Rydal railway station

Rydal railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Western line in Rydal, City of Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia. It is also known as Rydal Railway Station group. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[1]

This article is about railway station in New South Wales. For railway station in Pennsylvania, see Rydal (SEPTA station).

Rydal
NSW TrainLink XPT at the station in December 2013
LocationBathurst Street, Rydal
Coordinates33°29′01″S 150°01′54″E
Owned byTransport Asset Holding Entity
Operated byNSW TrainLink
Line(s)Main Western
Distance181.4 kilometres (112.7 mi) from Central
Platforms2 side (1 disused)
Tracks1
Construction
Structure typeGround
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station codeRDL
History
Opened1 July 1870
Services
Preceding station NSW TrainLink Following station
Tarana
toward Bathurst
 Blue Mountains Line
(4 daily services) Bathurst Bullet
 Lithgow
toward Central
Tarana
toward Dubbo
 NSW TrainLink Western Line
Dubbo XPT
 Lithgow
toward Sydney
Official nameRydal Railway Station group
TypeState heritage (complex / group)
Designated2 April 1999
Reference no.1239
TypeRailway Platform/ Station
CategoryTransport - Rail
Location
Rydal
Location within New South Wales

History

The station opened on 1 July 1870[2][3] and was the next finished extension west from Lithgow after Wallerawang had been finalised four months earlier. Two years later the line was again extended finishing at Tarana before reaching Bathurst in 1876.

On 14 March 1915, the line was duplicated with a second platform built. The station closed on 27 May 1989, with the track lifted from the 1915 built platform in 1998 when the line was singled.[4][5]

The station building has been converted to a library.

Description

The complex comprises:[1]

  • Station / residence - type 1 - sub-type 2, 1869
  • Signal box - type 3, small, c. 1914[1]
  • Platform faces - stone and brick
  • War memorial

Services

Rydal is served by NSW TrainLink's daily Central West XPT service operating between Sydney and Dubbo.[6] The XPT only stops on request if passengers have booked to board/alight here. From 16 September 2019 the 4 times daily Bathurst Bullet also stops here.[7][8]

Platform Line Stopping pattern Notes
1 2 morning services to Sydney Central
2 evening services to Lithgow
4 daily services to Bathurst		 [7]
Services to Sydney Central and Dubborequest stop (booked passengers only)[6]
2 Not in use

Heritage listing

As at 27 November 2000, the station building was constructed when the line opened to Rydal and retains its original form from that period. It is an important early railway complex that maintains its setting (largely through main road bypass) and which forms an important visual element in the valley viewed from both road approaches and from the level crossing. The changing view of the structure from the road is the visual focus of the town which is now a remnant of its previous importance as a centre for the production of fine wool. The station building symbolises the confidence in railway construction and the transition towards a railway architecture. It is a rare example of a combined station/residence, five of which remain. All similar structures, found further west towards Blayney, have major alteration or extensions. The other items on the site are significant as they indicate the development of the system and how early sites adapted to duplication and increased traffic followed by more recently decreased traffic.[1]

Rydal railway station was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.[1]

The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

This item is assessed as historically rare. This item is assessed as scientifically rare. This item is assessed as arch. rare. This item is assessed as socially rare.[1]

See also
  • List of railway stations in regional New South Wales

References
  1. "Rydal Railway Station group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage. H01239. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  2. Rydal Station NSWrail.net
  3. "RAILWAY EXTENSION TO RYDAL". The Sydney Morning Herald. LXII (10, 020). New South Wales, Australia. 2 July 1870. p. 7. Retrieved 26 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. "Western Stations Close" Railway Digest August 1989 page 270
  5. Rydal Railway Station NSW Environment & Heritage
  6. "Western timetable". NSW Trainlink. 7 September 2019.
  7. "Blue Mountains line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  8. Villages pleased that both Bullets will now be stopping Western Advocate 30 August 2019

Bibliography

Attribution

This Wikipedia article contains material from Rydal Railway Station group, entry number 01239 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales and Office of Environment and Heritage 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 2 June 2018.

Media related to Rydal railway station at Wikimedia Commons

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