Lost Railways: Redfern's Unfinished Platforms and Lines
Partially built platforms at Redfern station for the low-level up (toward Central) Southern Suburbs line to Mascot that was never built. Immediately to the left is the (surface level) stub tunnel for the down Southern Suburbs track. This short tunnel exits on the northern side of Lawson Street road bridge. There are at least nine railway tunnels under the suburb of Redfern: some in use, some never used.Construction of new platforms at Redfern Station for the Eastern Suburbs Railway Line on the eastern side of the existing railway lines commenced in 1947. The surface level down platform (away from Central) was designed to be on the same level as platform 10 and the 'up' line platform below it on the same level as platform 11. These are visible through a small gap in the wall opposite Platform 11, as well as by a boarded up entry portal under the Lawson Street Bridge (which was to be the down track).
A now filled-in dive tunnel under the Wells Street Sectioning Hut on the Central side of Lawson Street was to have carried the up track. The area in which the platforms were to be situated is also visible from the station concourse at the entrance to Platform 10. Construction work continued on and off until 1952 when funds ran out and the project was shelved. At that time, the stations were excavated by open cut methods and the steel frame structures of the ground level stations were erected. When work ceased in 1952, the steel was left exposed; by 1967 when work was set to re-commence, these steel structures had corroded badly. Major remedial work was required but these platforms were never completed.
In 1976 new work for the line was commissioned that required the integration of the Eastern Suburbs Line with the existing Illawarra Line, construction of a second track from Central to Erskineville, underground platforms at Redfern Station and a turnback tunnel (for trains coming from the Illawarra Line) at Martin Place. As with Central station, it was proposed that four new platforms would be built at Redfern, two for the Eastern Suburbs Line and two for the future Southern Suburbs Railway to Maroubra. Two below-ground platforms were completed and are now Platforms 11 and 12. The two platforms for the Southern Suburbs line above Platforms 11 and 12 were only partly constructed. The entry area to the platforms was completed (below) but does not lead anywhere.
