At last: lift announced for Redfern Station

The State Government’s announcement that Redfern Railway Station will finally receive a lift has been hailed by a range of community figures.

The announcement, made last Thursday by NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian, means the station will become accessible to customers in wheelchairs and parents with prams for the first time.

A tender has been issued for a concept design to provide lift access to one platform, allowing customers to access all train lines via Central Station, Ms Berejiklian said.

“At the moment it is virtually impossible for people in wheelchairs to access trains at Redfern, and extremely difficult for parents with prams and the elderly, so this is a good start to ensure all customers can access the network at Redfern,” she said.

While only one platform will have a lift at this stage, passengers not travelling directly to the upgraded platform could catch a train to Central and transfer back by train to the desired platform.

Transport for NSW is also investigating works to address ageing infrastructure, congestion on platforms and better integration of the station into the surrounding neighbourhood, said the Transport Minister.

Ms Berejiklian’s Liberal colleague, City of Sydney Councillor Christine Forster, said: “This is such an important issue for the local community and the announcement of plans to install a lift at Redfern is very welcome after years of inaction by the previous State Government.”

Ms Forster’s Labor rival, Councillor Linda Scott, also welcomed the news. “This is a victory for the community who have worked tirelessly for lifts at Redfern Station, and especially those who gathered over 50,000 signatures to ensure this issue was debated in NSW Parliament,” said Ms Scott.

“As with previous upgrades to Newtown Station, if this lift is installed and Redfern Station is upgraded, it will make a concrete difference to the lives of inner-city residents.”

But Ms Scott said providing one lift would ideally be “a first step” – a sentiment echoed by Geoff Turnbull, spokesperson for Redfern Eveleigh Darlington Waterloo Watch (REDWatch).

While Mr Turnbull praised the “interim solution”, he said the ultimate goal was a lift for every platform.

“We and the 50,000 people who use the station daily look forward to Redfern becoming fully accessible from all directions in the not too distant future,” he said.