Next stop, Woollahra! The joys of having a train station in your suburb

2 weeks ago 7

My high school girlfriend had a very religious mother who didn’t much like me because I didn’t give off very religious vibes. We were star-crossed lovers from the get-go, and with her house off limits and my parents’ home tucked deep in suburbia, we would meet at the one place where everyone is welcome (and was equal distance between our two schools): the train station.

Surrounded by bored commuters, we were free to awkwardly flirt and fumble our way through the early days of adolescent love. From first kiss to first date – does a packet of chips and a shared can of Diet Coke from the station vending machine count as a date? – platform three witnessed it all, a safe space for the young and horny.

In a story so Sydney all that’s missing is a noise complaint, residents of the eastern suburbs are up in arms following confirmation that Woollahra, just three kilometres from the CBD, will be home to a new rail station.

Occasionally, I still catch the train from this exact spot, relieved to see the station remains a centralised meeting point for all cross-sections of the community.

Only at your local train station will you see suited-up corporate types fiddling with their AirPods as an exhausted parent navigates a pram through the crowd, promising their impatient toddler that “the train’s coming soon! Toot toot.”

Next to them, a group of high schoolers argue over a demonic-looking doll you will later learn is a Labubu, only pausing to take a swill from a communal can of Mother Energy Drink.

Meanwhile, an elderly man settles himself on a train bench and opens the paper (#printisnotdead), flicking through the news of the day. To his right, a woman answers a FaceTime call, speaking in Hindi to a collection of smiling faces on the screen. At the end of the platform, a young lady sucks deeply on her vape, the smell of Blackberry Ice filling the air.

School kids playing loud music, the aromatic smell of fruit-flavoured vapes and one oddball making everyone uncomfortable – train stations are a microcosm of community.

Eventually, (and only a few minutes behind schedule), the train arrives and commuters rush on or spill off, a thousand different stories going in a thousand different directions, united by that universal goal: to get from A to B.

Sadly, not everyone appreciates the train station for the multi-layered role it plays in our society, as an essential service, a functional transport hub, and a fun place to hang out.

Earlier this week, in a story so Sydney all that’s missing is a noise complaint, residents of the eastern suburbs were up in arms following confirmation that Woollahra, just three kilometres from the CBD, will be home to a new rail station as the state government proceeds with a plan to build 10,000 homes in the city’s east.

Wearing the obligatory hard hat and orange vest – a combo best described as high-vis low vibes – a solemn-faced Premier Chris Minns delivered the news. “For too long, young people and families in NSW have been forced to choose between moving away from the Sydney CBD or not being able to afford a home at all,” Minns said. “This new train station will allow us to deliver up to 10,000 new homes right here in the heart of Sydney.”

Premier Chris Minns looking sad at the site of the new rail station at Woollahra on Sunday. They don’t call it heavy rail for nothing.

Naturally, this entire episode has kicked off a debate about everyone’s favourite type of resident, the NIMBYs (Not In My Backyard), an acronym that, for the purposes of this discussion, really should be updated to NIMBYORFYOANTPTYVM (Not In My Backyard Or Front Yard Or Anywhere Near The Pool, Thank You Very Much).

Much of the concern has stemmed from what the (declining) population of Woollahra stands to lose with all this state-led rezoning, but really, the focus should be on what everyone stands to gain. In addition to 10,000 new properties, some of which will be affordable housing, residents will finally experience the joys of their very own local train station, and all that comes with it.

Might tobacco shops and bubble tea stores replace some of Queen Street’s boutiques? Maybe. Will some well-heeled locals be shocked at the sight of schoolkids on e-bikes? No doubt.

We can all agree that, as lovely as Woollahra is, with its leafy streets, charming manors and Chargrill Charlie’s, it is increasingly detached from the rest of Sydney.

In a city that’s constantly expanding, the population of Woollahra has declined by 11 per cent over the past 50 years while Greater Sydney as a whole has grown by 74 per cent, leaving the area at risk of becoming a silo suburb.

According to the state government, exact zoning proposals will not be finalised for about two years, and construction won’t be completed until 2029, giving everyone plenty of time to pick a side in this argument.