Harden railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harden
Eastbound view in May 2013
Location	Station Street, Harden
Coordinates	34°33′13″S 148°22′18″E / 34.55361°S 148.37167°E / -34.55361; 148.37167
Owned by	Transport Asset Holding Entity
Operated by	NSW TrainLink
Line(s)	Main South
Distance	385.40 kilometres from Central
Platforms	2 (1 island)
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Other information
Station code	HRD
History
Opened	12 March 1877
Previous names	Murrumburrah North Murrumburrah
Services
Preceding station NSW TrainLink Following station Cootamundra toward Griffith NSW TrainLink Southern Line Griffith Xplorer Yass Junction toward Sydney Cootamundra toward Melbourne NSW TrainLink Southern Line Melbourne XPT
Former services Preceding station Former Services Following station Former NSW Main line services Murrumburrah towards Albury Main Southern Line Cunningar towards Sydney

Harden railway station is an important train station in Harden, New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the Main Southern railway line. This line connects many towns in New South Wales. The station is special because it is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This means it is a valuable part of history.

History of Harden Station

The station around 1889

Early Days and Name Changes

Harden station first opened on 12 March 1877. Back then, it was called Murrumburrah. It opened when the Main Southern railway line was extended from Binalong. For a short time, it was the end of the line.

The line was extended to Cootamundra later that year, on 1 November 1877. The station's name changed to North Murrumburrah on 5 September 1878. Finally, it became Harden on 1 September 1880.

Becoming a Major Junction

In 1914, the station platform was changed. It became an island platform. This happened when the railway line was doubled, allowing more trains.

Harden became an even more important station in 1885. This was when the Blayney-Demondrille railway line opened. This new line connected Harden to Young and later to Blayney. Even though the new line branched off at Demondrille, Harden was a major stop for many trains. It grew into an important railway town. It even had a special place to store and fix train engines until the late 1960s.

For many years, a special train service connected with bigger trains like the Riverina Express. This service was later replaced by a road coach in 1983. Until 2009, Harden was a popular spot for steam trains from Cowra. The station kept a working turntable for these trains.

Train Services at Harden

Harden station offers several train services. These services are run by NSW TrainLink.

Current Train Services

• XPT Services: Two XPT trains stop here every day. One goes towards Sydney and the other towards Melbourne.
• Xplorer Services: A Xplorer train runs twice a week. It connects Griffith to Sydney. This service splits from Canberra trains at Goulburn.
• Road Coach Service: NSW TrainLink also runs a bus service. This bus connects Queanbeyan to Cootamundra. It stops at Harden station along the way.

Request Stop Information

It's important to know that Harden is a request stop for some services. This means the Melbourne XPT and the Sydney-bound Griffith Xplorer trains will only stop if passengers have booked to get on or off at Harden.

Station Description

Harden railway station has several interesting buildings. These buildings show its long history.

Station Buildings and Features

• Station Building: The main station building is made of brick. It was built in 1877 and has been changed a few times since then.
• Refreshment Rooms: There are also two-story refreshment rooms. These were built in 1884.
• Signal Box: A signal box with a special hip roof dates back to 1912. This box was used to control train movements.
• Stationmaster's Residence: The stationmaster's house is located nearby at 51 Whitton Street.

Historic Remains

The heritage listing for the station also includes parts of the old engine depot. These include the remains of the engine shed, the turntable, and supports for the coal stage. These remind us of when Harden was a busy place for servicing trains.

Heritage Importance

Heritage boundaries

Harden railway station is a great example of a large station complex. It was first built for a single railway line. Later, it was changed to handle a double track. This was done by adding a platform at the back and building an underground path to reach the station.

The station has been changed over the years. However, it still shows its original design and how it has developed. The signal boxes are also very good examples of large signal boxes from a major train depot. They show two different building styles. The remains of the old engine depot are important. They remind us that Harden was a major station for servicing and changing train engines from the 1880s. This role later moved to Demondrille in 1922.

Harden railway station was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. This means it meets special requirements for its historical value.

Why Harden Station is Special

The station is considered historically rare. It is also seen as scientifically rare, architecturally rare, and socially rare. This means it has unique qualities in these areas.