1846 |
May: meeting called by Sydney merchant F.W. Unwin to form the Great
Southern and Western Railway Company, to build a railway from
Sydney to Goulburn and Windsor. |
| 1848 |
June: The Legislative Council agreed to assist with
grants of Crown Land along the routes |
| 1849 |
November: the Liverpool Provisional Tram and Railway
Committee formed to support the Sydney Railway Committee. They favoured
a western line from Parramatta to Windsor and Bathurst, and a southern
line to Liverpool, Campbelltown and Camden. |
| 1850 |
First sod turned for the railway to Parramatta on
3rd July in the Cleveland Paddock, close to Central Station. Construction
undertaken by the Sydney Railway Company. |
| 1855 |
Railway opened to Parramatta Junction (Granville)
on 26th September. It was 16 miles (27 km) long. Initially the railway
was unpopular because the price of fares was high and services were
slow. However, it had a significant impact on Parramatta's development
because it opened up the southern end of town to increased economic
possibilities. As a result, Church Street took on a greater importance
and today is still considered to be Parramatta's main street. |
| 1856 |
1st September: line from Granville to Liverpool opened.
400 passengers on first trip. Fairfield station is the only stop
along the route. |
| 1858 |
May 4th: railway to Campbelltown opened.
July 10th: first railway accident in Australia, at Haslem's Creek
October: The Hon. Charles Cowper turned the first sod for the extension
to Blacktown, near present Parramatta station |
| 1859 |
Station opened at Haslem's Creek |
| 1860 |
First trains run to Blacktown |
| 1862 |
Rooty Hill station opened |
| 1863 |
Western line to Penrith completed
Seven Hills station completed
Zig zag and viaduct at Lapstone begun |
| 1864 |
November 29th: Governor Sir John Young officially
opens the line to Richmond. |
| 1865 |
Knapsack viaduct and Lapstone Zig zag completed |
| 1867 |
June 17th: First train to the Blue Mountains: headed
for Wentworth Falls |
| 1868 |
February 7th: HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh,
makes a rail excursion to The Weatherboard Falls (Wentworth Falls)
May: the western railway reaches Mount Victoria |
| 1869 |
Railway opened through to Goulburn from Liverpool
September: Glenfield and Ingleburn stations opened
October 18th: first trains descend the western escarpment via the
Great Zig Zag, finishing at Bowenfels |
| 1870 |
Racecourse Station (Clarendon) opened |
| 1871 |
Schofield's siding completed |
| 1872 |
Douglas' Siding (Quaker's Hill) platform opened |
| 1874 |
May: Campbellfields (Minto) station opened |
| 1875 |
May: Campbelltown residents petition NSW Parliament
against the sale of alcohol in railway refreshment rooms |
| 1876 |
April 13th: Guildford station opened
October 21st: goods siding at Auburn authorised
Western line reaches Bathurst |
| 1877 |
Auburn station completed |
| 1878 |
July 6th: Merrylands station opened |
| 1880 |
Toongabbie platform opened |
| 1881 |
Mount Druitt station opened |
| 1882 |
10th March, Campbelltown to Camden railway opened |
| 1883 |
March: Westmead station opened T.R. Smith's platform
(Wentworthville) opened |
| 1885 |
Harris Park station opened
August 1st: T.R. Smith's platform renamed Wentworthville |
| 1892 |
July 5th: Clyde Railway Workshops commenced operations
A new line is opened bypassing the Lapstone zig-zag. |
| 1896 |
April 16th: line to Carlingford opened |
| 1897 |
May 26th: branch line to Rookwood completed |
| 1901 |
1st August: Railway Commissioners purchase the Carlingford
branch. |
| 1910 |
The new western line, bypassing the Great Zig Zag,
is opened |
| 1911 |
Branch to State Brickworks opened. |
| 1912 |
November 11th: first passenger service from Rookwood
(Lidcombe) to Regents Park |
| 1913 |
May: The Glenbrook deviation, bypassing the Knapsack
Gully viaduct, opened |
| 1914 |
Wooden platforms removed from Parramatta Park station |
| 1916 |
Enfield Goods line opened |
| 1917 |
Branch line constructed into the Military Camp, built
by detainees at the German Concentration Camp, Holsworthy. |
| 1922 |
Marayong station opened |
| 1923 |
January 28th: Railway from Parramatta to Castle Hill
opened (converted from tramway) |
| 1924 |
"Bond's Platform" (Pendle Hill) opened,
and named after Pendleton, Lancashire
February 6th: new station opened at Berala
October 19th: Lidcombe to Cabramatta line opened, with platforms
at Villawood and Carramar.
November 24th: Castle Hill railway extended to Rogan's Hill |
| 1925 |
26th October: a siding was opened for Sydney & Suburban
Quarries Ltd. from Fairfield to Prospect, serving the Widemere Quarry. |
| 1926 |
November 8th: rail extension from Richmond to Kurrajong
opened. |
| 1927 |
November 6th: Yennora station opened |
| 1928 |
Electrification of the Sydney to Parramatta link.
October: Flemington Car Sidings opened
January 28th: Parramatta to Rogan's Hill (Castle Hill) railway closed. |
| 1935 |
July 17th: Vineyard station opened |
| 1939 |
July 2nd: East Richmond station opened |
| 1948 |
Clyburn station (private platform) opened
April 3rd: last funeral train to Rookwood |
| 1952 |
May 7th: railway accident at Berala
June 26th: Richmond to Kurrajong line closed |
| 1955 |
Electrification of the western line to Blacktown |
| 1957 |
Electrification of the western line to Penrith |
| 1963 |
1st January: Camden line closed |
| 1968 |
May 4th: official opening of electrified line to Campbelltown |
| 1975 |
May 22nd: Electrification of the line from Blacktown
to Riverstone opened |
| 1977 |
January 18th: Granville train disaster |
| 1985 |
July: Macarthur station opened |
| 1987 |
East Hills to Glenfield rail link completed |
| 1991 |
August 17th: Electrification from Riverstone to Richmond
opened |
| 1990s |
The Y-Link rail line between Merrylands and Harris
Park opened, allowing direct train travel between the western and
southern lines. |
| 2000 |
Rail loop to Olympic Games site opens |