Homebush railway station is a heritage-listed suburban railway station located on the Main Suburban line, serving the Sydney suburb of Homebush. It was designed and built by the New South Wales Government Railways and opened on 26 September 1855. The property was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
The station is served by Sydney Trains T2 Leppington & Inner West and T3 Liverpool & Inner West Line services.
History
The Main Western line to Parramatta, via Granville station was originally completed in 1855. The line opened on 26 September 1855 and was double track from Sydney Central to Newtown station and then single track to Parramatta (but duplicated in 1856). The line was built as a direct connection to Parramatta and, subsequently, for the purpose of connecting Sydney with the major rural railways that were constructed across the Blue Mountains to Bathurst and across the Southern Highlands to Goulburn via Liverpool. There were few stops along the line between Sydney and Parramatta and it was not the original intention of the line to serve suburban development. Changes to the line were more often related to the line's long distance purpose than to the communities along it. In 1858, Homebush was the location of an accident involving NSW Railway's Locomotive No. 1, built by Robert Stephenson and Company, when the passenger train it was hauling left the rails and toppled down an embankment, killing two people.
In 1862 a new station building was erected on the southern side and in the 1870s stockyards were erected adjacent to the station (the stockyards serviced the Glebe Island NSW Government abattoirs). The stockyards were closed and replaced by Flemington stockyards in 1883. and its staff of gardeners disbanded.
Due to increased goods train traffic, two lines were built on the north side of the station in 1924 converting the side platform into an island. The footbridge was also extended over the new tracks and a two-storey office built abutting the footbridge on its western side. These changes resulted in the demolition of the 1880 station master's Residence. they were later rebuilt as a similar awning structure. Homebush Bay is no longer a suburb, with the majority of the area becoming the new suburb of Sydney Olympic Park in 2009 due to continuing confusion at Homebush station during major events.
Under the Rail Clearways Program, an additional platform (Platform 7) was built to the south, with tracks rearranged to create a turnback at platform 6. This turnback platform enabled all stations trains to be terminated clear of the running lines and create extra capacity between Homebush and Lidcombe station.
On 20 October 2013, a new timetable was introduced which saw Homebush become the terminus for local T2 Inner West & South line services to and from the city. Most trains continuing beyond Homebush did not stop at the station. As a result, the only way to travel west from Homebush was to travel one stop east to Strathfield to connect with trains continuing further west. Only a few weekday services connected with Flemington.
An accessibility upgrade, including lift access to the station, was announced in 2015.
In 2017, some local T2 Inner West & Leppington weekday trains were extended to Parramatta, finally allowing a connection to Flemington station.
After the Sydenham to Bankstown shutdown in 2024, T3 trains were rerouted local via Homebush, running at all time. This provided weekend local services west of Homebush for the first time.
Signalling
Rail traffic in the Homebush area has been controlled from the adjacent Strathfield signal box since 1983. From 1893 to 1928, a large mechanical signal box controlled traffic through Homebush. This building, situated to the south west of the station, opposite Homebush Public School, still stands. From 1928 to 1983, a pistol grip power box situated immediately to the west of platforms 1 and 2 was in use. It was damaged by fire and demolished, some time after its closure.
Services
Platforms
Homebush station is the western terminus of local Inner West services on the T2 Leppington & Inner West Line, which originate from the City Circle, terminate at Platform 6 and then return to the City Circle. Through-services proceed west from here towards Parramatta or , and east towards Central and the City Circle.
Platform 1 does not physically exist on the station's numbering system. However, behind the existing Platform 2 is the North Strathfield Junction goods line, which previously had a platform face when the goods line was double track. The platform is now fenced off from the goods line.