THEN (c. 1960): All suburban trains were single deck. They were coloured dark red. Everything was stamped “NSWGR” (New South Wales Government Railways). Windows could be raised about 75mm to achieve some ventilation. The scheduled time to Wynyard (eleventh stop, closest City station) was 27 minutes. Timetable adherence was generally good. I travelled on these trains every day, to school and university.
The station has three platforms: two ‘through’ and one ‘terminating’. This train had a minor derailment before the morning peak hour, possibly overshooting the terminating platform. City bound trains were disrupted for most of the day. It must have been school holidays and I heard about it on the radio. I had plenty of time to walk from home to watch the recovery efforts. (It’s a boy thing, age irrelevant!)
NOW (2013) : There is now a car park where I stood to take the old photos.
All suburban trains are double deck. They are stainless steel with some yellow trim. The identification is 
, but that is in the process of changing to 
. Most trains have air-conditioning. The scheduled time to Wynyard is 30 minutes! Timetable adherence is generally good. I rarely travel by train but it is still our preferred way to travel to the city.
The station still has the same platforms. There are now lifts (elevators) servicing both platforms and pedestrian ramps to facilitate access. The gardens have always been attractive, and well maintained.
