Bathurst railway station, New South Wales

Bathurst Railway Station is a regional railway station on Main Western Line. It serves the city of Bathurst and its surrounding area in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The station is served by CountryLink trains for its Western Region, and is also the most westerly point of the ticketed CityRail network, being served by a regional bus route that connects to CityRail's Blue Mountains Line.

History

The "Great Western Railway" (now the Main Western Line) was opened as far as Bathurst on April 4, 1876 by the then Governor of New South Wales, Sir Hercules Robinson. Tenders for the Railway Station buildings were called in 1875, and the Victorian Tudor style building in Keppel Street opened on the day the railway line arrived. [ [http://www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au/about/1754/1757.html "About Bathurst Region:Buildings"] , "Bathurst Regional Council". Accessed 7 November 2006.] Gas lighting was installed to the station and the adjoining Station Master's residence (circa 1880) in 1882.Dickinson, Anny, [http://www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au/files/14185/File/milltownwalk.PDF "Historic Milltown Walking Tour"] , "Bathurst Regional Council". Accessed 7 November 2006.]

During the 1880s the Railway Commission in New South Wales built workshops on the land adjoining the station. This started a large railway workers' community and a Rail Institute, which made many jobs available and drew thousands of workers to Bathurst. In the early years of the 20th century, Ben Chifley, later Prime Minister of Australia, attended night school and extension classes there. Union meetings Chifley attended at the Institute helped to shape his Labour convictions.

tation Configuration

The station has two tracks, but only one operating platform. CountryLink trains stop on the same track at Bathurst station, which is the closest to the station entrance. Another now disused platform, sits on the other side of the tracks, connected by an underground subway which is not open to the public.

The station is wheelchair accessible, and also has an indoor waiting room and a CountryLink Travel Centre, which is open weekdays from 8am to 5pm. There are seats on the platform, and at the front of the station opposite the bus bay. The station has a small parking area with about twenty parking spaces, and a taxi rank.

Platforms/Service

Train Services

The station is usually only serviced by CountryLink trains. CountryLink's Dubbo XPT stops daily at Bathurst, heading to Dubbo in the morning, and to Sydney in the late afternoon. The Dubbo XPT travels from Sydney to Dubbo via Katoomba, Lithgow, Orange and stations in between. The Broken Hill Explorer stops at Bathurst weekly, on Monday morning when travelling to Broken Hill and Tuesday evening when travelling to Sydney. [Rail Corporation New South Wales, [http://www.countrylink.info/timetables "CountryLink Timetables"] . Accessed 31 October, 2006.] The Indian Pacific train services the station twice a week - heading to Adelaide on Sundays and Thursdays, and heading to Sydney on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Platform 1
*CountryLink Western - country services to Dubbo (1 per day) and Broken Hill (1 per week); country services to Sydney (1 per day).
*Great Southern Railway - the Indian Pacific service to Perth via Broken Hill, Adelaide, and Kalgoorlie (2 per week); the Indian Pacific service to Sydney (2 per week).

Bus Services

CountryLink bus services run daily between Lithgow and Bathurst, to provide a reliable link for the lack of rail services. There are six bus services on weekdays, three bus services on Saturdays and two bus services on Sundays in both directions. Most of these bus services connect with CityRail's intercity rail services to Sydney on the Blue Mountains line. [Rail Corporation New South Wales, [http://www.cityrail.info/timetable/ttable.jsp?line=bt&day=wd&dir=up "CityRail: Lithgow to Bathurst Timetables"] . Accessed 31 October, 2006.] CountryLink buses pick up and set down in a marked bus bay outside Bathurst station.

A place must be booked on CountryLink bus services, at the cost of a CityRail fare. Tickets can be purchased from CityRail stations. Some bus services also stop at Wallerawang, Mount Lambie, Meadow Flats, Yetholme, Raglan and Kelso. Some of these bus services require notification that a passenger needs to stop between Lithgow and Bathurst, or it will not stop.

References

ee also

*Bathurst, New South Wales

External links

* [http://www.nswrail.net/locations/show.php?name=NSW:Bathurst New South Wales Railways: Bathurst Station]