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Hobart railway station
Former railway station in Tasmania, Australia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The former Hobart railway station was once the largest railway station on the Tasmanian Government Railways (TGR) network, situated in the state capital of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Located on the Main Line, it provided passenger train services to Hobart's northern suburbs and featured weekday service trains for employees of Cadbury's Chocolate Factory and Risdon Zinc Works. The station also served as the central terminus for the Tasman Limited, a limited express service linking Hobart, Launceston and Wynyard, with numerous intermediate stops. In addition to its passenger services, the station served as the city's transport hub for freight operations, featuring a rail yard, multiple goods sheds, and a traction maintenance depot with a roundhouse.[1]
Hobart | |
---|---|
Closed commuter rail station | |
![]() The former Hobart railway station was redeveloped into headquarters for the ABC in the 1980s. | |
General information | |
Coordinates | 42°52′39.38″S 147°19′57.32″E |
Operated by | Tasmanian Government Railways |
Line(s) | Main Line |
Platforms | 4 |
Tracks | 10 |
Construction | |
Parking | None |
Bicycle facilities | None |
Other information | |
Status | Closed |
History | |
Opened | 1871 |
Closed | 4 October 1981 |
Built in 1871 by the Tasmanian Main Line Company (TML),[2] the station was significantly expanded in the early 1950s. Major upgrades included the addition of three 180-metre (600 ft) long concrete cantilevered canopies, four platforms, a large concourse, and various amenities such as shopping stalls and food vendors.[3]
By the mid-1970s, the station handled over 70 commuter trains daily. However, with a decline in passenger numbers due to the rise of motorcars and the transfer of operations to Australian National Railways, the station's significance waned. The last Tasman Limited passenger service departed on July 18, 1978.
The station was sold and redeveloped into the headquarters of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the mid-1980s. Sections of the track were removed to extend the Tasman Highway onto Davey Street and Macquarie Street.
On June 22, 2014, TasRail ended rail freight operations at the Hobart rail yard as part of a strategy to consolidate and enhance intermodal container freight services. All freight operations were redirected to a new $79 million hub in Brighton.
In 2024, the Tasmanian Heritage Council added a 115-metre (377 ft) rail shed, constructed in 1915 at Macquarie Point and known as the "Goods Shed," to the state's heritage register, recognising its significant role in Tasmanian rail history.[4]
Since the closure of the Tasmanian Government Railways, Hobart's public transport infrastructure has seen limited development, and a proposed light rail project (Riverline) has faced uncertainties due to political and financial challenges. Today, the redeveloped Hobart railway station site houses the studios of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, WIN Television and the Baháʼí Faith Centre of Learning, with the only remaining part of the rail terminal the original sandstone TML station building from 1871.[5]