East Maitland railway station

East Maitland is a railway station in Maitland, New South Wales, Australia. It is part of CityRail's outer suburban network, on the Hunter Line. It is the fourth site of the station known as East Maitland. The first site, a temporary terminus while the bridge over Wallis Creek was being built was about where Victoria St Station is now. The second was directly north of William Street East Maitland and between the East Maitland Courthouse and Post office (which was on the then corner of William and Day Streets East Maitland). (William Street, named after William IV and originally leading from the Anglican Church of St Peters East Maitland on Stockade Hill to the East Maitland Courthouse was planned to be the main street of East Maitland as can be seen by its unusual width).

The third site was opened originally as Morpeth Junction when the short branch to Morpeth was opened in 1866 and was about 400 metres west from the present site of East Maitland . The second station was closed in 1873 and became the goods yard and Morpeth Junction was then renamed East Maitland. The former station (i.e. the second East Maitland) became the goods yard.

The fourth site was opened when the railway was rebuilt in 1916 to four tracks with two additional tracks -known as the coal roads - were built on the south side of the existing tracks which became known as the main line. At that time the Morpeth line was realigned to allow trains to proceed directly from Newcastle instead of from Maitland. the new site of East Maitland became the junction and the third East Maitland then became the goods siding. For many years after 1916 there were five tracks from the goods siding to just east of East Maitland station. The remains of this can be seen in the wider than now required overpass crossing Melbourne Street East Maitland and in the wider Pitnacree Road bridge over the railway line.

Today the station shows the former importance which included mail trains and other country services stopping at East Maitland Station up until 1955 with the disused Morpeth platform just to the north of the main line and with a former ticket and parcels office at the lower level of the station entry.

Platforms and services

The station is served by approximately one train per hour on weekday off-peak and weekends, with additional services in peak hours. Limited stop services and services to Dungog or Scone do not stop at East Maitland.

Neighbouring stations

References