(1979) Construction & Opening Of The Eastern Suburbs Railway Line

Stations
Central
Town Hall
Martins Place
Kings Cross
Edgecliff
Woollahra (Never Completed)
Bondi Junction
Stations Never Opened
Charing Cross
Frenchmans Road
Randwick
University
Kingsford
Bondi Beach

[@thunderbird1454]

I was there on opening day (and have a certificate to prove it !!!)...Saturday 23rd of June 1979. I thought these stations looked so modern, something out of the 70's Sci Fi movies.

[@RGC198]

I remember this well. I was living in Sydney back then and took quite a number of trips on this line. When they first opened, they had problems with the train noise in the new tunnels, though that was quickly fixed soon after the opening. I used to be able to even see the trains heading out along the Wooloomooloo Viaduct from my workplace. I also rode one of the test trains heading through underground Redfern, before that station opened.

[@jamesfrench7299]

According to the 1972 edition of Gregory's street directory, this line was shown going to Maroubra Junction in broken red.

[@OldAussieAds]

I feel like they missed an opportunity when building this line to extend to Bondi Beach, Bronte, Clovelly, Coogee and Maroubra. Or if not that, a bunch more suburbs (Waverley, East Gardens etc). Then it would have been a true Eastern Suburbs line. As it stands, there's only really two stations that are Eastern Suburbs - Edgecliff and Bondi Junction.

[@MsetFox]

they originally were going to extend it to Kingsford around 2019, they even bought the building for the stations but then cover struck and it didn't haven. they were originally going to put it to Bondi beach but they didn't because commuters didn't want a train station around such a famous beach plus there would be too many tourist and the station would dirty really quickly for example... rubbish bags or fish and chip papers etc..

[@OldAussieAds]

@@MsetFox Do those things happen at Cronulla Station? Genuine question... I haven't caught the train there in years.

[@somegameplayvids1720]

It was scrapped in 2001 by... Bob Carr and the Labor government. Labor... Famous for announcing and cancelling infrastructure projects!!! 👍

[@barryreilly212]

Wasn't finished thanks to Neville Wran and the Labor always half a job should have been completed properly no need for a light rail wasn't built like it should have been

[@regfries8279]

the story i heard is that the line was originally planned to terminate at bondi beach, but there was a massive protest against it by local residents. similarly, local protests killed woollahra station. the project feels unfinished, despite the triumphalism of this extremely interesting clip, but it's hard to see the ESR line extended further now that light rail services some of the missing bits.

[@chuckselvage3157]

We used to jump on the train at Jannali and go to the Cross to party...fun times in the 80s and 90s. It's all gone now Australia has become a nanny state.

[@yashkalra4951]

Thats why I wish I was born in the early 60s, I could've gone on the first S,K,C and V Set services as well as the Tangaras. I would've also gone on the first ESR, East Hills to Glenfield, Olympic Park, Airport Line, Epping to Chatswood and SWRL services too

[@murraykitson1436]

It is great to see such young people showing an interest in this subject! It is notable that older rolling stock is still used on this line ! In one instance , the seats were covered in charcoal coloured vinyl , which I found to be quite nostalgic !

[@OllieWasHere]

such an intresting video shocasing the start of the eastern suburbs line!

[@selwynlawton7939]

I bet the Woollahra and Bondi Beach residents now desparetly regret their decision to reject this vital city link railway.

[@jamesfrench7299]

With the traffic the way it is now, they are paying for their short term hysteria.

[@adammuggleton4107]

It’s a shame they painted over the coloured tiling. Hopefully they will remove the paint and restore each of the stations back to the original 70s design.

[@Asparay]

I think Edgecliff is the only station with the original colours? Those blue tiles are definitely still on display.

[@jamesfrench7299]

The bludgers always have to meddle.

[@griffinrails]

4:10 *shows darkest and most fuzzy image of a station sign that they could get*

[@MsetFox]

😅

[@DEATHSTARER]

Narrated by Peter Gwynne,who did a lot of voice over work as well as acting. His most noted acting role was in Return To Eden.

[@Bigman11x3]

Very informative, thanks for sharing.

[@jswatts1967]

I love the complete lack of accessibility back in 1979. "Stairs and escalators" were all that was required back then...

[@matthewlyonsakadeathtodogs5730]

Now i know more about the city stations of my childhood when had visited with mom and dad since 1987.

[@TrainsForNSWVlogs]

In Australia its mum not mom

[@matthewlyonsakadeathtodogs5730]

@@TrainsForNSWVlogs Why would you just go pointing that out? speak no evil.

[@volgrenfanbus1294]

Very interested to see how they constructed

[@paulsz6194]

At 11:02 where he mentions above the Redfern train station will accomodate a 12 storey building, that a must be be building the Redfern Police station is at.

[@mkd69r]

Yep, the TNT towers were to be constructed then

[@daoutbox9884]

During day time you used to see sun light coming in from one of the panels on the city side platform. And you could see there was a shed left behind if you looked down from platform 10 what was that about. Was that where the high rise.

[@Woodland26]

Just noted the 2 cars set pictured. I know in the beginning ESR was shuttling from Bondi Junction to Central only before it connected to Cronulla trains. I am not sure Waterfall branch was even a thing at the time.

[@Woodland26]

Before ESR how did the Hurstville line run? Through city circle via museum, and then proceed to which line?

[@OldAussieAds]

I'm thinking this was the case. But would be great if someone could confirm.

[@bmbrunch4516]

I don’t think it went to museum, I think it terminated at Central through Redfern platform 9 and 10

[@raymondlowe7099]

They went to city circle via museum. There were approx 26 trains per hour (up from current 20 tph max) combined with East Hills line. All Bankstown Line trains went via Town Hall, ie. Outbound Bankstown line trains all departed Central from Platform 19.

[@Woodland26]

@@raymondlowe7099 Thanks! I remember the Bankstown circle. The Illawarra train once through the city circle where would they continue to?

[@raymondlowe7099]

Looks like trains from Liverpool via regents park and all from Bankstown (via strathfield and sydenham) to city went to city circle via Town Hall. So they would have formed the East Hills and Illawarra line services.

[@nmuzza1]

Wonder if they would ever build the missing Wollarah station now?

[@alex1520]

"space age signaling equipment" - lol

[@fanboy4454]

What are the songs in this video

[@alex1520]

Probably a selection from "1970's Top Elevator Music Hits"

[@joe8807]

At 15:11 what is that sign for on the left “Private something…?”

[@mkd69r]

Private Book Studio

[@redbrick146]

I rode this route, and under this route, futuristic looks this railway route with these traction "arches", unfortunately I rode in the evening, so from the perspective of the train I did not see much.

[@murraykitson1436]

What a pity that the Sydney Metro Skybridge at Rouse Hill did not have similar overhead arches, instead of the ad-hoc looking exposed wiring running up the framework on some of the stanchions-very utilitarian!

[@redbrick146]

@@murraykitson1436 You know what's the worst? That the whole charm of this line was broken when they installed unnecessary orange plates at the stops, despite the fact that the inscriptions about the name of the stop were visible like an ox.

[@electro_sykes]

was there asbestos used in construction

[@OldAussieAds]

EDGECLIFF, EDGECLIFF, EDGECLIFF. Are we sure they made it obvious enough what station you were at on this line?

[@jimpikoulis6726]

It will be a nightmare to replace the timber sleepers that's inbedded in concrete... FINISH THE LINE

[@lundsweden]

6:15 What on Earth would you buy at a shop called Sea Witch? 😅

[@RangaTurk]

Melbourne had it's City Loop Railway and Brisbane gained the electrification of it's suburban rail network but this was the definitive public transport infrastructure project during the Australian Post World War Two boom era of 1947-1983.

[@andyrob3259]

Actually it demonstrated how not to do one. Snobs protesting a station in their backyard that the Premier caved into and stopped building mid stream and also cut back the line from its original destination. Like building the snowy tunnels but deciding not to build the dams.

[@jamesfrench7299]

Such people stopped some vital freeway projects to the north.

[@RangaTurk]

@@jamesfrench7299 That's right James the freeway from the end of the Gore Hill Expressway to Wahroonga in the north via the Lane Cove River valley. This was the form of a complete North Shore bypass. But there was the environmental issue with the bushland that stood in the way which had to be taken into consideration. So they did the tunnel instead and only solved the traffic problems for the western suburbs, Southern Highlands and Blue Mountains residents who wanted to travel north.

[@jamesfrench7299]

It's stupid how you have to meander through the Pacific Highway to get to Sydney from the north.

[@RangaTurk]

@@jamesfrench7299 Too right they bypassed the Pacific Highway (Logan Road) completely with the South-East Freeway in Brisbane from the CBD into the countryside. That is the way to do it.

[@JsetYT]

0:01 what song is this I need the name

[@douglachman7330]

I worked on the ops side opening up the ESR. Did you know 225k cubic metres of concrete was poured? Excellent build for its time. Good work by the behind the scenes engineers that never get any credit. There are pumps that are under the flood level that work hard to keep the line open. Opening day was very crowded indeed to give the public a look see, taking a fair bit of patience and coordination by staff. Did you know a wedding group caused a stir amongst the crowded platform?

[@mickeydodds1]

1970s colour schemesl

[@makethisthemostsubbedchann1129]

0:32 wha?

[@sydneyandsurrounds435]

?

[@Thai_Brothers]

I’m pretty sure or not that the T4 terminated via the city loop?

[@AheadMatthewawsome]

Yep. There's a few in the early morning at around 6AM that use the City Circle as well!

[@marcelomay4561]

Pollution free, except for coal powered electric trains.

[@aspiewithattitude3213]

I felt that Sydney was a great city up until they won the right to host the 2000 Olympic Games.

[@mr.jamster8414]

lol

[@xr6lad]

@@randomfset how old are you. They always say ‘these are the best games ever’ for every games. It’s said so often it means nothing

[@jamesfrench7299]

It has lost its identity big time. It used to be wonderland.