Dapto Railway Station, New South Wales
History
The railway from Clifton to North Kiama, opened in 1887, continued through the sparsely-settled rural district of Dapto. Although the station was built some distance south of the existing village centre (that area, now called Brownsville, was considered too swampy) the platform building was significantly larger than any other south of Wollongong – of a scale usually reserved for medium-sized country towns. The commercial centre of Dapto duly migrated south to be nearer the station.
The approach to the platform building from Station Street is via a circular driveway through Hartigan Park, planted with brush box and Canary Island date palm. (Today, the park also contains Korean and Vietnam war memorials.)
Entry is via a gabled entry porch flanked by small verandahs. The building is made of weatherboard, with a complex, gabled roof clad in corrugated steel. The building was renovated in the 1920s and again in 1970. The original toilet block was replaced with the current blond-brick structure in 1971.
Dapto served as the interchange point between diesel multiple units to Bomaderry and electric multiple units to Wollongong and Sydney from 1993 until the Kiama electrification in 2001. To accommodate the interchange, a new platform 1 was built on the western side of the station, and a new dock platform (3) was added to the northern end of the main platform, which was renumbered platform 2. Access between platforms 1 and 2 is via the Bong Bong Road level crossing on the southern end of the platforms. Additional minor upgrades were completed in 2013 and 2014.
In 2014, electronic ticketing in the form of the Opal smart card became available at the station.
In 2014, the railway station was featured in the first episode of an online animated series called Damo and Darren where the two main characters argue over a lighter.
Platforms and services
Dapto has two side platforms and one dock platform. It is serviced by NSW TrainLink South Coast line services travelling between Sydney Central, Bondi Junction and Kiama.
Platform | Line | Stopping pattern | Notes |
1 | services to Kiama, Sydney Central & Bondi Junction | ||
---|---|---|---|
2 | services to Kiama, Sydney Central & Bondi Junction | ||
3 | terminating services to & from Sydney Central & Bondi Junction | dock platform |
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Southbound view from platform 1
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Station as viewed from Bong Bong Road railway crossing
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Interchange facilities
Transport links
Premier Illawarra operates five bus routes via Dapto station, under contract to Transport for NSW:
- 31: Wollongong to Horsley
- 33: to Wollongong
- 37: Wollongong Beach to Wollongong station via Oak Flats & Shellharbour anti-clockwise loop
- 41: to University of Wollongong
- 57: Wollongong station to Wollongong Beach via Shellharbour & Oak Flats clockwise loop
Dapto is also served by one NSW TrainLink coach service between Wollongong and Bundanoon.
References
- ^ Asset Standards Authority (30 April 2015). "Train Operating Conditions (TOC) Manual – Track Diagrams (version 3.0)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ Bozier, Rolfe. "NSWrail.net: Dapto Station".
- ^ Bureau of Transport Statistics (November 2012). Compendium of Sydney Rail Travel Statistics, 8th Edition.
- ^ This figure is the number of entries and exits of a year combined averaged to a day.
- ^ "Train Station Monthly Usage". Open Data. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ Office of Environment & Heritage (29 May 2009). "Dapto railway station group".
- ^ City of Wollongong Library (29 June 2015). "Suburb profile: Dapto". Archived from the original on 17 December 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ "Dapto electrics spark timetable changes" Railway Digest February 1993
- ^ Opal card available on all Sydney trains by next Friday Sydney Morning Herald 20 March 2014
- ^ Australia's Beavis and Butthead: Damo and Darren "Sydney Morning Herald 5 April 2014
- ^ "South Coast line timetable". Transport for NSW.
- ^ "Premier Illawarra route 31". Transport for NSW.
- ^ "Premier Illawarra route 33". Transport for NSW.
- ^ "Premier Illawarra route 37". Transport for NSW.
- ^ "Premier Illawarra route 41". Transport for NSW.
- ^ "Premier Illawarra route 57". Transport for NSW.
- ^ "Southern Highlands line timetable". Transport for NSW.
External links
- Media related to Dapto railway station at Wikimedia Commons
- Dapto station details Transport for New South Wales