Berala railway station explained

Berala
Style:Sydney Trains
Address:Woodburn Road, Berala
Coordinates:-33.8719°N 151.0322°W
Distance:18.36 kilometres from Central
Line:Main Southern
Other:Bus
Structure:Elevated
Platform:2 (1 island)
Tracks:2
Opened:11 November 1912
Rebuilt:6 December 1924
Electrified:Yes
Accessible:Yes
Code:BEJ
Owned:Transport Asset Holding Entity
Operator:Sydney Trains
Status:
  • Weekdays:

Staffed: 6am-7pm

  • Weekends and public holidays:

Unstaffed

Passengers:
  • 895,480 (year)
  • 2,453 (daily)[1]
Pass Year:2023[2]
Pass System:Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink
Web:Transport for NSW

Berala railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Southern line, serving the Sydney suburb of Berala. It is served by Sydney Trains T3 Bankstown line services.

History

The original Berala station opened on 11 November 1912 when a line opened from Lidcombe to Regents Park. When it was decided to extend the line from Regents Park to Cabramatta as a branch of the Main South line, a deviation was built and a new Berala station opened on 6 December 1924.[3] [4] The NSW Government originally proposed the current alignment of the railway be without rail bridges over Vaughan St and Kerrs Road prompting a Lidcomobe Council led community backlash in the early 1920s.[5]

An accessibility upgrade, including lift access to the station, was announced in 2015.[6] As of August 2017 Berala Station is now wheelchair accessible by way of lift.

In February 2018, during a Cumberland City Council meeting Councillor Kun Huang cited historical NSW Government land subdivision posters[7] outlining direct train services from Berala to Sydney (via Lidcombe) in the 1930s had a journey time of 22 minutes.[8]

The NSW Government changes to train services have generally lacked community support from Berala commuters, with resentment from the removal of direct services to City Circle and Liverpool via Regents Park in 2013 as well as opposition to the Sydney Metro Southwest project due to the removal of alternative route to City Circle via Bankstown and Sydenham.[9]

Platforms and services

Historically Berala was served by services from the City Circle and Lidcombe operating to Bankstown and Liverpool on an alternate basis. This changed in the early 2000s, when most services to Liverpool were altered to operate via Bankstown. Today Berala is served by T3 Bankstown line services terminating at Lidcombe. With the terminus of services to Museum changed to Homebush on 20 October 2013, Platform 1 operates two daily City services via Strathfield and otherwise operates Lidcombe services.

Transport links

Transdev NSW operates one bus route via Berala station, under contract to Transport for NSW:

Berala station is served by one NightRide route:

External links

Notes and References

  1. This figure is the number of entries and exits of a year combined averaged to a day.
  2. Web site: Train Station Monthly Usage . Open Data . 26 January 2024.
  3. Web site: Berala Station. 2023-01-10. www.nswrail.net.
  4. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20150402161940/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=4800211. 2 April 2015. Berala Railway Station Group. deviated. New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage . 4800211. 2009.
  5. Web site: Municipality of Lidcombe . Lidcombe Triennial Report 1920 to 1922 D . 6 September 2022 . Cumberland City Council.
  6. Web site: Budget delivers more accessible public transport. Transport for NSW. 23 June 2015. 24 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150624073003/http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/budget-delivers-more-accessible-public-transport. 24 June 2015. dead.
  7. Web site: Line . Restore Inner West . 2017-11-12 . Berala needs our trains back! The 1930s had better services! . 2022-09-06 . Restore Inner West Line . en-US.
  8. Web site: Archive Cumberland City Council Meetings Webcast . 2022-09-06 . webcast.cumberland.nsw.gov.au.
  9. Web site: NSW Department of Planning and Environment . September 2018 . SYDENHAM TO BANKSTOWN SUBMISSIONS REPORT . 6 September 2022 . NSW Planning Portal.