History East Hills railway line

map of east hills line 1939 showing limit of electrification @ kingsgrove, , former station names dumbleton , herne bay.

proposals line east hills first raised after world war 1 extension of existing line @ bankstown. in 1923, railway department put forward proposal railway tempe salt pan creek serve growing town of dumbleton (later known beverly hills). residents west of salt pan creek petitioned government extend line east hills.

the new south wales public works committee approved of construction of railway tempe east hills in august 1924 , bill construction of line passed both houses of state parliament in late 1924. ceremony @ padstow park commemorating turning of first sod then-premier of new south wales jack lang held in september 1927.

the initial line double track between tempe , kingsgrove , single track beyond, although earthworks allow future easy duplication of entire route. electrification end @ kingsgrove. construction began in 1927 employment of 400 workers, , of earthworks completed in 1930. station names announced in november 1929. largely same used today exception of dumbleton (present-day beverly hills) , herne bay (present-day riverwood).

the first section kingsgrove opened on 21 september 1931 electrified double track line wolli creek junction on illawarra line kingsgrove.

the second section, single-track non-electrified extension east hills, opened on 19 december 1931 then-minister local government james mcgirr in ceremony @ east hills. points reverse trains provided @ kingsgrove, , passing loop provided @ herne bay. services on section cph railmotor, supplemented through steam trains central in peak hours. electric services kingsgrove operated through st james station (the city circle not complete @ time), terminated @ tempe, connecting illawarra line services , city. complete through service commenced in 1937. single line between kingsgrove , east hills opened electric services on 17 december 1939.

the line duplicated between kingsgrove , riverwood in 1948, points terminating trains provided @ both stations, , passing loop @ revesby opened in 1956. services ran stations east hills via tempe , sydenham, city circle. occasional services terminated @ riverwood, kingsgrove , padstow. trains stopped @ erskineville , st peters, served bankstown line.

a major link south west sydney

in 1985, line duplicated through east hills , on 21 december 1987 extended glenfield connect main south line, allowing through services , campbelltown. new station provided @ holsworthy, , east hills station rebuilt addition of third platform. when services commenced on 21 december 1987, there limited services campbelltown via east hills during peak hours only; however, in 1988 day half-hourly service provided. local (all stations) services ran every 15 minutes east hills.

in conjunction construction of airport line, section of east hills line between wolli creek junction , kingsgrove quadruplicated. once opened, running patterns of trains on lines changed. flying junctions interchange near central station altered give airport line own platforms (21 & 23) @ central. local (all stations) trains timetabled run east hills via airport, peak hour express trains campbelltown run along original route via sydenham, taking express tracks between kingsgrove , wolli creek junction.

the line whole suffered substantial loss in patronage when m5 east tunnel opened in 2002. tunnel joined eastern distributor , m5 south western motorway, shortening road travel times between city , south west. line estimated have lost 384,450 commuters on 12 months after tunnel opened. since time, however, line appears have gained commuters again, reported 3.5% increase in patronage 2006.

an additional platform , turn-back track completed @ revesby part of rail clearways program. october 2009 replaced east hills primary turn-back point local all-stations services on line.

a second rail clearways project involved quadruplicating section of track between kingsgrove , revesby. enables express services between campbelltown area , city operate separately local services between revesby , city. new tracks opened on 15 april 2013.