Marrickville railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marrickville
Main entrance in 2017
Location	Illawarra Road, Marrickville
Coordinates	33°54′51″S 151°09′17″E / 33.9143°S 151.1547°E / -33.9143; 151.1547
Elevation	13m
Owned by	Transport Asset Holding Entity
Operated by	Sydney Trains
Line(s)	Bankstown
Distance	6.85 kilometres from Central
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	4
Bus routes	423, L23, N40
Connections	Bus
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Parking	None
Bicycle facilities	Bike locker available
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Status	Staffed
Station code	MRV
Website	Transport for NSW
History
Opened	1 February 1895
Electrified	Yes
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	9,000 (daily) (Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink)
Services
Preceding station Sydney Trains Following station Dulwich Hill toward Lidcombe or Liverpool Bankstown Line Sydenham toward City Circle Future service Preceding station Sydney Metro Following station Dulwich Hill toward Bankstown M1 Metro North West Line Sydenham toward Tallawong

Marrickville railway station is a train station in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville. It is located on the Bankstown railway line. The station is served by Sydney Trains' T3 Bankstown line services. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 1999 because of its important history and design.

History of Marrickville Station

Marrickville station first opened on 1 February 1895. This was when the Bankstown line began operating from Sydenham to Belmore.

When the station first opened, it only had one platform in the middle, called an island platform. In 1916, the station was changed. A new platform, now called Platform 2, was built. It was located south of the original island platform. The northern side of the island platform was then closed. This was done to make space for the Metropolitan Goods Line, which is used by freight trains. The station still has this same layout today.

The train line through the station got electricity in 1926. This meant electric trains could run. The booking office on Platform 2 was changed in 1944.

New stairs were built from Illawarra Road in 1985.

In June 2016, the station was upgraded. New lifts and a new concourse (a large open area for people to walk through) were added. During this work, the stairs to Platform 1 were closed. A temporary bridge was used instead. Now, both platforms can be reached from New Illawarra Road. You can use the new concourse, stairs, or lifts. Even with the new concourse, the station does not have gates.

Platforms and Train Services

Station prior to upgrade.

Marrickville is an important station on the Bankstown line. Most trains stop here. However, during busy morning times, some trains going east might skip Marrickville. Sometimes, other trains like empty ones or diverted services also pass through without stopping. This can happen during trackwork.

Connecting Transport Options

You can also catch buses from Marrickville station. Transit Systems operates two bus routes that pass by the station:

• 423: This bus goes from Martin Place to Kingsgrove.
• L23: This is an express bus that also goes from Martin Place to Kingsgrove.

Marrickville station is also served by one NightRide bus route, which runs late at night:

• N40: This bus goes from East Hills station to City (Town Hall).

Station Buildings and Features

Marrickville station has two main buildings. One is on Platform 1 (built in 1895). The other is on Platform 2 (built in 1911). There is also a booking office on Platform 2 (built in 1917). The station also has pedestrian steps and an overbridge on Illawarra Road.

The station has one platform on the south side and an island platform on the north. Passenger trains only use the south side of the island platform. The Metropolitan Goods Line runs on the north side for freight trains. The station buildings are very old and original. The booking office is at the western end of Platform 2. You can get to the station using stairs or lifts from the concourse. You can also walk directly onto Platform 2 from Station Street. Illawarra Road is a busy shopping street nearby.

Platform 1 Building (1895)

The building on Platform 1 is made of colorful bricks. It has a gabled roof and a roof that sticks out (awning). This awning is covered with corrugated metal. The outside of the building was fixed up in 2016 to look like it did originally. Inside, it has rooms like a ticket office, waiting rooms, and toilets. The ticket office is not used anymore. This is because paper tickets are no longer used on Sydney Trains. All other rooms, except the toilets, are locked to the public.

Platform 2 Building (1911)

The building on Platform 2 is made of bricks. It has a gabled roof and an awning that is part of the roof. Inside, it has a general waiting room, a ladies' room, ladies' toilets, a store, and men's toilets. Like the Platform 1 building, its outside was also fixed during the 2016 upgrades. This whole building is now closed to the public. It is mostly used for storage.

Booking Office (1917)

The first booking office was built in 1895. It was made of timber and was above the tracks. This old office was taken down. The current booking office on Platform 2 was built in 1917–18. It is a simple, rectangular building made of weatherboard (timber planks). It has a gable roof made of corrugated steel. This roof extends out to form an awning over the platform. This building is also currently used as a storeroom.

Station Platforms

Platform 1 has an asphalt surface. It has its original brick front and edge. The northern side of this platform is not used and is fenced off. It also has a brick edge. Platform 2 has its original brick front but a concrete edge. Both platforms are about 160 meters long. This is long enough for an 8-carriage train. Both platforms are slightly curved. They have LCD screens that show when the next trains are coming. There are also automated announcements. The eastern end of the platforms does not have screens because there is no shelter there. Platform 1 has two small waiting shelters in the middle. These help passengers spread out when it is raining. All the main station buildings are at the western end of the platforms.

Overbridge (1911)

The overbridge is made of steel beams and a concrete slab. It is supported by brick piers in the middle and brick walls on the sides. The original stairs from the overbridge to Platform 1 had steel sides. They had new concrete steps and a new steel railing. Later stairs on the south side were made of steel. They had precast concrete steps. Both of these stairs were removed. They were replaced by the new concourse during the 2016 upgrades.

Why Marrickville Station is a Heritage Site

Marrickville railway station is important because it is on the Sydenham to Bankstown Line. This line was built to help reduce train traffic on the Main South Line. It also helped new suburbs grow and farming develop in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The main platform building is still very much like it was. It shows how railway building designs changed from the 1880s to the 1890s. The booking office on Platform 2 shows how the station grew in the early 1900s.

Marrickville Railway Station is important at a state level. Its platform building shows the beautiful design of buildings made before 1900. These designs included colorful brickwork, fancy patterns, and decorated roof supports. The platform building is still complete. It is like a few other fancy platform buildings on the Bankstown Line, such as Canterbury and Belmore. The platform building on Platform 2 looks simpler. It shows the standard designs of the 1910s and 1920s.

The weatherboard booking office is also important because it is still complete. It is unusual because it is one of the few booking offices located on a platform. You can only get to it from the street, not from a footbridge or overbridge. However, the building itself is a standard design.

Marrickville railway station was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. It met the following important reasons:

• It shows how cultural or natural history happened in New South Wales.
• It shows beautiful design or great technical skill in New South Wales.
• It has a strong connection with a community or group in New South Wales.
• It can help us learn more about the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
• It has rare or special parts of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
• It shows the main features of a type of cultural or natural place in New South Wales.

Track Layout

Track layout