Parkes railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Parkes
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Westbound view in March 2009
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| Location | Welcome Street, Parkes, New South Wales Australia |
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| Coordinates | 33°08′32″S 148°10′24″E / 33.1421°S 148.1733°E | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Transport Asset Holding Entity | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operated by | NSW TrainLink | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Broken Hill | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance | 445.5 km (276.8 mi) from Sydney Central | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Structure type | Ground | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Station code | PKE | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 18 December 1893 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Official name | Parkes Railway Station group | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | State heritage (complex / group) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Designated | 2 April 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reference no. | 1220 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Railway Platform/ Station | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Category | Transport - Rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Parkes
Location in New South Wales
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Parkes railway station is a very old and important train station in Parkes, New South Wales. It's located on the Broken Hill railway line in May Street. The station first opened way back in 1893. It's also known as the Parkes Railway Station group because it includes many historic railway buildings. This whole area is special and is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register.
Contents
History of Parkes Station
Parkes railway station first opened its doors on 18 December 1893. From the very beginning, it was a busy place for trains.
Parkes: A Key Railway Town
Parkes is a super important spot for trains in New South Wales. It's where three different railway lines meet:
- The Broken Hill railway line
- The Stockinbingal–Parkes railway line
- The Parkes–Narromine railway line
These lines connect places like Cootamundra railway station and Werris Creek railway station. Because so many lines meet here, Parkes has always been a big railway town. It even has a special area where train engines are kept and looked after, called a locomotive depot.
In June 1999, a special "Y junction" was built west of the station. This clever track design means trains coming from Broken Hill can go straight to Cootamundra without needing to stop at the station first.
Train Services at Parkes
Parkes station is a stop for some interesting train services.
Current Train Services
- The Outback Xplorer: This train runs once a week. It travels between Sydney and Broken Hill.
- The Indian Pacific: This famous train, run by Journey Beyond, also passes through Parkes once a week. However, it doesn't stop at the station.
Road Coach Connections
NSW TrainLink also runs bus services from Parkes. These buses connect to places like Lithgow and Condobolin.
| Platform | Line | Stopping pattern | Notes |
| 1 |
Western Region
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services to Sydney Central & Broken Hill |
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Exploring Parkes Station Buildings
The Parkes railway complex has many different buildings and structures. They were built over many years and each has its own story.
Station Building and Platform
The main station building was finished in 1893. It's made of brick and has a classic look. It used to have a central waiting room, offices, and separate rooms for men and women. Over the years, it was changed and made bigger in 1926 and 1947. These changes were done carefully to match the original style. The brick platform was also built in 1893 and made longer around 1928.
Railway Refreshment Rooms
Around 1928, a new brick building was put up to serve as railway refreshment rooms. This is where passengers could get food and drinks. Before this, there were smaller, temporary places for refreshments. This building has a unique design, looking like two different parts joined together.
Signal Box
The signal box was built in 1944. It's a two-storey building made of fibro (a type of building material). From here, railway workers used to control the train signals and tracks. It's not used anymore for signals.
Footbridge
A steel footbridge was built in 1935. This bridge lets people walk safely over the railway tracks. It's special because it was the last bridge of its kind (a "riveted Warren truss" design) built for the NSW railway system.
Other Important Structures
The railway area also includes:
- A locomotive depot: This is where train engines are maintained.
- A goods shed: Used for storing goods transported by train.
- A shed for the old Silver City Comet train.
- A dock platform, a jib crane (a type of lifting machine), and a barracks building (where train crews could rest).
These buildings show how important Parkes was as a railway hub.
Changes Over Time
Many changes and additions happened at the Parkes railway site during the 20th century. For example:
- A rest house for train crews was built in 1912.
- A wheat silo was added in 1920.
- New railway refreshment rooms opened in 1928.
- A new, bigger footbridge was built in 1935.
- The locomotive depot and its facilities were made larger in 1944, including a bigger turntable for turning engines around.
- A new goods shed was built in 1964.
Why Parkes Station is Special
Parkes Railway Precinct is very important to the history of New South Wales. It shows how railways grew in the west of NSW in the late 1800s.
Historic Importance
The station building and other structures at Parkes tell the story of a busy railway hub from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a major junction where many train lines met, and it still plays a key role in the NSW railway network today.
Beautiful Design
The station building is a great example of late Victorian architecture. Even with changes over the years, it still looks like it did when it was first built. The refreshment room building from 1928 is also a good example of its kind. Together, these buildings with their large platform awnings look very impressive.
Unique Features
Parkes has some rare and special features:
- The roundhouse: This is a building for housing and repairing locomotives. It's one of only seven such structures left in New South Wales.
- The footbridge: This bridge is notable because it was the very last "riveted Warren truss" footbridge built for the NSW railway system.
These features make Parkes railway station a unique and important part of Australia's railway history.
