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RailCorp Reveals Plans for Mortuary Station

We were recently shown a letter RailCorp CEO Vince Graham sent to someone concerned about mortuary station. The text of the Vince Graham letter is below in bold italics. Interspersed with the text of the letter you will find some comments from a person with a long involvement in Rail Heritage who when they saw the letter felt the RailCorp CEO’s comments should not go unchallenged. For professional reasons the person making the comments wishes to remain nameless.

Following the usual formalities the response from RailCorp CEO Vince Graham to the person who wrote starts:

"You would be aware that Mortuary Station forms part of the Central Station rail precinct. The Mortuary Platform Siding and the Regent Street Siding adjacent to Mortuary Station are routinely used for rail related purposes, including the stabling of RailCorp maintenance trains and heritage trains." (RailCorp CEO Vince Graham)

RailCorp maintenance trains for the last 20 years have been diesel powered and are turned off when stabled. Steam trains have only been stabled overnight during the last 6 months, for over 127 years most steam train stabling was performed at Eveleigh or in the yard and well clear of platforms.

"Following on from the Government's, decision to adopt a sustainable rail heritage strategy for management of the State's core rail heritage assets and to vest Eveleigh rail yards to the Redfern Waterloo Authority, alternative facilities are required to support the operation of heritage trains. The majority of the State's operational heritage fleet will be stabled at Thirlmere as part of the upgrade of that site. Thirlmere has long been the main operating base for heritage train operations and this will continue."(RailCorp CEO Vince Graham)

No section of Eveleigh yard will be vested to the Redfern Waterloo Authority while it is required for railway purposes. The Explorer/Endeavour Maintenance Centre situated in the yard, has a projected use for 8 years. The stabling of the State’s operational heritage fleet at Thirlmere now makes a mockery of the sustainable rail heritage strategy with nearly 200 kms of empty running for most Sydney departure trips.

"The periodic use of the sidings and some Mortuary Station facilities in connection with heritage steam train operations is complementary to the historic nature of the precinct and not inconsistent with its original use. The decision to use these facilities is made in the knowledge that a special maintenance regime is needed, in particular, the sandstone facade of the station building. Recent independent advice from a heritage architect has confirmed that a monitoring and cleaning regime for the sandstone, as part of the normal maintenance program for the building, is appropriate. RailCorp has committed to this and other works on the site as part of the regular maintenance of the site." (RailCorp CEO Vince Graham)

Yes, Mortuary Station facilities were connected with heritage steam train operation however up until this year, a more sympathetic approach to the building was taken and the steam locomotives were always stationed on the down or southern far end of the platform and usually not overnight.  Why was the heritage architect not named and would not the NSW Public Works Department’s stone mason experts used on Central Station or a heritage conservator be more appropriate?

"Design plans are presently being finalised to improve security and locomotive provisioning at the site. In conjunction with an operational plan being developed for steam train operations, these initiatives will mitigate the adverse impacts on the surrounding neighbourhood by current activities. RailCorp will make every effort to have these plans implemented before the commencement of the '2008 Steam Season'." (RailCorp CEO Vince Graham)

Have any of the neighbourhood people been consulted? Has any consideration been given to the S170 Heritage Listing on this building?

"In relation to security arrangements when heritage trains are stabled in the Central Station precinct, details of the patrol programs are confidential for obvious reasons. However, I can say that where these trains are comprised of rollingstock from the core heritage fleet, the cost of these arrangements are carried by RailCorp recognising that these assets need safeguarding on behalf of the people of NSW." (RailCorp CEO Vince Graham)

Virtually all heritage trains into Sydney contain at least 1 core collection item of rolling stock or locomotive. This means that all heritage trains will have to have security provided. Up to 6 security officers have been noted on Platform 1 at Central (Sydney Terminal) all looking after heritage train carriages. Stabling the complete train at Eveleigh would solve costly security requirements and would save RailCorp wasting money setting up a facility at Mortuary. There is no problem with Eveleigh. Carriages can be stored on the lines adjacent to the Australian Technology Park or lines north-west of ACDEP while adequate space is available around the turntable for engine stabling as well as various vacant lines in front of the Large Erecting Shop.