| Historical notes: | The Main Northern line between Sydney and Newcastle was constructed in two distinct stages and in the earliest years, was worked as two separate railway systems.
The line between Sydney (actually the junction at Strathfield) and the Hawkesbury River was opened on 5 April 1887, with the terminus being on the southern bank of the Hawkesbury River. The line between Newcastle and the northern bank of the Hawkesbury River (near present day Wondabyne) was opened in January 1888.
The line was completed through between Sydney and Newcastle with the opening of the massive bridge over the Hawkesbury River in 1889.
Cockle Creek Railway Station is presently located on the Northern line between Teralba Station and Cardiff Station and is 18km (11 miles) south of Newcastle.
Cockle Creek Railway Station was opened with the opening of the line between Newcastle and Hawkesbury River in January 1888. The line was originally built as ‘single line’ and a small platform was provided at Cockle Creek on the Down side of the line. Cockle Creek is named after the nearby creek of the same name.
South of the station, the line crossed ‘Cockle Creek’ on a steel bridge, built to accept the second track, for when duplication was to be finally completed. Beyond the bridge, a junction was formed, with branch lines heading toward collieries in the West Wallsend area.
By 1891, the line through Cockle Creek had been duplicated and Up and Down side platforms had been built, additional trackwork had been laid in for access to the collieries and to provide a local goods siding. The duplicated main lines then crossed the original bridge, which had been planned. Over the next 22 years, additional trackwork, sidings and a back platform (on the up side) had been provided at Cockle Creek. A number of signal boxes (in different locations to suit various track arrangements) were also provided.
By the mid-1950s, the original bridge (of 1887) was deteriorating and in need of replacement. Accordingly, in 1957, new platforms and station buildings were provided at Cockle Creek in a new location, but only a short distance away from the original station. The main line was deviated from the original formation and this required the construction of a new steel truss bridge over Cockle Creek.
Even though the original platforms were placed out of use, coal trains to and from the West Wallsend collieries continued to use the original bridge, while main line trains used the new platforms and new steel bridge.
Further deterioration in the condition of the original bridge resulted in altered arrangements at Cockle Creek. A new embankment was formed on the Sydney-side of the Cockle Creek Bridge and the tracks from the West Wallsend collieries were re-laid to form a new junction with the main lines on the Sydney-side of the bridge, instead of these trains passing over the original bridge. All trains (both main line and coal trains) then crossed the steel (new) bridge. The original bridge was then placed out of use and the iron plate girders removed.
Electrification of the main line between Gosford and Newcastle was opened in May 1984, an extension of the Sydney-Gosford electrification which had been completed in 1960. The new electrification project involved new or rebuilt platforms, station buildings, footbridges, overbridges and underbridges, line side buildings, sidings and a myriad of structures in that section in order to permit the operation of the wider electric passenger rollingstock and electric locomotives. Accordingly, major upgrading was undertaken at Cockle Creek Railway Station, and that included total replacement of the original station buildings and platforms. The then-existing signal box was also removed, control of the colliery junction beyond the bridge being replaced by a centrally located signal control centre, located near Broadmeadow station.
The new (1957) steel truss bridge carrying the Up and Down main lines, and the coal traffic to and from the nearby collieries remains unaltered apart from modifications carried out for suspending the 1500 volt DC overhead catenary and the subsequent upgrading of main line tracks. |