Edgecliff Station
Edgecliff StationEdgecliff railway station is an underground railway station in the inner-Sydney suburb of Edgecliff. The station is on the Eastern Suburbs line, one of the Sydney underground railways. The station was opened in 1979 upon the completion of the line.
LocationThe station is situated behind and below the Eastpoint shopping centre on New South Head Road at Ocean Street, Edgecliff. Access is via New South Head Road or from the bus-rail interchange above the concourse.
The station is not truly underground. The city end of the station is above ground level (but fully enclosed). The Bondi Junction end of the station is below ground. The entirety of the platforms are enclosed, however, with the concourse and bus interchange above it.
HistoryWhilst the Eastern Suburbs Railway was not originally intended to travel via Edgecliff, the first proposal for an Edgecliff Station was in 1947. In 1963 it was suggested that Edgecliff be the terminus of the first stage of the Railway but by 1967 it was decided Bondi Junction was a better terminus location.
The station and bus terminal opened on 23 June 1979.
Platforms/ServiceThe basic service is six trains per hour with additional trains at weekday peak hours. Four trains per hour operate at evenings and on weekends.
Platform 1
Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line - all stations and limited stops services to Hurstville, Mortdale, Sutherland, Cronulla, and Waterfall.
South Coast Line - peak hour intercity services to Wollongong, Thirroul and Port Kembla.
Platform 2
Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line - all stations services to Bondi Junction.
The Bus-Rail InterchangeUpon opening most bus services travelling past the station towards the city were curtailed to terminate at the station. Despite the 1976 review that caused the design of the bus-rail interchanges at Edgecliff and Bondi Junction to be scaled back, significant work was completed at Edgecliff to better facilitate these bus route changes: a tunnel had been dug under Ocean Street and Edgecliff Rd, around the Edgecliff Post Office to New South Head Road.
Edgecliff track layoutHowever, because the time savings of the train over the bus from Edgecliff were minimal, few passengers opted to utilise the interchange. In later bus timetable revisions all New South Head Road bus services continue to the city and do not use the interchange. In 2006 the interchange is very quiet, being utilised only by services to the city from Bondi Junction (and vice versa) plus those from the city to the Eastern Suburbs continuing east along New South Head Road.
Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s there have been a number of calls for the site of the interchange to be sold off and the facility closed. As yet nothing has come of this.
Rail Clearways Project UpgradeAlthough not directly mentioned in projects associated with the CityRail Clearways Project, work was taken out at Edgecliff as a part of the Bondi Junction Turnback project. This involved the motorisation and signalling of an emergency crossover located at the "Up" (city) end of Edgecliff Station. Previously it had not been possible to ordinarily terminate trains at Edgecliff. When completed in September 2004 it permitted trains to terminate at Edgecliff and return towards the city. This was necessary to allow the closing of Bondi Junction station while major work was carried out there but allowing the line to otherwise remain open.
Bus ServicesEdgecliff Interchange
Stand A:
200 - Bondi Junction services only
Stand B:
323 - Dover Heights via New South Head Road
324 - Watsons Bay via New South Head Road
325 - Watsons Bay via New South Head Road
Stand C:
Not currently in use - this stand is used only by busess during weekdays(Monday to Friday)PM peak hours only.
323 - Dover Heights via New South Head Road
Stand D:
326 - Bondi Junction via Victoria Road
327 - Bondi Junction
Stand E:
327 - Sydney Gresham Street via Darling Point, Kings Cross
Trackplan