Werris Creek railway station

Werris Creek
Platform 1 in October 2009
General information
Location	Werris Creek Road, Werris Creek
Coordinates	31°30′19″S 150°40′52″E
Owned by	RailCorp
Operated by	NSW TrainLink
Line(s)	Main Northern Mungindi
Distance	410.70 kilometres from Central
Platforms	2
Construction
Structure type	Ground
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	WCK
History
Opened	1880
Services
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Werris Creek railway station is located at the junction of the Main Northern and Mungindi lines in New South Wales, Australia. It serves the town of Werris Creek, opening in 1880.

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.

Platform	Line	Stopping pattern	Notes
1	North Western Region	Services to Sydney & Armidale
2	North Western Region	Services to Moree

External links

Media related to Werris Creek railway station at Wikimedia Commons