Richmond–Kurrajong railway line

Kurrajong Line
The station sign at Kurrajong (circa 1950).
Overview
Termini	Richmond Kurrajong
Stations	6
Operation
Opened	8 December 1926 (1926-12-08)
Closed	26 July 1952 (1952-07-26)
Operator(s)	New South Wales Government Railways
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Route map Kurrajong closed 1952 Thompsons Ridge closed 1952 Kemsleys closed 1952 North Richmond closed 1952 Phillip closed 1952 60.68 km Richmond Richmond railway line to Blacktown This diagram:

The Kurrajong railway line was a railway line in the distant rural western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was an extension of the branch off the Main Western line from Blacktown to Richmond and was operated by the New South Wales Government Railways.

The construction of the railway between Richmond and Kurrajong did not receive Parliamentary authorisation until 1919, by which time roads were being improved to a standard that did not warrant a railway to bring the produce of the area west of the Hawkesbury River to the Sydney market. From its opening in 1926 until its closure in 1952, it remained a minor branch line.

Lobbying for an extension of the Richmond line to Kurrajong began in 1884, but the high cost of bridging the flood-prone Hawkesbury River and the limited amount of agricultural land available delayed construction.

Finally, political lobbying by local landholders paid off and the first sod was turned on 2 June 1923. Regular passenger trains began running on 8 November 1926, although the Official Opening did not take place for another two weeks.

The branch began in the back platform at Richmond and continued across East Market Street on a level crossing which was protected by a station employee with a red flag or red light. It then passed around Richmond Oval, continuing in a north west direction along March Street at the far end of which it left the town centre and entered its own right of way. This dropped through a cutting towards the river on a 1 in 50 grade before making its way across the alluvial soil of the level floodplain. Trains were running to this point by April 1925.

Gravel trains ran from the Nepean Sand and Gravel Siding located just before the line crossed the Old Kurrajong Road. This material was being used in the construction of Sydney Harbour Bridge.

A very short passenger platform was located on the eastern bank of the Hawkesbury river. This opened in 1928 with the misnomer of Nepean Bridge. It was renamed Phillip in 1934. This location was a favourite swimming and picnic spot.