The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government will open one of Sydney\u2019s most historic gems, St James Station Tunnels, to the public following its restoration and revitalisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The public will be able to explore the hidden parts below one of Sydney\u2019s busiest train stations, which was once utilised as an air raid shelter and RAAF control room during the Second World War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Constructed in the 1920s as part of John Bradfield\u2019s grand transport vision for Sydney, these long forgotten \u201cghost\u201d tunnels are being re-imagined as a tourist attraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport Rob Stokes said these precious relics have long been hidden underneath our feet, and it\u2019s high time the public were able to benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSubterranean Sydney will be a secret no longer,\u201d Mr Stokes said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is an incredible opportunity to bring Sydney\u2019s ghost tunnels to life and share our city\u2019s forgotten past with a new generation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney David Elliott said with concept designs and selected early safety works complete, public access to the disused tunnels will soon be a reality, with work already underway to facilitate exciting and authentic guided tours of the southern tunnel, supported by innovative visitor experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs Veterans and Transport Minister, it is always a pleasure when my portfolios intersect. These tunnels are not only a gateway to Sydney\u2019s transport history, but our war efforts and to this day bear the signatures of soldiers,\u201d Mr Elliott said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe tour is expected to include an immersive experience which covers John Bradfield\u2019s 1920s vision for Sydney\u2019s transport, the construction of the City Circle as well as the experience of those who so valiantly served to defend their country in the Second World War.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Transport Asset Holding Entity (TAHE) CEO Benedicte Colin said it would be a great opportunity for visitors to the tunnels to become urban explorers, venturing through the long-hidden platform behind the St James concourse to the tunnels which run under Hyde Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe project supports TAHE\u2019s social responsibility objectives, and this innovative approach will see the value of this otherwise disused asset unlocked,\u201d Ms Colin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Transport for NSW Chief Operations Officer Howard Collins said teams have been working hard to remediate and renovate this almost forgotten historic piece of NSW infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLike any area that has been unused for many years we need to ensure we not only have a safe and practical plan, but also look after the heritage aspects which will make them so interesting for visitors,\u201d Mr Collins said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The official opening and commencement of tours, initially in the southern tunnel, is expected to take place in late 2023.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government will open one of Sydney\u2019s most historic gems, St James Station Tunnels, to the public following its restoration and revitalisation. The public will be able to explore the hidden parts below one of Sydney\u2019s busiest train stations, which was once utilised as an air raid shelter and RAAF control … Continue reading “St James Station tunnels to open to the public”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20431","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20431"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20431\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20433,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20431\/revisions\/20433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}