Maryfields railway station
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2024) |
Maryfields | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Maryfields Special arriving at the station in April 1939 | |||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | Campbelltown, New South Wales Australia | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°03′53″S 150°47′31″E / 34.0647°S 150.7919°E | ||||||||||
| Operated by | Department of Railways | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | Camden | ||||||||||
| Distance | 57.602 kilometres (35.792 mi) from Central | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 (1 side) | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 1 | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | Ground | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Status | Demolished | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 1883 | ||||||||||
| Closed | 1 January 1963 | ||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1937 | ||||||||||
| Electrified | No | ||||||||||
| Previous names | Rudds Gate (1883-1938) | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Maryfields railway station was a railway station on the Camden railway line, serving the area of Maryfields in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia.
History
[edit]Maryfields opened in 1883 as Rudds Gate before being renamed Maryfields in 1938, and was the last infill station on the Camden railway line, which had originally opened in 1882.[1]
Although originally opened as a small platform, the popularity of the station necessitated better facilities. In 1937 the Department of Railways reconstructed the station as a 150 m platform to accommodate large crowds.[2]
The station had at one point during its existence, enjoyed six return trips each day, but the growing popularity of personal vehicles, and the negative perceptions of the efficiency of the railway line led to the ceasing of services between Campbelltown and Camden on 1 January 1963, resulting in the closure of Maryfields. Only minor formations now remain at the station site.[3]
Maryfields Special
[edit]Throughout the entirety of the station's existence, Maryfields was serviced by a special Good Friday train that terminated at the station. This was due to an annual Via Crucis ceremony at the nearby Franciscan Brothers Monastery. [4] From the year of the opening, these services proved popular with 30,000 people in attendance in 1936. Police controlled traffic in and out of the station, with NRMA and St John Ambulance providing extra aid. The continued popularity of the Good Friday service ensure the continued popularity of the station as well.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ Maryfields railway station NSWrail.net, accessed 9 June 2024
- ^ a b 'Via Crucis' at Maryfields, Campbelltown City Library: The History Buff Blog, accessed 12 June 2024
- ^ Lost Railways: Camden Branch Line PocketOz, accessed 11 June 2024
- ^ "MARYFIELDS" PROPERTY AND THE BEGINNING OF THE WAY OF THE CROSS (1935), accessed 10 June 2024