Helensburgh NSW 2508
Lilyvale Railway Station
Last updated 7 July 2026
Both Lilyvale stations are gone
The original station on the old single line closed when the Illawarra deviation opened on 30 May 1915. The replacement station on the new alignment served until Christmas Day 1983. No traces of either station or the Lilyvale Road overbridge survive today. The area is private bushland on the fringe of the Royal National Park.
Lilyvale is a picturesque valley between Helensburgh and Otford, on the southern edge of the Royal National Park. Two railway stations bore the name over nearly a century — first on the original Illawarra line beside the Lilyvale tunnels, then on the deviated double track that still carries South Coast trains today.
For the wider township story, see Lilyvale — The Almost Forgotten, Part 1 and Part 2.
At a glance
1st Lilyvale Station
- On the original single line
- Built from local timber near the southern portal of Lilyvale Tunnel No. 2
- Opened 1 October 1889 as “Lilydale” — renamed Lilyvale later that year
- Closed 30 May 1915 when the deviation opened
- Eventually demolished — no remains today
2nd Lilyvale Station
- On the deviated double line
- Built ~50 m south of the original station
- Opened 30 May 1915 with the new alignment
- Closed 25 December 1983
- Demolished during electrification works — no remains today
| Lilyvale Road overbridge | Built 9 March 1891 over the old single alignment, before the deviation |
| Overall station service | 1 October 1889 — 25 December 1983 |
About Lilyvale
Lilyvale lies between Helensburgh to the north and Otford to the south, with tributaries including Gardiner’s Creek and Hamilton’s Creek (also known as Cedar Gully) flowing toward the Hacking River.
Earliest records show grazing in the Bulgo Valley from the 1820s, but the valley changed dramatically when railway gangers arrived in the 1880s to push the Illawarra line south. A rail link to Sydney was needed as the southern coalfields and farming country grew — camps along the line became villages; Camp Creek (Helensburgh) became permanent after coal was struck in Camp Gully in 1883–84.
Building the railway
The line reached Lilyvale, Bulgo (Otford), and Stanwell Park by 1885, though construction continued until late September 1888. The grand opening of the Illawarra line was held on Wednesday, 3 October 1888.
On 1 October 1889 — roughly 50 km from Sydney — the Lilydale Railway Station officially opened. Yes, Lilydale. Later that year it was renamed Lilyvale. The timber station stood near the southern end of Lilyvale Tunnel No. 2.
Once the gangers moved on, Lilyvale settled into a quieter existence. By the early 1900s the township supported shops, a hotel, regular church services, and a post office (1898–1931).
Deviation and the second station
Severe congestion on the single line and the punishing 1 in 40 grade eventually forced a duplication and deviation. Gangers returned to build the new alignment.
On 30 May 1915 the original Lilyvale Station closed and was later demolished. The second Lilyvale Station opened the same day on the deviated line, roughly 50 m further south. Both Lilyvale tunnels on the old alignment closed to rail traffic at the same time.
Ian’s story — a ghost station
In the early 1980s I went train-hopping on Saturday mornings between Waterfall and Wollongong. One thing that struck me vividly: the train stopped at Lilyvale, yet not once did I see anyone get on or off. It was a ghost station.
I had ridden my motorbike over the overbridge a few times before it was demolished for the electrification of the line in the early 1980s. The second Lilyvale Station closed on Christmas Day 1983. I searched exhaustively for any remains of the overbridge but could find no evidence.
Both Lilyvale single-line rail tunnels still exist — see Lilyvale Tunnels for their history and current access restrictions.
What remains today
No traces of either Lilyvale station or the Lilyvale Road overbridge survive. A power sub-station sits approximately on the site of the 1st station. The old rail alignment through the tunnels is on private land; the active South Coast line runs on the 1915 deviation nearby.
Location
The map below shows the Lilyvale valley. Station sites are approximate — the area is not open for casual public access.
Related pages
Originally published on Helensburgh.com.au, 7 February 2010. Photo: Ian Piggott, 22 October 2009.