Draft:Capitol Square light rail station
Capitol Square | |||||||||||
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.jpg) Central-bound CAF Urbos 3 at the station in 2018 | |||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||
| Location | Hay Street, Haymarket Sydney, New South Wales Australia | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 33°52′47″S 151°12′20″E / 33.879789°S 151.205613°E | ||||||||||
| Owned by | Transport for NSW | ||||||||||
| Operated by | Transdev Sydney | ||||||||||
| Line(s) | Inner West Light Rail | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 (2 side) | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||
| Connections |  Chinatown | ||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Structure type | Ground | ||||||||||
| Accessible | Yes | ||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Website | Transport for NSW | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 11 August 1997 | ||||||||||
| Electrified | Yes (since opening) | ||||||||||
| Previous names | George Street (during construction) | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Capitol Square light rail station is a light rail station located on the Inner West Light Rail, serving the Capitol Square and Capitol Theatre in the Sydney suburb of Haymarket. It is served by L1 Dulwich Hill Line services.
History
[edit]Capitol Square station opened on 11 August 1997 as part of the original light rail line operated by the Sydney Light Rail Company. Initially, the station was constructed under the name George Street, however by the time of opening the name had been changed to Capitol Square.[1] The station is named after the Capitol Square shopping complex, which is located next to the Capitol Theatre.
On 14 April 1999, a hail storm resulted in flooding at the station which caused service delays until the water was cleared. The design of the drainage system at the station had previously caused similar incidents, having become overwhelmed from a large volume of water multiple times.[2]
Following the introduction of the Opal fare system, the track between Capitol Square and Paddy's Markets was a popular location for "Opal-running". Commuters would tap-on and off between the two stations in order to obtain free travel for the rest of the week. However in September 2016, free travel after eight journeys using an Opal card was removed and instead replaced with half-price travel.[3]
Capitol Square station is also located near the intersection of Hay Street and George Street.[4] Hay Street is closed to all other traffic. In 2019 with the opening of the CBD and South East Light Rail along George Street, a level junction was opened at the intersection and forms a connection between the two lines. This connection is not used for passengers services, but was built to enable trams used on the CBD and South East Light Rail to access the Lilyfield Maintenance Depot.
Design
[edit]The street-running section between Central Grand Concourse and Paddy's Markets was designed with a 150 mm high kerb to reflect the existing street-arrangements. The concept for this section was to be "as unobtrusive as possible", with the station design for Capitol Square reflecting a bus stop. A short section of both platforms was constructed 90 mm higher to ensure independent accessbility.[5]
The original design for Capitol Square also featured staggered platforms referred to as George Street Eastbound and George Street Westbound.[6] However, the platforms were constructed directly opposite each other.
Services
[edit]| Line | Stopping pattern | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| services to Central & Dulwich Hill | [7] |
Transport links
[edit]Capitol Square has a walkable out-of-station interchange with Chinatown light rail station, which is served by L2 Randwick Line and L3 Kingsford Line services.[8]
Trackplan
[edit]Capitol Square | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References
[edit]- ^ Budd, D. Cooke, D. & Merchant, B. THEY'RE BACK! NEWS FROM SYDNEY. Trolley Wire No. 270. August 1997, p.22
- ^ Metro Light Rail, Sydney, Trolley Wire No. 277. May 1999, p.18
- ^ O'Sullivan, M. 14 August 2016. Opal runners keep swiping for free travel despite attempt to close loophole, The Sydney Morning Herald. Accessed 22 June 2025
- ^ Capitol Square Light Rail Stop Transport for NSW
- ^ Schwarzer, R. "Stops". Pyrmont Light Rail Project, Sydney Light Rail Company. 1996, p.50
- ^ Schwarzer, R. CORE PROJECT. Pyrmont Light Rail Project, Sydney Light Rail Company. 1996, p.47
- ^ "Dulwich Hill Line". Transport for NSW. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ Capitol Square stop guide. Transport for NSW. Retrieved 28 June 2025