Town Hall railway station, Sydney

Town Hall railway station is a heritage-listed[1] underground commuter rail station located in the centre of the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. The station opened on 28 February 1932. It is named after the Sydney Town Hall, located directly above the station.

Town Hall
George Street entrance in February 2015
LocationGeorge Street, Sydney
Coordinates33°52′25″S 151°12′17″E
Owned byRailCorp
Operated bySydney Trains
Line(s)City Circle
Distance1.18 km (0.73 mi) from Central (clockwise)
Platforms6 (2 island, 2 side)
Tracks6
Connections
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Depth
  • 6 metres (20 ft) (upper level)
  • 12 metres (39 ft) (lower level)
Platform levels2
Disabled accessYes
ArchitectJohn Bradfield (designer)[1]
Other information
StatusStaffed
WebsiteTransport for NSW
History
Opened28 February 1932
ElectrifiedYes
Traffic
Passengers (2018)226,810 (daily)[2] (Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink)
Rank2
Services
Preceding station   Sydney Trains   Following station
towards Emu Plains or Richmond
T1
North Shore & Western Line
towards Berowra
T2
Inner West & Leppington Line
towards Museum
One-way operation
T3
Bankstown Line
towards Lidcombe or Liverpool
towards Waterfall or Cronulla
T4
Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line
Martin Place
towards Bondi Junction
towards Macarthur
T8
Airport & South Line
towards Hornsby via Strathfield
T9
Northern Line
towards Gordon
NSW TrainLink
Terminus
Central Coast & Newcastle Line
(peak hour services)
towards Wyong
Martin Place
towards Bondi Junction
South Coast Line
Route map
City Circle route map

History
Platform 2 in 1932
Concourse before renovation in 2015

The station is built on the site of Sydney's earliest colonial cemetery, the Old Sydney Burial Ground.[3][4][5] In 2008, part of this cemetery was being excavated from under the Town Hall.

The station opened on 28 February 1932[1][6] and was built with six platforms, which were split over two levels with three platforms on each level. When the station opened, only four of the platforms were in use: platforms 1, 2 and 3 on the upper level and platform 6, served by escalators, on the lower level.[7] The other two platforms were built in preparation for a proposed western suburbs line from the city to Gladesville, as envisaged under the Bradfield scheme.[7] This line was never built, and the platforms (4 and 5) remained disused until incorporated into the Eastern Suburbs line when it opened in June 1979.

The station concourse had a major restructure in 2005 when the shops inside were closed to make way for the increasing crowds.

During a refurbishment of the station in 2014, a sign pointing to an air-raid shelter was uncovered on a staircase leading to Platforms 1 and 2. It has been encased in a Perspex casing.[8]

Station configuration

Town Hall has two platform levels, each with three platforms - physically two island platforms, but set up so that one faces two tracks and the other faces the other track. Each platform has one lift in the centre connecting the concourse with the platforms, providing Easy Access for wheelchairs. These facilities were constructed during 2003-2004. The lower level platforms (4-6) have 4 escalators to the concourse. As the platform is not wide enough, the escalators are in a cross configuration, with two at either end of the platform and another two at the centre. The escalator directions can be changed by staff throughout the day as the passenger flow dictates. The upper level platforms have stairs up to the concourse. There are also small staircases linking the two platform levels.

The concourse is above the two platform levels and immediately below street level. The station is linked to nearby shopping centres including the Queen Victoria Building, The Galeries, Town Hall Square, Pavilion Plaza and, Woolworths Supermarket. There are also several exits up to each side of George Street.

When opened in 2024, the Sydney Metro line will include another station located at Pitt Street.

Platforms and services
Platform in 2017
Concourse during renovation in August, 2017
Platform Line Stopping pattern Notes
1 services to Homebush, Leppington & Parramatta [9]
2 services to Richmond & Emu Plains 2 Morning Peak NSW TrainLink services to Blacktown[10]
services to Hornsby via Epping & Strathfield[11]
3 services to Hornsby & Berowra via Chatswood & Gordon 6 Evening peak NSW TrainLink services to Wyong[12][13]
services to Gordon via Chatswood[11]
4 services to Cronulla, Waterfall & Helensburgh [14]
Limited services to Port Kembla & Kiama[15]
5 services to Bondi Junction [14]
Limited services to Bondi Junction or Martin Place[15]
6 services to Revesby & Macarthur
2 weekday evening services to Campbelltown		 [16]
services to Lidcombe & Liverpool via Bankstown[17]

Town Hall station is served by bus routes operated by Forest Coach Lines, Hillsbus, State Transit, Transdev NSW and Transit Systems.

Stand A, QVB:
  • 324 - to Watsons Bay via New South Head Road
  • 325 - via Watsons Bay via Vaucluse

Stand B, QVB:

Stand C, QVB:

Stand F, Market Street

Stand G, Park Street

  • 311: to Railway Square via Potts Point, Kings Cross and Darlinghurst
  • 324 - to Watsons Bay via New South Head Road
  • 325 - via Watsons Bay via Vaucluse

Stand H, Park Street

Stand J, Park Street

  • 311: to Millers Point
  • 324 & 325: to Walsh Bay
  • 389: to Maritime Museum, Pyrmont

Stand K, Park Street

Stand L, Druitt Street

  • 500 & X00: to Top Ryde City
  • 502: to Bayview Park, Five Dock (PM peak only)
  • 504, X04: to Chiswick
  • 505: peak hour service to Woolwich
  • 506: to Macquarie University via East Ryde
  • 507: to Macquarie University via Putney, Meadowbank station & Top Ryde
  • 508: to Drummoyne Ave
  • 510: to Ryde Bus Depot
  • 515, X15: to Eastwood station
  • 518: to Macquarie University via Victoria Road & Denistone East
  • 520: night time service to Parramatta via Victoria Road
  • L37: peak PM service to Haberfield
  • M52: to Parramatta station (limited stops) via Victoria Road
  • X06: PM peak service to East Ryde
  • X18: PM peak service to Denistone East

Trackplan
Track layout

See also

References
  1. "Town Hall Railway Station". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage.
  2. NSW Train Stations Barrier Dashboard 2004-2018 Institute for Sustainable futures UTS
  3. "Old Sydney Burial Ground". City of Sydney.
  4. "Town Hall Surrounds". Sydney Town Hall. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013.CS1 maint: unfit url (link)
  5. "Burial: Early Sydney cemeteries". Australian Museum.
  6. Town Hall Station NSWrail.net
  7. "The St James Railway Tunnels". Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  8. "Town Hall Station upgrade" Railway Digest January 2015 pages 44-45
  9. "T2: Inner West & Leppington line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  10. "T1: Western line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  11. "T9: Northern line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  12. "T1: North Shore line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  13. "Central Coast & Newcastle line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  14. "T4: Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  15. "South Coast line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  16. "T8: Airport & South line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  17. "T3: Bankstown line timetable". Transport for NSW.

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