of the Metropolitan Goods line closed. Much of the alignment was reutilised by the Inner West Light Rail that opened to Wentworth Park in August 1997 and was extended to Lilyfield in August 2000 and on to Dulwich Hill in March 2014. [10] [11] [12] [13] The Sydney Monorail ran adjacent to the light rail between Convention and Exhibition stations. [14]

The Goods Line, a pedestrian and cyclist pathway linking Ultimo and Darling Harbour, is situated on the former corridor of the Metropolitan Goods line that served the yard. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darling Harbour</span> Harbour adjacent to the city centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Darling Harbour is a harbour adjacent to the city centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia that is made up of a large recreational and pedestrian precinct that is situated on western outskirts of the Sydney central business district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central railway station, Sydney</span> Railway station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Central is a heritage-listed railway station located in the centre of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The station is the largest and busiest railway station in Australia and serves as a major transport interchange for NSW TrainLink inter-city rail services, Sydney Trains commuter rail services, Sydney light rail services, bus services, and private coach transport services. The station is also known as Sydney Terminal. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. It recorded 85.4 million passenger movements in 2018 and serves over 250,000 people daily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light rail in Sydney</span> Light rail system in New South Wales, Australia

The Sydney light rail network is a light rail/tram system serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The network currently consists of three passenger routes, the L1 Dulwich Hill, L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford lines. The network comprises 42 stops and a system length of 24.7 km (15.3 mi), making it the second largest light rail network in Australia behind the tram network in Melbourne, Victoria. A fourth line, the 12 km (7.5 mi) Parramatta Light Rail in Sydney's west, is currently under construction and planned to open in May 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilyfield, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Lilyfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lilyfield is located 6 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Inner West Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyrmont, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Pyrmont is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney. It is also part of the Darling Harbour region. As of 2011, it is Australia's most densely populated suburb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultimo, New South Wales</span> Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Ultimo is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is adjacent to the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney west of the Darling Harbour area, and is bordered by Pyrmont to the north, the Sydney CBD and Chinatown/Haymarket to the east, Broadway and Chippendale to the south, and Glebe and Wentworth Park to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dulwich Hill railway station</span> Railway station in Sydney, Australia

Dulwich Hill railway station is located on the Bankstown line, serving the Sydney suburb of Dulwich Hill. It is served by Sydney Trains T3 Bankstown line services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trams in Sydney</span> History of the tramway system closed in Sydney NSW Australia

The Sydney tramway network served the inner suburbs of Sydney, Australia, from 1879 until 1961. In its heyday, it was the largest in Australia, the second largest in the Commonwealth of Nations, and one of the largest in the world. The network was heavily worked, with about 1,600 cars in service at any one time at its peak during the 1930s . Patronage peaked in 1945 at 405 million passenger journeys. Its maximum street trackage totalled 291 km in 1923.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Sydney</span> Overview of transport in Sydney, Australia

Transport in Sydney is provided by an extensive network of public transport operating modes including metro, train, bus, ferry and light rail, as well as an expansive network of roadways, cycleways and airports. According to the 2006 census, in terms of travel to work or study Sydney has the highest rate of public transport usage among the Australian capital cities of 26.3% with more than 80% of weekday trips to/from Central Sydney being made by public transport. According to the New South Wales State Plan, the state has Australia's largest public transport system. The public transport network is regulated by Transport for NSW.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Freight Network</span> Railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Sydney Freight Network is a network of dedicated railway lines for freight in Sydney, Australia, linking the state's rural and interstate rail network with the city's main yard at Enfield and Port Botany. Its primary components are the Southern Sydney Freight Line (SSFL) and a line from Sefton to Enfield and Port Botany. The Network has been managed by the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) since 2012. Prior to the completion of the SSFL, it was managed by RailCorp as the Metropolitan Freight Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railways in Sydney</span>

Sydney, the largest city in Australia, has an extensive network of passenger and freight railways. The passenger system includes an extensive suburban railway network, operated by Sydney Trains, a metro network and a light rail network. A dedicated freight network also exists. Future expansion of the light rail network includes the Parramatta Light Rail. Existing light rail services are the Inner West Light Rail and the CBD & South East Light Rail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inner West Light Rail</span> Light rail line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The Inner West Light Rail is a 12.8-kilometre (8.0 mi) light rail line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, running from Central railway station through the Inner West to Dulwich Hill and serving 23 stops. It is the original line of the Sydney light rail network, and was originally known as Sydney Light Rail. Light rail services on the line are now branded as the L1 Dulwich Hill Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Goods Line</span>

The Goods Line is an 800 m-long (2,625 ft) linear park and shared pedestrian pathway and cycleway in the suburb of Ultimo, in the City of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The corridor connects Railway Square to Darling Harbour in the south and passes both the University of Technology Sydney Broadway campus and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Sydney head office. The Goods Line terminates in the north at the corner of Sussex and Hay Streets, in the Sydney central business district.

The Bays Precinct is a proposed urban renewal project in Sydney, Australia. It will involve the redevelopment of 95 hectares of land adjoining Sydney Harbour formerly used by industry. Among the sites to be redeveloped are the Rozelle railway yards, White Bay Power Station, Glebe Island port, the Sydney Fish Market and Wentworth Park.

The 2010s saw many developments relating to transport in the Australian city of Sydney, New South Wales. The decade saw a substantial investment in infrastructure, including a new airport, motorway projects, light rail lines, Australia's first metro system, the new Waratah fleet and the demise of the non-air conditioned S sets from the rail network. Planning and branding of public transport services became substantially more centralised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultimo Road railway underbridge</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Ultimo Road railway underbridge is a heritage-listed former railway bridge located on the former Darling Harbour goods railway line in the inner city Sydney suburb of Ultimo in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by engineering staff in the Existing Lines branch of the New South Wales Public Works Department and built in 1879. The property is owned by Transport Asset Holding Entity, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pyrmont and Glebe railway tunnels</span>

The Pyrmont and Glebe railway tunnels are heritage-listed railway tunnels, once part of the Metropolitan Goods railway line, Pyrmont and Glebe, New South Wales, Australia. The tunnels now carry the Inner West Light Rail line. The property is owned by Transport Asset Holding Entity, a state government agency. The tunnels were added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glebe and Wentworth Park railway viaducts</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Glebe and Wentworth Park railway viaducts are a series of two heritage-listed railway bridges and arch viaducts that carry the Inner West Light Rail across Wentworth Park, Jubilee Park, and Johnstons Creek in the inner western Sydney suburb of Glebe in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. They were designed by the New South Wales Government Railways and built from 1892 to 1922 by day labour. They are also known as Wentworth Park Viaduct, Jubilee Park Viaduct and Glebe Viaducts. The viaducts were added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railway Square road overbridge</span> Bridge in New South Wales, Australia

The Railway Square road overbridge is a heritage-listed road overbridge carrying George Street over the former Darling Harbour goods railway line at Railway Square in the Sydney central business district, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rozelle Yard</span> Former railway yard in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Rozelle Yard was a goods railway yard in Rozelle, New South Wales, Australia. It was one of two major yards on the Metropolitan Goods line, the other being in Darling Harbour. Since heavy rail traffic ceased, part of the site has been redeveloped into a light rail depot and maintenance facility. The site of the former yard was redeveloped into Rozelle Interchange.

References

  1. ↑ "Darling Harbour". www.nswrail.net. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  2. ↑ "Darling Harbour". www.nswrail.net. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  3. ↑ "Rozelle - Darling Harbour Goods Line". www.nswrail.net. Retrieved 2020-03-31.
  4. 1 2 3 Forsyth, J.H. (ed.) (1988–93), Stations & Tracks; Vol. 1: "Main Suburban & Branches -- Illawarra & Branches". State Rail Authority: Sydney, p. 97.
  5. ↑ Forsyth, J.H. (ed.) (1988–93), Stations & Tracks; Vol. 1: "Main Suburban & Branches -- Illawarra & Branches". State Rail Authority: Sydney, p. 97.
  6. ↑ Rozelle-Darling Harbour Goods Line nswrail.net
  7. ↑ The Direct & Scenic Routes to Darling Harbour Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 741 July 1999 pages 265-271
  8. ↑ "Darling Harbour: Through the Lens". www.records.nsw.gov.au. 2018-04-12. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  9. ↑ "Lost Railways: Rozelle-Darling Harbour Goods Line". www.visitsydneyaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  10. ↑ Last Freight Finishes on Darling Harbour Line Railway Digest March 1996 Page 15
  11. ↑ Sydney's Tram Extension Opens Railway Digest September 2000 page 4
  12. ↑ Sydney Metro Light Rail, Australia railway-technology.com
  13. ↑ "Inner West Light rail extension now complete | transportnsw.info". 2014-03-27. Archived from the original on 2014-03-27. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  14. ↑ "Network & Stations | Sydney Monorail". 2013-05-02. Archived from the original on 2013-05-02. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
  15. ↑ "The Goods Line". darlingharbour.com. Retrieved 2020-03-21.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.