Carlingford railway station

Carlingford
Southbound view in August 2012
Location	Lloyds Avenue, Carlingford Australia
Coordinates	33°46′56″S 151°02′49″E / 33.782157°S 151.046962°E / -33.782157; 151.046962Coordinates: 33°46′56″S 151°02′49″E / 33.782157°S 151.046962°E / -33.782157; 151.046962
Elevation	104m/341ft
Owned by	RailCorp
Operated by	Sydney Trains
Line(s)	Carlingford
Distance	27.85 kilometres from Central
Platforms	1
Tracks	1
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	22 spaces
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	CGF
Website	Sydney Trains
History
Opened	20 April 1896
Electrified	Yes
Previous names	Pennant Hills
Services
Preceding station   Sydney Trains   Following station Terminus T6 Carlingford Line Telopea towards Central

Carlingford railway station is the terminus station of the Carlingford line, serving the Sydney suburb of Carlingford. It is served by Sydney Trains T6 Carlingford line services.

Carlingford station was built as the terminus of a new privately owned railway from Rosehill. The Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers' Advocate of 12 January 1895 described the plans for the station:

The stations will also be first-class structures. At Cox's at Carlingford there will be approaches to the station on two sides. On the right hand side travelling north will be the main station building, and a covered platform 300 feet long. On the left hand side will be a goods siding. ... All the buildings will be of weatherboard. The plans are all ready, but tenders have not yet been accepted.

The station opened on 20 April 1896 as Pennant Hills, but the line was never used, as the owner had got into financial difficulty. Pennant Hills was supposed to be a temporary terminus, as it was originally intended to extend the line to Dural. The initial section of line was eventually taken over and upgraded by the government. It opened for traffic on 1 August 1901 and the Pennant Hills station was renamed Carlingford. After the government took control of the line, it directed the Public Works Committee to conduct an investigation into the value of the Dural extension. The committee ultimately decided not to support construction of the extension.

The Carlingford Produce Store is located adjacent to the station. It included facilities to load grain onto railway wagons. Some of this infrastructure is still extant today. A large amount of land lies behind the station, for future extensions of the line.

A major development of Carlingford station - and the Carlingford line - was proposed as part of the Parramatta to Chatswood Rail Link project. The Epping to Parramatta section of the project was postponed indefinitely in 2003 by then-New South Wales Transport Minister Michael Costa citing a lack of projected passenger numbers and economic viability.

However, on 11 August 2010, the federal Labor Party promised $2.6 billion towards a revival of the project, as part of the party's successful campaign to retain government at that year's election. Carlingford would have been rebuilt as an underground station. Work was due to start in 2011, with a prospected 2017 finish, but the NSW Liberal Government cancelled the project, instead requesting that Federal funding be diverted to an upgrade of the Pacific Highway. The Federal Government responded by revoking the funding altogether.