Albion Park
|
|
---|---|
NSW TrainLink intercity train station ← Dapto · Oak Flats → |
|
Location |
Princes Highway, Albion Park Rail New South Wales Australia |
Coordinates | 34°33′48″S 150°47′57″E / 34.5633°S 150.7991°ECoordinates: 34°33′48″S 150°47′57″E / 34.5633°S 150.7991°E |
Owned by | RailCorp |
Operated by | NSW TrainLink |
Line(s) | South Coast |
Distance | 103.341 km from Central |
Platforms | 2 side (212 and 196 metres) |
Train operators | NSW TrainLink |
Bus operators |
|
Connections | Coach |
Construction | |
Structure type | At-grade |
Parking | Yes |
Bicycle facilities | Bike racks |
Disabled access | Easy Access |
Architectural style | Late Victorian |
Other information | |
Website | Sydney Trains |
History | |
Opened | 9 November 1887 |
Electrified | 17 November 2001 |
Previous names | Oak Flats |
Traffic | |
Passengers (2014) | 85,333 |
Rank | 220th of 307 |
Albion Park is a railway station located in Albion Park Rail, New South Wales, Australia, on the South Coast railway line.
Engineers choosing the alignment for the Illawarra railway line in the 1880s sought the shallow grades required by the steam locomotives of the time. As a result, when a route through the Municipality of Shellharbour was chosen, it was some way from the two major towns, Albion Park and Shellharbour. The future Albion Park Station opened as "Oak Flats" on 9 November 1887. At the same time, an "Albion Park" station opened three kilometres to the north. The following year, "Albion Park" was renamed Yallah and "Oak Flats" became Albion Park. (An Oak Flats station opened in 1890. Yallah Station closed in 1974.)
As a centre for the pastoral and dairy industries, the station precinct grew, gaining a signal box and goods yard in 1890, and a dairy factory and associated siding in 1913. As the closest point on the railway to Albion Park, the area around the station grew into a small town in its own right and was named Albion Park Rail in 1921 – one of three localities in NSW to be named in this way (the others are Eungai Rail on the Mid-North Coast and Warialda Rail in New England).
In 2001, the line from Dapto to Kiama was electrified. A second platform, with awning and waiting shed, was constructed to provide a crossing point for trains and increase the line's capacity. In 2013, the pedestrian level crossing between the two platforms was modified to meet wheelchair access requirements.
The platform building is weatherboard with a gabled corrugated-steel roof, decorative timber valances and two brick chimneys. The building was one of the last to be built before the design for such structures was standardised – one of the reasons for its heritage significance.
The station serves NSW TrainLink trains travelling south to Kiama and north to Wollongong and Sydney.Premier Illawarra operates connecting bus services from the station to Oak Flats, Shellharbour and Wollongong. Under contract to NSW TrainLink, Roadcoach operates a connecting coach service to meet Canberra Xplorer trains at Moss Vale Station.