Lismore railway station is a heritage-listed former station on the Murwillumbah line at Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, which opened in 1894 and was closed in 2004. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
NSW TrainLink coach services to Casino and Tweed Heads stop in the station forecourt. The old line through the station is part of a rail trail.
History The station opened on 15 May 1894.Lismore Station NSWRail.net It closed on 16 May 2004 when the line from Casino was closed.Closure of the Casino to Murwillumbah rail service NSW Parliament November 2004 Since 2004, it has operated only as a bus and coach stopping point.NSW Transport: Lismore Station
In 2012 and 2015, the station was used as the location for the well received NORPA (Northern Rivers Performing Arts) production "Railway Wonderland".NORPA (Northern Rivers Performing Arts): Railway Wonderland
Following damage caused by the devastating 2022 floods that hit Lismore particularly hard, the station building was boarded up pending decisions regarding its possible future reinstatement as part of a tourism focused rail trail,http://www.railtrails.org.au: Funding announced for Bentley to Lismore section of Northern Rivers rail trailiStock photos: The worst floods in history have devastated the Northern Rivers City of Lismore. Railway station reflects other problems.Lismore City News, 6 January 2023: Northern Rivers Rail Trail Lismore to Bentley plans move ahead – includes "Artist impression of how Lismore station will look after work is complete". however the facade was reinstated in late 2024, to coincide with the newly completed rail trail section which was officially opened in December 2024. Some locals continued to advocate the restoration of train services.
Platforms and services Lismore has one disused platform, with a passing loop. It was served by trains from Sydney including the North Coast Mail until 1973 when replaced by the Gold Coast Motorail which in February 1990 was replaced by a XPT service."The New Timetable" Railway Digest March 1990 page 94
Description
The former station complex consists of a third-class timber station building of a type 4 standard roadside design with a brick platform; a 2-road carriage shed with a sawtooth roof, originally 15 bays and later extended to 21 bays and a 2-road, corrugated iron locomotive shed in a straight shed design, all dating from 1894. The former station residence is located at 18 Malendy Drive.
Heritage listing
Lismore station and yard group is an group of railway structures with elements rarely found together and extant on the rail system. The station building is a rare timber roadside station with detailing and verandah to the street facade. The utility buildings are rare examples of their type and together in a group. The group forms an important unit in the townscape of Lismore and, combined with adjacent civic buildings, contributes important elements to the townscape.
Lismore railway station was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.
The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.
This item is assessed as historically rare. This item is assessed as scientifically rare. This item is assessed as arch. rare. This item is assessed as socially rare.
References
External links Lismore station transport details Transport for New South Wales (no trains, bus services only) Opening day / first train from the Lismore Railway Station, 1894 (this source says early 1900s, in error cf. official Council display board) Lismore Station prior to opening in 1894 (NSW State Archives collection) Lismore Station, platform side, undated (early-mid 20th century?) (NSW State Archives collection) Lismore Railway Station street frontage in good condition circa 2004 – from "Daily Telegraph" article "LAST TRAIN: The day our rail service fell silent" (subscription required) NORPA: Stories of Lismore train station: From 'the turning of the sod' to the Nimbin Good Times Express Philip Overton, 2012: Lismore: the late night limited – blog article with a number of photographs of interest NSW Heritage Railway Station and Infrastructure News: NSWHRSI Newsletter, Issue 18 – includes photographs of Lismore Railway Station on pp. 6–8 Files relating to Lismore railway station on Wikimedia Commons
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