11:30 *"Now arriving on Platform 27, the ghost train to Manly! The guard is polite, he only spooks when spooken to but the driver is awfully shy and doesn't want to make a "spectre-cle" of himself!* LOL
2:41 - before the new lift was installed, you could catch a quick peek through the lift windows at 26 and 27 on the way down to/up from 24 and 25. Even pressed the button for 26/27 in that lift a few times for shits and giggles 😁
The door was open once when I walked past, so naturally I stuck my head in and took a photo. The metro have built buildings (cinder block construction) on the track portion and use the platforms as walkways. I wonder if they used the elevator to bring it all in or they tunnelled over from elsewhere.
Thanks Phil for the great update and I did enjoy going through the Ghost platforms, again. I wonder if they were canned about the same time as Woollahra Station was canned on the ESR. Nifty Neville and all that. Neither he nor Ita Buttrose wanted Woollahra Station.
I think you have a video that combines both your channels with the original planned Eastern Suburbs platforms 26&27 being abandoned. We also have platform 15 which has simply been eliminated with the upgrade.
Can you do a full compresence video that shows all the changes of Central, I didn't realise just how much it's changed over the years. Especially after being able to return to normal after the pandemic. I traveled there for the first time last year in 2022 and it was shocking and amazing to see the changes there, would love to remember just how it use to look. Also didn't realise until now that you also did Abandoned OZ. Keep up the great work as it's always entertaining.
they were going to use them, but they realized they wouldn't be suitable for the metro. I have heard plans that they could be used for Sydney to Canberra High Speed rail if that ever happens
Where I came from, we have just one ghost platform and no metro at all as they decided to stop the project right after building the first platform. I love learning about such hidden places and forgotten stories. That's what makes traveling amazing. Thank you for sharing this.
@@sydneytrainsvlogs The wall just looks somewhat temporary? I suppose it depends what they do with the old steps down the South end & the connection to the Devonshire st tunnel?
It's actually a shame they gave the new platforms 26-27 rather than 28+. The ghost platforms are well enough known, it would be just be interesting and a bit of fun to semi-formally recognise these platforms in some way. Ultimately, they do exist and it's part of the station's history and lore now. It would be like Wynyard 1+2, or how some buildings skip floors (e.g. 13) in elevators. And while it likely would never happen, it would leave the possibility open if the platforms ever brought into use in the future. But of course, good ideas are illegal and they have to be boring because maybe one person might complain about it or something. Massive disappointment. Also if they've repurposed the space now for other, active use, the security for the space is going to be massively beefed up..
"Fun Fact:" In the late 80s or early 90s, Wynyard station had its platforms renumbered from 3 & 4, and 5 & 6, to 1 & 2 and 3 & 4. This confused everybody (except me, who knew the history of Wynyard station), and after a year or so they were renumbered back to 3 & 4, and 5 & 6. Most people probably don't know about the former Platforms 1 and 2, which were intended for the never-built Northern Beaches railway, but used by trams from March 1932 until June 1958. The station area here was later used as a car park for many years, but evidence of its planned railway use, and use for trams, was everywhere. Second "Fun Fact:" the existing Lanes 7 and 8 on the Harbour Bridge were intended to take trains but became tramlines when the bridge opened in 1932. There was an identical station to the existing one at Milson's Point (replacing the one where Luna Park is), with the tramway platforms being Platforms 1 and 2, and the North Shore railway being Platforms 3 and 4. That of course changed after the tramway closure of June 1958. By 1959 or 1960 (I can't recall exactly when) all traces of the trams on the SHB were gone, and the Cahill Expressway opened, turning left at the Wynyard end of the bridge and going over the newly opened Circular Quay station. "Cahill" was (IIRC) the NSW Premier at the time (or around then) and was clearly as corrupt as the day is long!
I initially thought, we have the existing P1-P12, then reinstate P13 up on the surface. (maybe also add a storage siding track to fill extra space) Have Metro platforms as P14 and P15, followed by the existing P16-P25. All platforms numbered in order. Apparently not. They be like we only gonna reinstate P13-P14 and NOT P15 at Central. (As it used to be a service platform) and chuck in a duplicate P26-P27 **Central have joined the missing platform numbers stations gang with Wynyard, Epping, etc.** (some ones needs go duct tape up the P26-P27 button text in the lift that goes down to P24-P25 to prevent confusion lol)
I remember it all as P1 to 15 being "Sydney Terminal," and P16 to 25 as "Central." P11 to 15 were dead-end platforms - i.e a loco couldn't run around its train. 15 was occasionally used but not often. P9 and 10 extended all the way down inline with 1 to 8, but were cut back when the baggage tunnels were converted to an extra public walkway - which was actually a good idea! I haven't used Sydney Terminal/Central in nearly 7 years, so I'm not familiar with all the "recent" changes - or until tonight the existence of "new" 26/27 - I only knew the never-used ones! Oh, "Fun Fact!" P16/17, and 18/19 were originally (until around 100 years ago) the same as P11 to 15, but were converted to high-level platforms when "Central Electric" was built in 1925/26 for the coming of Electric Trains from St. James to Oatley.
IIRC, these platforms were intended for the never-built line to Randwick and Botany. At the other end I think they may have been intended for a line to the airport, but by the time that was built, these platforms were virtually forgotten about. I've been down there many, many years ago. I'm not sure about it being haunted (it's possible - this area was a cemetery until the site was resumed around 1900 or so for Sydney Terminal and Central station) but it certainly is eerie! I remember seeing the place where the escalators should go, hearing the trains underneath at Platforms 24 and 25, and walking into the tunnel at the Redfern end of Platform 26. That tunnel only goes a few metres and is sealed off in the form of a concrete wall, so I don't know how far (if at all) the tunnels were dug beyond here. I do know that it was only finished in the mid 1970s because the Eastern Suburbs Railway was finally finished in 1979, allowing Chalmers St (above all this) to be reopened as a roadway after being closed since the 1950s or early 1960s!
I was very close to those ghost platforms on Wednesday. If I go to Central Station again on Wednesday I will definitely try to look for the ghost platforms. I was wondering what would become of them with the new metro line? Whilst I’m not entirely happy that they are being used. I would prefer if they were completely left alone as it is a part of Sydney‘s history at least, they are still technically not being used as platforms
When I come to Sydney, I head directly to Platform 25 for the train to Loftus for the Sydney Tramway Museum. I try not to look around too much as I'm *disgusted* by what has been done to Sydney Central Station. All that historic architecture covered by bland, *ugly* white panels. *UGH!!!*
I wouldn’t be surprised if platforms 26 + 27 were gonna be used for the original proposal Airport Line that never got completed, as the middle invisible platforms at St James station I heard were used for.
Apparently they weren't used for the airport line because it would have required more infrastructure to the north to get the trains to go further, and because they weren't designed to handle the weight of double deck trains (so it would have put extra stress on the platforms below) and would have required them to do costly upgrades to the structure.
@@pwhnckexstflajizdryvombqug9042 I don't know the specifics. But if these platforms were built in the 70s, you'd think they'd have been built with a double decker fleet in mind.
Interesting video, ta. So the “new” platforms 26 and 27 are between and below platforms 14 and 16. That is going to create a lot of confusion for those who are unfamiliar. Would have made a lot more sense to number them 15A and 15B or somesuch. When in a large strange station I find my platform by counting.
Hi Phil, interesting video. Maybe the ghost platforms 26 and 27 should be given "A" numbers to avoid confusion with the new platforms of the same numbers. I am guessing these ghost platforms were built during the 1970's around the same time as the Eastern Suburbs Railway and then not used. I am just wondering who may have added the graffiti on the walls there on those ghost platforms, especially when it is all locked off. I remember seeing the empty spare platforms at St James Station, that have apparently since been filled in. The St James spare platforms were originally planned for the Eastern Suburbs Railway, though there was also talk from the government opposition party at the time back in the 1950's of putting the eastern suburbs trams there and taking them underground across to Kings Cross and Darlinghurst, then coming to the surface in Anzac Parade. Unfortunately, the exiting party at the time won the election and they were in favour of scrapping all the trams. Hence, the extra underground tram line never eventuated. Anyway, take care. Rob in Melbourne Australia.
You should ask Sydney Trains, Sydney Metro or whoever owns the ghost platforms if you can re-enter the ghost platforms and do a paranormal investigation for Halloween for your channel Abandoned Oz
If you were to believe in ghosts, I can't logically understand why these platforms would be haunted. They were never used. I'm not aware of ghost rules, but I can't imagine they'd be like "Well the house I was haunting has been demolished. Maybe I go haunt Central platforms 26 and 27, given they're dark and look creepy."
