Yass Junction railway station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yass Junction
Southbound view in May 2013
Location	Faulder Avenue, Yass
Coordinates	34°48′32″S 148°54′55″E / 34.8090°S 148.9154°E / -34.8090; 148.9154
Owned by	Transport Asset Holding Entity
Operated by	NSW TrainLink
Line(s)	Main South Yass Tramway
Distance	318.01 kilometres from Central
Platforms	2 side
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Other information
Station code	YAS
History
Opened	3 July 1876
Previous names	Yass
Services
Preceding station NSW TrainLink Following station Harden toward Griffith NSW TrainLink Southern Line Griffith Xplorer Gunning toward Sydney Harden toward Melbourne NSW TrainLink Southern Line Morning Melbourne XPT NSW TrainLink Southern Line Evening Melbourne XPT Goulburn toward Sydney
Former services Preceding station Former Services Following station Former NSW Main line services Bowning towards Albury Main Southern Line Coolalie towards Sydney

Yass Junction railway station is a historic train station in New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Main South line. The station serves the town of Yass. However, it is not in the town itself. It is about four kilometres away, close to the Hume Highway. This station is important because of its history. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999.

Why Yass Junction is Outside Town

Yass Junction station is not in the middle of Yass. This happened because of a decision by John Whitton. He was the chief engineer for the New South Wales Government Railways. He did not want to build the Main South line through the town.

Engineer's Decision

On December 8, 1871, Whitton visited Yass. He looked at different ways to extend the railway line from Goulburn. He said that bringing the station into North Yass would make the line longer. It would also cost a lot more money. He felt it was not a good idea from an engineering point of view.

Choosing the Route

Even with many people disagreeing, no suitable path through Yass was found. So, the current route was chosen. This route goes from Gunning to Bowning. It passes four kilometres north of Yass. The station opened on July 3, 1876. It was first called Yass.

The Yass Tramway

After a special law was passed, a tramway was built. This tramway connected Yass Town to the main railway station. It helped passengers get to the trains. Trams left from a small platform behind Platform 2. This was the platform for trains going south.

Tramway Opening and Changes

The tram line opened on April 20, 1892. On the same day, Yass station was renamed Yass Junction. This new name showed it was a place where different lines met. Later, on May 18, 1914, the railway line from Coolalie was made into two tracks. This helped more trains run at once.

Plans for Expansion

Around 1917, there were ideas to extend the tram line. People thought about connecting Yass to Canberra. This was part of a bigger plan to build a railway all the way to Jervis Bay. They even worked out a possible route for this extension.

Tramway Closure

Services on the Yass Tramway stopped on January 1, 1957. They started again on December 1, 1957. But they stopped for good on May 18, 1958. A private bus service then carried passengers between the two places. This bus service also stopped on May 18, 1967. The very last trips on the tram line were special steam train rides. These happened on October 29, 1988. The line officially closed on November 14, 1988. In 1990, the Yass Town station building was leased to a railway history group.

Train Services Today

Yass Junction is served by NSW TrainLink trains. Two XPT services run each day in both directions. These trains travel between Sydney and Melbourne. There is also a Xplorer train twice a week. This train runs between Griffith and Sydney. It splits from Canberra services at Goulburn.

Bus Connections

NSW TrainLink also runs a bus service. This bus goes from Queanbeyan to Cootamundra. It stops at Yass Junction station. For some evening trains to Melbourne, Yass Junction is a "request stop." This means the train only stops if passengers have booked to get on or off there.

Heritage Importance

Yass Junction is a very important historical site. It has the oldest station building still standing on the main southern railway line. Even though it has been changed, it shows how railways developed. It shows the change from a single track to two tracks. This needed a second platform and other buildings, like refreshment rooms.

Why it's Special

These buildings in a distant location show that the railway cared about the people of Yass. They wanted to make up for the town being bypassed by the railway. The site is important because of its group of buildings. This includes the signal box, a footbridge, the station buildings, and a house for staff.

Yass Junction railway station was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on April 2, 1999. It was recognized for being historically, architecturally, and socially rare.