Shellharbour Junction railway station

Shellharbour Junction
Shellharbour Junction
General information
Location	Piper Drive, Dunmore ; New South Wales ; Australia
Coordinates	34°35′30″S150°50′46″E / 34.591550°S 150.846216°E
Elevation	29 metres (95 ft)
Owned by	Transport Asset Holding Entity
Line(s)	South Coast
Distance	108.887 kilometres (67.659 mi) from Central
Platforms	2 side, 174 metres (571 ft)
Train operators	NSW TrainLink
Bus operators	Premier Illawarra
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	105 spaces
Bicycle facilities	Bike racks
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	Opal
Website	Transport for NSW
History
Opened	9 November 1887
Rebuilt	22 November 2014
Electrified	17 November 2001
Previous names	Dunmore; Dunmore (Shellharbour); Flinders; Shell Cove; Shellharbour;
Passengers
2023	88,900 (year); 244 (daily)(Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink);
Services

Last updated March 01, 2024

Shellharbour Junction railway station is a railway station located at Dunmore, New South Wales, Australia, on the Illawarra railway line. The station is served by NSW TrainLink South Coast Line trains traveling south to Kiama and north to Wollongong and Sydney.^[7] Premier Illawarra operates a connecting bus service from the station to Shellharbour.

History

The Shellharbour district was initially reliant on coastal shipping for its connection to Wollongong and Sydney, but this changed with the construction of the South Coast railway line to Wollongong in 1887, and its connection to Sydney the following year. Dunmore Station opened along with the Wollongong–North Kiama extension in 1887, with a single platform, weatherboard platform building and Victorian–Georgian brick stationmaster's residence. The station was used by passengers from nearby Shellharbour; the main freight users were local pastoralists and the neighbouring basalt quarry. The growth in quarry traffic necessitated the construction of a goods siding in 1923 and a signal box two years later. The station was refurbished around the same time. In 1940, a second side platform ("platform 1") was added. The flow of rail freight from the district waned in the late 20th century, however, and the goods siding was removed in 1970. The old station buildings, still extant today, are located near where Dunmore Road (formerly Shellharbour Road) intersects with the railway line, at the southern end of Dunmore.^[8]

The book All aboard!: Tales of Australian railways, by Jim Haynes and Russell Hannah, recounts a story about former State Rail Authority Chief Executive David Hill, who is said to have visited Dunmore Station incognito in the mid-1980s, when the station appeared on maps as "Shellharbour":

When he reached Shellharbour Station he found himself surrounded by cow paddocks with the straggle of houses on the other side of the road. Now David Hill was no dill and he realised that this couldn’t possibly be the resort town of Shellharbour even though the station signs were telling him so – after all he couldn’t even see the sea.
It was still the days when the railways employed people and there, waiting to collect his ticket, was a 16-year-old junior station assistant.
"Well” says David to the kid; “This clearly isn’t Shellharbour Township”.
“No mate” says the kid (he didn’t know who David Hill was, you see, or he would have called him sir). “This is Dunmore.”
“Well where’s Shellharbour?” asks David.
The kid points up Shellharbour Road and says “it's up the road there a bit, just over the hill – it’s about four or five kilometres away.”
“That’s a bit strange,” muses David. “Wouldn’t you have thought that they would have built the station a bit closer to the town than this?’’
Well, the kid looks at David Hill like he’s a bit simple and says; “No mate, it’s much better down here near the railway line.”

According to the story, it was this visit that led to the nameboards and maps being amended to read "Dunmore (Shellharbour)".^[9]^[10]

New site

Given the rapid growth of new suburbs along the railway line, including Shell Cove and Flinders, in 2003 RailCorp began planning work to relocate Dunmore's railway station to the north. The project was announced as "Flinders Station" by the then member for Kiama, Matt Brown, in 2011. His successor, Gareth Ward, re-announced the project the following year, and construction began, with an announced budget of $39 million.^[11] In 2013, Ward announced that the name would be changed to Shell Cove,^[12] but it later emerged that the station could not be named Shell Cove (or Flinders) because it was physically located in Dunmore. Transport for NSW successfully applied to the Geographical Names Board to have the station named Shellharbour Junction instead.^[13]

The project also saw the Dunmore passing loop extended north to the new station site, increasing its length to 1.8 kilometres.^[1]

The new station opened to passengers on 22 November 2014. Services to the former Dunmore Station ceased the previous day, and the old station was fenced off pending a decision on its future use.^[3]

Shellharbour Junction recorded 10,616 passenger journeys in the first three months of 2015, almost as many as the number of journeys recorded by Dunmore Station in its last full year of operation.^[14]

Platforms and services

Platform	Line	Stopping pattern	Notes
1	SCO	services to Sydney Central & Bondi Junction	^[7]
2	SCO	services to Kiama	^[7]

Transport links

Premier Illawarra operates one bus route via Shellharbour Junction station, under contract to Transport for NSW:

52: to Flinders ^[15]

Related Research Articles

Wollongong, colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound of the sea'. Wollongong lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 85 kilometres south of central Sydney. Wollongong had an estimated urban population of 302,739 at June 2018, making it the third-largest city in New South Wales after Sydney and Newcastle and the tenth-largest city in Australia by population. The city's current Lord Mayor is Gordon Bradbery AM who was elected in 2021.

The Illawarra is a coastal region in the southeast of the Australian state of New South Wales. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongong, Shellharbour and the coastal town of Kiama. Wollongong is the largest city of the Illawarra with a population of 240,000, then Shellharbour with a population of 70,000 and Kiama with a population of 10,000. These three cities have their own suburbs. Wollongong stretches from Otford in the north to Windang in the south, with Maddens Plains and Cordeaux in the west.

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

The South Coast Railway is a commuter and goods railway line from Sydney to Wollongong and Bomaderry in New South Wales, Australia. Beginning at the Illawarra Junction, the line services the Illawarra and South Coast regions of New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Coast Line</span> Rail service in New South Wales, Australia

The South Coast Line (SCO) is an intercity rail service operated by NSW TrainLink that services the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The service runs from Central, and runs the entire length of the eponymous South Coast railway line to Bomaderry. The service also runs along the Eastern Suburbs railway line at peak hours and the Port Kembla railway line to Port Kembla. It is operated with NSW TrainLink H sets and Sydney Trains T sets, with Endeavour railcars operating the service on the non-electrified line between Kiama and Bomaderry.

Gerringong railway station is a single-platform intercity train station located in Gerringong, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line. The station serves NSW TrainLink diesel multiple unit trains travelling south to Bomaderry and north to Kiama. Early morning and late night services to the station are provided by train replacement bus services. In the past, the station precinct also catered to freight trains carrying dairy products.

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

Kiama railway station is a heritage-listed intercity train station located in Kiama, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line. The station serves NSW TrainLink diesel multiple unit trains traveling south to Bomaderry and electric multiple unit trains north to Wollongong and Sydney. Early morning and late night services to and from stations to the south are provided by train replacement bus services. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Dunmore railway station is a heritage-listed former railway station that was located on the South Coast railway line in Dunmore, City of Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia. The station served the southern Wollongong suburb of Dunmore and indirectly Shellharbour and opened on 9 November 1887. The weatherboard station on Platform 2 dates from 1887. It is also known as the Shellharbour Railway Station Group, Shellharbour railway station and Dunmore Railway Station. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Oak Flats railway station is a single-platform intercity train station located in Oak Flats, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line. The station serves NSW TrainLink trains travelling south to Kiama and north to Wollongong and Sydney. Together with the Dunmore and later Shellharbour Junction stations, Oak Flats has long served as the rail connection for the coastal suburbs of the City of Shellharbour.

Albion Park railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the South Coast railway line on the Princes Highway in Albion Park Rail, New South Wales, Australia. The station was designed by New South Wales Government Railways and built during 1887 by William Monie & Company, with the single line railway line built by David Proudfoot and Thomas Logan. The complex is also known as the Albion Park Railway Station Group. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The station is located close to Shellharbour Airport.

Bombo is a heritage-listed single-platform intercity train station located in Bombo, Municipality of Kiama, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line. The station serves NSW TrainLink trains traveling south to Kiama and north to Wollongong and Sydney. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

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

Kembla Grange railway station is a single-platform intercity train station located in Kembla Grange, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line. The station serves NSW TrainLink trains travelling south to Kiama and north to Wollongong and Sydney. The station ranked equal last for patronage on the metropolitan network in 2012, and was one of 23 on the metropolitan rail network to record an average of fewer than one passenger per day in 2014.

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

Wollongong railway station is a heritage-listed railway station on the South Coast railway line in New South Wales, Australia. It serves the central business district of Wollongong. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

Cringila railway station is located in Cringila, Australia, on the South Coast railway line's Port Kembla branch. The station serves NSW TrainLink trains travelling south to Port Kembla and north to Wollongong and Sydney.

The City of Shellharbour is a local government area in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The city is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south of Sydney and covers the southern suburbs of the Wollongong urban area centred on Shellharbour and it had an estimated population of 68,460 at the 2016 census.

Shellharbour is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Anna Watson who won Labor preselection after the former member Lylea McMahon decided not to contest the 2011 election.

Flinders is a southern suburb of Shellharbour, located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Flinders is located approximately 111 kilometres south-southwest of New South Wales' capital city of Sydney. Flinders is close to a number of beaches and to and over 60 hectares of green open spaces including bush reserves, waterways and landscaped parks. Flinders adjoins neighbouring suburbs of Shellharbour, Shell Cove, Blackbutt and Shell Heights.

The Stone Fleet was the colloquial name for the small coastal ships that carried crushed-stone construction aggregate to Sydney from the Illawarra ports of Kiama and Shellharbour and the nearby ocean jetties at Bombo and Bass Point.

References

1 2 3 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.
↑ Bozier, Rolfe. "NSWrail.net: Dunmore/Shellharbour Station". Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
1 2 "New Shellharbour Junction Station opens for business". Illawarra Mercury. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
↑ "Electrifying news". South Coast Register. 20 November 2001. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
↑ "Train Station Monthly Usage". Open Data. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
↑ This figure is the number of entries and exits of a year combined averaged to a day.
1 2 3 "South Coast line timetable". Transport for NSW.
↑ Office of Environment & Heritage (18 September 2009). "Dunmore (Shellharbour) Railway Station and Residence". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
↑ Arnold, Alex (26 September 2014). "How station got a name change to Dunmore-Shellharbour". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
↑ Haynes, Jim (2004). All aboard!: Tales of Australian railways.
↑ Fuller, Bree (22 April 2012). "Flinders to get new rail station by 2014". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
↑ Humphries, Glen (16 February 2013). "Shell Cove Station to be a community asset". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
↑ Arnold, Alex (26 September 2014). "From Shellharbour, Dunmore, Flinders, Shell Cove to Shellharbour Junction". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
↑ Bureau of Transport Statistics (November 2012). Compendium of Sydney Rail Travel Statistics, 8th Edition. list Dunmore (Shellharbour) at 280th place as at 2012, before the move to Shellharbour Junction.
↑ "Premier Illawarra route 52". Transport for NSW.

External links

Media related to Shellharbour Junction railway station at Wikimedia Commons
Media related to Dunmore (Shellharbour) railway station at Wikimedia Commons
Shellharbour Junction station details Transport for New South Wales

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.

[asa-1] 1 2 3 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.

[nswrail-2] Bozier, Rolfe. "NSWrail.net: Dunmore/Shellharbour Station". Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2015.

[open-3] 1 2 "New Shellharbour Junction Station opens for business". Illawarra Mercury. 21 November 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.

[4] "Electrifying news". South Coast Register. 20 November 2001. Archived from the original on 2 August 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.

[5] "Train Station Monthly Usage". Open Data. Retrieved 26 January 2024.

[note1-6] This figure is the number of entries and exits of a year combined averaged to a day.

[Timetable-7] 1 2 3 "South Coast line timetable". Transport for NSW.

[8] Office of Environment & Heritage (18 September 2009). "Dunmore (Shellharbour) Railway Station and Residence". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.

[9] Arnold, Alex (26 September 2014). "How station got a name change to Dunmore-Shellharbour". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.

[10] Haynes, Jim (2004). All aboard!: Tales of Australian railways.

[11] Fuller, Bree (22 April 2012). "Flinders to get new rail station by 2014". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.

[12] Humphries, Glen (16 February 2013). "Shell Cove Station to be a community asset". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 15 February 2013.

[13] Arnold, Alex (26 September 2014). "From Shellharbour, Dunmore, Flinders, Shell Cove to Shellharbour Junction". Illawarra Mercury. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.

[compendium-14] Bureau of Transport Statistics (November 2012). Compendium of Sydney Rail Travel Statistics, 8th Edition. list Dunmore (Shellharbour) at 280th place as at 2012, before the move to Shellharbour Junction.

[15] "Premier Illawarra route 52". Transport for NSW.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]