Sunday 18 September 2011

The Eastern Suburbs railway

Governments the world over, across the political spectrum, have at least one massive project that they promise again and again, and yet never seem to deliver. When I was young, I remember our state government promising to build a train service from the city to Bondi Beach.

Plans had first been drawn up by Dr Bradfield when he designed the city subway and the Harbour Bridge. However, the Great Depression and World War II intervened. Plans were progressed further from 1947, but lapsed in the mid-'50s. It was not until 1979 that the line was actually opened. And not to Bondi Beach, but rather to Bondi Junction a few kilometers up the hill.

This shot was taken looking eastwards from the Rushcutters Bay pedestrian overpass, showing a train coming from Edgecliff station and heading for Kings Cross station.

13 comments:

Kay L. Davies said...

Are young people allowed to take their surfboards on the train?
— K

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

Julie said...

Yep, they are allowed surfboards and bikes. And prams are allowed. And guide-dogs.

Kevin said...

It's quicker than the bus and well patronised. I think it's a pity the line didn't continue to Bondi Beach.

Jim said...

Great shot of it. Not familiar with that pedestrian overpass.

Ann said...

Big, big mistake. They should have continued to the beach then back around to Kensington for the Uni. There's still only overcrowded buses to get to the Uni.

Julie said...

Ann - But that is where Clover wants to loop a tram: from Central to UNSW.

Jim - the overpass takes one across the opening to both the Kx tunnel and to the cross city tunnel. Show you this tomorrow. The subway drops down beneath both of these. Somehow.

Endless Waterfall said...

What was the reason for the line not going all the way to Bondi Beach?

Julie said...

DC: I think there were three reasos. Firstly, the extra cost. Secondly, it went through Liberal electorates and it was a Labor government. And finally, there was a lot of local resistance to that final section. Residents were not interested in making it easier for those troublesome westies to invade the pristine east!

diane b said...

I wondered how you got such an interesting angle. I've been on that train a few times and I think it goes out to Sutherland near where I grew up at the other end.

Julie said...

Yep, it sure does. It goes from BJ via Central to Sutherland where it splits and the LHS goes to Miranda whereas the straight ahead track goes down to Waterfall. It takes an hour from Edgecliff to Miranda. My father used to live at Miranda. One needs a cut-lunch to go there and back by train ...

Joan Elizabeth said...

The Parramatta to Chatswood link is the current version of the promise and not deliver ... that's why it didn't help win votes in the last election ... nobody believed them.

Stefan Jansson said...

We have several big transportation projects that have been on hold since forever. The one at Slussen (The Lock), in Stockholm is one of them.

Travel France Online said...

I really love this 1st photo, the balance is just right and it gives a feeling of infinity!