Olympic Park Station

The Olympic Park railway station in Sydney serves th-e stadiums and sportsgrounds in the suburb of Homebush Bay. These sports facilities were built for the 2000 Summer Olympics, but are retained for post-games uses. The station is located on a balloon loop, with 2 tracks and 4 platform faces. The centre island platform 2/3 is used by arriving east and west trains to disembark passengers. The two separate outermost side platforms 1 & 4 are used by departing east and west trains to pick up passengers. The stadiums are about 3 km (1.9 miles) from any existing rail line, which necessitated the rail branchline.

Design

The design of the station has been critically acclaimed by many. It has won the 1998 BHP Colorbond Award for innovative use of steel architecture, and the 1998 Sir John Sulman Medal, from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.

Services

During major events, trains operate from Central station in the east, and Blacktown station in the west. Depending on dates and times, these Olympic Park trains can have exclusive use of 2 of the 4 or 6 tracks between Central and Blacktown. Up to 20 trains per hour may be run, 10 from the east and 10 from the west, using 8-car double deck trains. Passengers from other railway stations change to the Olympic trains at a convenient station. For people who live in Sydney who are not near any of these train stations, special buses are provided. During quiet times, a shuttle service operates at 20 minute intervals from Lidcombe railway station, where there is a "Sprint" platform, found by walking the length of platform one.These sprint trains are between 2 and 8 cars long.

Platforms

The station's platforms are configured for different functions; for normal usage, and for special event usage.

Normal usage

Platform 1

Not in use

Platform 2

Olympic Park Line - weekday off-peak limited stops services to Central.

Platform 3

Olympic Park Line - Olympic Park Sprint shuttle services to Lidcombe..

Platform 4

Not in use

Special Event Use

Platform 1