Maitland railway station

Maitland railway station is located on the Main Northern line in New South Wales, Australia. It serves the city of Maitland opening on in 1880 as West Maitland being renamed on 1 April 1949.[2] It is the junction station for the Main Northern and North Coast lines. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[3]

Maitland
Westbound from platform 4 in July 2014
LocationChurch Street, Maitland
Australia
Coordinates32°44′17″S 151°33′07″E
Owned byTransport Asset Holding Entity
Operated byNSW TrainLink
Line(s)Main Northern
North Coast
Distance192.55 kilometres from Central
Platforms5 (1 side, 2 island)
Tracks6
ConnectionsBus
Construction
Structure typeGround
Disabled accessYes
Other information
Station codeMTL
WebsiteTransport for NSW
History
Opened1880
Previous namesWest Maitland
Traffic
Passengers (2013)650 (daily)[1] (Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink)
Rank178
Services
Preceding station   NSW TrainLink   Following station
Telarah
towards Dungog
Hunter Line
Lochinvar
towards Scone
Dungog
towards Grafton, Casino or Brisbane
NSW TrainLink North Coast
Broadmeadow
towards Sydney
towards Moree or Armidale
NSW TrainLink North Western

History
Station in 1877
Station front in December 2010

The Great Northern Railway was built through Maitland in the 1850s and extended to Lochinvar in July 1860. Maitland was serviced by Victoria Street, East Maitland and High Street when it opened however it was not until 1880 that what is now Maitland's principal station opened as West Maitland.

Initially the station comprised only one platform, the present Platform 1. The station expanded with an island platform and footbridge constructed in 1914 followed in 1933 by another island platform.[4] In April 1949 in recognition of its position as Maitland's primary station it received its present name. A bay platform was located at the eastern end of Platform 1 for terminating services from Newcastle, it was removed in the 1990s.

The station is susceptible to floods. In the 1955 floods the signalbox was washed away with its replacement constructed on stilts. This closed on 27 October 1990 and has been leased to a model railway club.[5][6][7] The high water marks have been marked on the building on Platform 1. Flood gates have been installed at the northern end of the platforms. A new signal box opened opposite the station on 17 December 1990.[8]

A yard is located east of the station. It is mainly used to stable railway maintenance equipment, although each April is used as a depot for locomotives attending the Hunter Valley Steamfest.

Immediately east of the station the Main Northern and North Coast lines split, while about 500 metres west of the station the South Maitland Railways line to Pelton branches south.

On 27 July 2015 Maitland was the first station to receive a Regional Customer Support Centre covering the Central Coast, Hunter and North West areas of NSW.[9]

Platforms & services

Maitland has five platforms, although only four are used by passenger trains. It is serviced by NSW TrainLink Hunter Line services travelling from Newcastle to Muswellbrook, Scone, Telarah and Dungog.[10]

It is also serviced by NSW Trainlink Xplorer and XPT long-distance services from Sydney to Armidale, Moree, Grafton, Casino and Brisbane.[11][12]

Platform Line Stopping pattern Notes
1 services to Newcastle, Telarah & Dungog [10]
services to Sydney Central[12]
2 services to Dungog & Telarah [10]
services to Grafton, Casino & Brisbane[12]
3 services to Newcastle
terminating services to & from Newcastle		 [10]
services to Sydney Central[11]
4 services to Muswellbrook & Scone [10]
services to Armidale/Moree[11]
5 not in regular passenger service, Hunter Valley Coal Chain trains pass through

Events

Each April, Maitland station is the focal point for the Hunter Valley Steamfest, an event that has been held annually since 1986.[13]

Hunter Valley Buses operates seven routes via Maitland station:

Rover Coaches operates two routes via Maitland station:

Sid Fogg's operates one route via Maitland station:

Description

The station complex includes two brick station buildings, the platform 1 building completed in 1880 of type 5 first-class design, and the platform 2/3 building completed in 1914 of type 11 initial island/side building design. The signal box is of elevated timber on a steel frame and was completed in 1956, and the booking office, on the street facing Railway Prade, was completed in 1948. There is also a pedestrian overbridge connecting the road to the platforms.[3]

Heritage listing

The Maitland station group is of high significance both as a complete unit, and for its individual elements. The various buildings date from the earliest surviving on the north line through to the 1950s forming a harmonious group with an important civic contribution particularly from the booking office and first class station building. The site is of additional interest with the relationship of the first class building to the alignment of platform 1 and the extended awning down to the realigned and lowered line which is unique in the railway system. The main station building is of high significance and is a very important building in Maitland and in the State particularly with its adaptive awning structure. The other buildings at the station including the signal box are significant and indicate the importance of the location as a commercial centre and junction station, particularly with the adjacent Maitland colliery system which linked with the main line nearby to the west. The number of platforms also indicate the importance of the site for changing trains and as a centre of commerce and the furthest link of the Newcastle commuter rail system.[3]

gollark: Well, in my headcanon, the system was never designed to be "magic" but is a relic from a more advanced civilisation which can self-repair a decent amount.
gollark: Oh wait, you can, have the system also have a bunch of robotic lifeforms tied into it but make them weird lifeishly and call them "elementals".
gollark: I don't think you can give this system many powers unless you just handwave it as magic nanobots or something.
gollark: For the other things, I mean.
gollark: Some trees contain power distribution for them.

References
  1. Bureau of Transport Statistics. "Train Statistics 2014" (PDF). Transport NSW. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  2. Maitland Station NSWrail.net
  3. "Maitland Railway Station and yard group". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage. H01185. Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  4. Maitland Railway Precinct NSW Environment & Heritage
  5. "Signalling & Safeworking" Railway Digest January 1991 page 24
  6. New Lease of Life for Maitland Heritage Signal Box Australian Rail Track Corporation 23 July 2013
  7. "New lease of life for Maitand heritage signal box" Railway Digest September 2013 page 55
  8. "Maitland box opened" Railway Digest February 1991 page 39
  9. New NSW Trainlink Centre keeps an eye on the time and customer safety Transport for NSW 27 July 2015
  10. "Hunter line timetable". Transport for NSW.
  11. "North West timetable". NSW Trainlink. 7 September 2019.
  12. "North Coast timetable". NSW Trainlink. 7 September 2019.
  13. Home Hunter Valley Steamfest
  14. "Hunter Valley Buses route 179". Transport for NSW.
  15. "Hunter Valley Buses route 180". Transport for NSW.
  16. "Hunter Valley Buses route 180X". Transport for NSW.
  17. "Hunter Valley Buses route 181". Transport for NSW.
  18. "Hunter Valley Buses route 182". Transport for NSW.
  19. "Hunter Valley Buses route 183". Transport for NSW.
  20. "Hunter Valley Buses route 185". Transport for NSW.
  21. "Hunter Valley Buses route 192". Transport for NSW.
  22. "Rover Coaches route 164". Transport for NSW.
  23. "Rover Coaches route 166". Transport for NSW.
  24. Express Coach Services timetables Sid Fogg's 18 February 2013
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