Hawkesbury River railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Northern and Central Coast–Newcastle lines in the town of Brooklyn in New South Wales, Australia. The station serves the town of Brooklyn and is located on the southern bank of the Hawkesbury River. It was designed and built by the Department of Railways New South Wales. It is also known as Hawkesbury River Railway Station group and Brooklyn Station. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
History
thumb|Brooklyn Railway Station in circa 1888
thumb|The station, .
thumb|Station entrance on Dangar Road
thumb|The footbridge and island platform
The Main Northern line between Sydney and Newcastle was constructed in two distinct stages and in the earliest years, was worked as two separate railway systems. The line between Sydney (actually the junction at Strathfield) and the Hawkesbury River was opened on 7 April 1887, with the terminus being on the southern bank of the Hawkesbury River. The line between Newcastle and the northern bank of the Hawkesbury River (near present-day Wondabyne) was opened in January 1888.
Whilst the main line terminated at Hawkesbury River, an arrangement of trackwork, sidings and platforms was provided on the causeway formed by reclaimed land on the eastern side of Long Island where the new Long Island tunnel had been constructed. The station was known as and the tracks terminated at a wharf at the edge of the waterway. The purpose of the arrangement was to allow transhipment between the railways and river ferries, thus allowing passengers to cross the waterway, to another wharf on the northern side of the river, while the Hawkesbury River Bridge was under construction.
At Hawkesbury River, the signal box at the Hornsby-end of the station building was closed at the time of the upgrading, with all signals being controlled by a control centre at Hornsby.
River Wharf railway station
Associated with the Hawkesbury River railway station is the now defunct River Wharf railway station. This was located on the eastern end of Long Island, across the causeway linking Long Island with the mainland. This inconvenience was alleviated somewhat when the Woy Woy Tunnel was opened and the line extended south to a dead end named Mullet Creek, that was in the general vicinity of the present day Wondabyne station, in January 1889, as this meant the General Gordon only had to cross the Hawkesbury River and travel up Mullet Creek a few kilometres.
Platforms and services
Hawkesbury River has one island platform with two sides. It is serviced by Sydney Trains Central Coast & Newcastle Line services travelling from Sydney to Newcastle.