Owned by RailCorp Structure type Ground Opened 1880 Platforms in use 2 | Operated by NSW TrainLink Disabled access Yes Owner RailCorp Station code WCK | |
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Location Werris Creek Road, Werris Creek Distance 410.70 kilometres from Central Line(s) Main Northern; Mungindi; Binnaway – Werris Creek Similar Moree railway station, Willow Tree railway st, Gunnedah railway station, Tamworth railway station - N, Quirindi railway station | ||
Werris Creek railway station is located at the junction of the Main Northern, Mungindi and Binnaway – Werris Creek lines in New South Wales, Australia. It serves the town of Werris Creek, opening in 1880.
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History
The present Werris Creek station opened in 1880, replacing a temporary station opened when the Main Northern line was extended from Quirindi to West Tamworth in October 1878. The late 1880s built, heritage listed station building, was designed by John Whitton and is the third largest in the state.
Werris Creek is a major junction, with the Main Northern, Mungindi and Binnaway lines all intersecting in the region. It was the first, and remains the last, railway town in New South Wales. In 1913, a locomotive depot opened with a roundhouse built in 1920.
For approximately 70 years Werris Creek was the largest railway centre in Northern New South Wales, the depot alone employing 800.
In 1896 a locomotive shed formerly in use in Gunnedah was erected opposite the station. In 1917, a 10 stall roundhouse was erected one kilometre south of the station, with a further five stalls added in 1920. In November 1954, the 23 metre turntable was replaced by a 32-metre example to allow 60 class locomotives to be turned.
From the 1970s, the railway began to decline, but it still remains an important part of the network, with Pacific National still using the depot.
Monument & Museum
On 1 October 2005, the Australian Railway Monument was opened near the station and part of the station building has been opened as the Werris Creek Rail Journeys Museum. A historic display depicts the history of Werris Creek as the first railway town in Australia from the age of steam through to the modern day diesel.
The Australian Railway Monument commemorates railway men and women who have lost their lives in railway accidents since 1850. The landscaped monument area features six large sculptures of railway workers, an amphitheatre for public concerts and over 2,400 names on walls of remembrance.
Services
Werris Creek is served by NSW TrainLink's daily Northern Tablelands Xplorer service. The service from Sydney divides south of the station before continuing to Armidale and Moree.