Circular Quay railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Circular Quay
Circular Quay railway station in 2016, looking south from the harbour
Location	Alfred Street, Sydney CBD, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	33°51′41″S 151°12′40″E / 33.8614°S 151.211°E / -33.8614; 151.211
Owned by	Transport Asset Holding Entity
Operated by	Sydney Trains
Line(s)	City Circle
Distance	2.6 km from Central
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Connections	Circular Quay Circular Quay Circular Quay
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Disabled access	Yes
Architect	John Bradfield (designer)
Architectural style	Inter-War Functionalist
Other information
Status	Staffed
Station code	CQY
History
Opened	20 January 1956
Electrified	Yes
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	51,820 (daily) (Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink)
Rank	9
Services
Preceding station Sydney Trains Following station Wynyard toward Parramatta or Leppington Inner West & Leppington Line St James as the Airport & South Line toward Macarthur Wynyard toward Lidcombe or Liverpool Bankstown Line clockwise only St James toward Lidcombe or Liverpool Wynyard as the Inner West & Leppington Line toward Parramatta or Leppington Airport & South Line St James toward Macarthur
Route map City Circle route map

Circular Quay railway station is an important train station in Sydney, Australia. It is located in the Circular Quay area, which is a busy transport hub. The station is part of the City Circle train line. It serves trains like the T2 Inner West & Leppington, T3 Bankstown, and T8 Airport & South lines.

History of Circular Quay Station

Alfred Street before the station was built, with ferry wharves on the left.

Circular Quay has always been a very important place for Sydney. It was once the main harbour for ships coming into the city. Later, it became a busy spot for ferries and trams. This made it a perfect place for a train station too.

Plans for the station started way back in 1909. Tunnels connecting to nearby stations like Central, St James, and Wynyard were built first. Construction of the station itself began in 1936.

Work was stopped for a while because of World War II. It started again in 1945 but was paused again later. The raised train tracks, called a viaduct, were finally finished in 1954. The metal beams used for the viaduct were even used on another bridge first, the Hawkesbury River Railway Bridge, before coming to Circular Quay!

Circular Quay station and the Cahill Expressway being built in 1955.

The station building was designed in 1927 and updated in 1937. Finally, Circular Quay station opened on January 20, 1956. The first regular trains started running two days later. This station was the last part of the City Circle train line to be completed.

Building the station in such a famous spot was a big discussion. Some people thought it would block the beautiful views of Circular Quay. When the Cahill Expressway opened above the station in 1958, the debate grew even stronger. There have been ideas to move the station underground, but this has not happened.

In 2006, the station's outside walls were cleaned and repaired. In 2007, new sun shades were added to the platforms. Advertising signs were removed, and the main hall was improved.

Station Design

Circular Quay station has two levels. The main hall, called the concourse, is on the ground floor. The train platforms are on the second, elevated level. From the platforms, you can see amazing views of Circular Quay, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Sydney Opera House. On the other side, you can see Customs House.

The station has two main outside walls. One faces Circular Quay and the other faces Customs House. The northern wall is covered with shiny granite tiles. The southern wall has granite and sandstone. The station's name is written in steel letters on both sides.

The upper part of the station has open areas with glass railings. These offer great views. You can even get to a viewing platform above the station, next to the Cahill Expressway.

To get to the platforms from the ground floor, you can use stairs, escalators, or lifts. The main hall has shops and food places. You can also find public toilets there. The hall has cool brass decorations with sea animal designs. Many parts of the station use glass bricks.

The station's design is called "Inter-War Functionalist." This means it focuses on being useful and has strong straight lines. It also has some "Art Deco" details, which are decorative patterns from the 1920s and 1930s.

Trains and Services

Circular Quay station has two platforms.

• Platform 1 is for trains heading towards places like Homebush, Parramatta, and Leppington (T2 line).
• Platform 2 is for trains going to Revesby and Macarthur (T8 line), or Lidcombe and Liverpool via Bankstown (T3 line).

Getting Around (Transport Links)

Circular Quay is a major transport hub.

• Buses: South of the station, there's a bus stop on Alfred Street. Many bus routes start from here.
• Ferries: Right next to the station is Circular Quay wharf. You can catch ferries here to many different parts of Sydney Harbour.

Gallery

• 

  Northern exterior view from Alfred Street in April 2015

• 

  Northbound view from Platform 1

• 

  Entrance to ground level concourse

• 

  Eastbound view from Platform 2 in August 2017

Images for kids

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  Connecting trams outside Circular Quay Station