When it was formed in 2012, the Lift Redfern campaign sought one lift immediately, as an interim measure, and the release of the timetable for the upgrade of the station. A petition of 11,500 signatures was gathered in March and April 2012 by residents, services and businesses in the area. The petition guaranteed a parliamentary debate on the problem.
In 2003 a RailCorp spokesperson told a community meeting in Redfern and Waterloo, which was convened by the Premier’s Department, that unless the state government intervened, Redfern station would not be upgraded until 2011. The government did intervene, but an upgraded station still seems a long way off with no timeframe for full upgrade. Lift Redfern was also successful in gaining the release of a number of plans for the station upgrade – these can be seen on the REDWatch website.
Redfern has 12 platforms and approximately 50,000 passengers accessing Sydney University, the Australian Technology Park, Carriageworks and bus links each day. The solitary lift will service passengers on the Inner West Line or those who change at Central or Strathfield.
At the official opening, a woman wearing a backpack and dragging a large suitcase with a shopping carry bag balanced upon it emerged from the station. When approached she said: “When I got off the train from Parramatta [Platform 3] I just stopped! I suddenly felt disabled. I suddenly felt stumped. Stopped because there was no way I could lift my heavy case up the stairs. The woman attendant on the platform called somebody down and he actually carted my case upstairs. We need lifts on all platforms.”
The need for a bus rail interchange for the station has become more acute, with some peak services terminating at Redfern and a proposal to move the bus stop in Lawson Square to Redfern Street.
