Wagga Wagga railway station

The Wagga Wagga railway station is a heritage-listed railway station and now museum and railway station located on the Main South line in Wagga Wagga, in the City of Wagga Wagga local government area of New South Wales, Australia. The station is also known as the Wagga Wagga Railway Station and yard group. The property is owned by RailCorp, an agency of the Government of New South Wales. The station was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

History
Wagga Wagga station opened on 1 September 1879 as South Wagga Wagga when the Main South line was extended from Bomen. It served as the terminus until the line was extended to Gerogery on 1 September 1880. It was renamed Wagga Wagga on 1 March 1882.

On 14 May 1917, Wagga Wagga became a junction station when the Tumbarumba line opened as far as Humula.

Services
Wagga Wagga is served by two daily NSW TrainLink XPT services in each direction operating between Sydney and Melbourne. NSW TrainLink also operate road coach services to Tumbarumba, Griffith, Echuca and a trial service to Queanbeyan.

Former transport services
Firefly Express operated a daily Sydney to Melbourne service, which was cancelled in May 2018. Greyhound Australia operated a daily Canberra to Melbourne service as well as a second service from Canberra which terminated at Wagga Wagga. NSW TrainLink operated a daily coach service to Wodonga from July 2018 to June 2019.

Description
The station complex comprises a type 5 station building made with first class brick and completed in 1879; together with a type 4 brick two-storey station master's residence, also completed in 1879. The railway platform is faced with brick and a footbridge from Station Place to Railway Street was completed in 1936. A 10.16 ST tripod crane, type T221, was erected in 1879 and is no longer extant. Landscaping to the station forecourt and approaches comprise part of the complex.

Heritage listing
As at 9 August 2016, Wagga Wagga was a major station complex in the State system. It is the first building designed by John Whitton and is similar in plan to the larger Albury station. It is of high significance. A refreshment room was added after 1917 for the journey to Albury. The station is an important civic element in Wagga Wagga and has an impressive forecourt area. The design of the building is unique in the railway system. The station master's residence is of equal significance to the station building dating from the same period and adds to the completeness of the group with its location near the entrance to the station. The other buildings reflect the importance of the location as a junction and are excellent examples of their type.

The Wagga Wagga railway station was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.

The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

This item is assessed as historically rare. This item is assessed as scientifically rare. This item is assessed as arch. rare. This item is assessed as socially rare.