Redfern Station Upgrade

Redfern Station, the sixth busiest station in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, is being renovated to enhance accessibility and customer experience.

Located in a very dense urban area of Sydney, Redfern Station is an important destination and a major hub in the rail network.

The A$100m ($75.62m) upgrade project is part of the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program (TAP) that aims to deliver several improvements to the transport network including creating stations that are more accessible to individuals with disabilities and restricted mobility, and parents or caregivers with prams.

Major construction work on the upgrade is scheduled to begin in January 2021 and is expected to be completed by mid-2022.

Location of Redfern Station

The Redfern Station is located in the inner-city suburb of Redfern within the local government area of the City of Sydney, approximately 1.3km away from the Central Station and 1.6km from the Sydney central business district (CBD).

The railway station is bounded by Lawson Street to the north, Little Eveleigh Street to the west, Marian Street to the south, and Gibbons Street to the east.

Redfern Station upgrade details

Funded under the TAP scheme, the project will include the development of a new pedestrian concourse to the south of the existing Lawson Street concourse to reduce congestion and enable better accessibility to the station platforms.

The new concourse will stretch between Little Eveleigh Street and Marian Street in Redfern and Eveleigh, while providing a new connection across the network. It will provide lift and stair access to platforms one to ten, and deliver improvements to transport interchange facilities, including the upgrade of the shared zone on Rosehill Street, formalisation of a shared zone on Little Eveleigh Street, and the development of new kiss and ride facilities along Lawson and Gibbon streets. New bicycle parking spaces will be developed on Little Eveleigh Street and Marian Street.

Additional upgrade works

The project will also include an upgraded station entrance on Marian Street and a modern station entrance on Little Eveleigh Street, covering both station facilities and customer amenities. A common area on Little Eveleigh Street will be formalised, and the Marian, Cornwallis, and Rosehill streets will be upgraded. The existing shuttle bus zone on Little Eveleigh Street will be shifted to Lawson Street. In addition, the project will involve the widening of the Ivy Street walkway, and the relocation of the office building on platform one to facilitate the construction of the concourse.

It will include repurposing, relocation, and modification of platform building components and other platform elements.

Additional components under the project will include the relocation of overhead wires, and installation of a new rail signal between platforms one and two, as well as facilities such as wayfinding and signage, CCTV cameras, passenger information systems, tactile ground surface indicators (TGSI), and fire and life safety equipment.

Project benefits

The station upgrade will improve accessibility for pedestrians and provide better connectivity to South Eveleigh (previously known as Australian Technology Park) and other major destinations.

It will enhance experience for passengers by improving passenger circulation, and reduce congestion at Redfern Station. The upgrades will support the increased use of public transport and offer improved access to jobs, education, and businesses.

Key players involved

Novo Rail Alliance, an alliance of Transport for NSW, Laing O’Rourke, Aurecon, and John Holland Group was selected to implement the Redfern Station upgrade project.

DesignInc was appointed to provide integrated urban design, architecture and landscape services for the upgrade of Redfern Station, under the TAP programme.