Gunning railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gunning
Southbound view from Platform 2 in May 2013
Location	Biala Street, Gunning
Coordinates	34°46′47″S 149°15′40″E / 34.7797°S 149.2610°E / -34.7797; 149.2610
Owned by	Transport Asset Holding Entity
Operated by	NSW TrainLink
Line(s)	Main South
Distance	278.60 km (173.11 mi) from Central
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Other information
Station code	GNI
History
Opened	9 November 1875
Services
Preceding station NSW TrainLink Following station Yass Junction toward Griffith NSW TrainLink Southern Line Griffith Xplorer Goulburn toward Sydney Yass Junction toward Melbourne NSW TrainLink Southern Line Morning Melbourne XPT
Former services Preceding station Former Services Following station Former NSW Main line services Oolong towards Albury Main Southern Line Fish River towards Sydney
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name	Gunning Railway Station and yard group
Type	State heritage (complex / group)
Designated	2 April 1999
Reference no.	1162
Type	Railway Platform/ Station
Category	Transport - Rail

The Gunning railway station is a really old and important train station located in the Upper Lachlan Shire of New South Wales, Australia. It serves the town of Gunning. This station is special because it's listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register, which means it's protected for its historical value. It's also known as the Gunning Railway Station and yard group.

A Look Back: Gunning Station's History

Gunning station first opened its doors on November 9, 1875. At that time, the Main South line was extended from Goulburn, and Gunning became the very end of the line for a short while. It stayed the "terminus" (the last stop) until the line was extended further to Bowning in July 1876.

To handle more trains and passengers, a second platform was added in 1913. This happened when the railway line was made into a "duplicated" line, meaning it had two tracks instead of one.

Train Services at Gunning

Gunning station is served by a few important train services. These are run by NSW TrainLink, which connects different parts of New South Wales.

• XPT Services: There's one daily XPT train service that goes in each direction. These trains travel between Sydney and Melbourne.
• Xplorer Services: You can also catch a Xplorer train twice a week. This train travels between Griffith and Sydney. These services sometimes split from trains going to Canberra at Goulburn.

It's important to know that Gunning is a request stop. This means the train will only stop if passengers have booked tickets to get on or off at Gunning. If no one has booked, the train might just pass through without stopping. For example, the evening XPT train heading to Melbourne usually passes through without stopping.

What the Station Looks Like

The Gunning railway station is made up of several interesting buildings and structures. These include:

• Station Buildings: There's an old station building from 1875, which was a standard design for stations back then. Another building was added in 1913 when the line was duplicated.
• Signal Box: A special building called a signal box was built in 1913. This is where railway workers used to control the train signals to make sure trains moved safely.
• Other Buildings: There's also an old shed from 1913. There used to be another shed made of corrugated iron, but it's not there anymore.
• Platforms: The station has brick platforms that were built in 1875 and 1915. There's also a "dock platform," which is a shorter platform often used for loading goods or for trains that don't go far.

Even though the signal box isn't used anymore (it was decommissioned before 2004), you can still see some old railway items there, like the "closing keys" for the signal frame.

Why Gunning Station is Special

The Gunning station is considered very important because it's one of the best examples of a small country station from the late Victorian era. It shows how railway stations were built and changed over time, from when the line first opened in 1875 to when the last building was added in 1913.

It clearly shows how the railway changed from having a single track to a double track in 1915. The station's size and design also show how important railways were for developing the country back then. It's still quite complete, with most of its original parts still there. The first station building was even an early example of a "standardised design," meaning it was built using a common plan.

Because of its historical importance, the Gunning railway station was officially listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999. This listing helps protect it for future generations.