Sydney’s rail network will expand for the first time in a decade with a proposed new station at Woollahra. The NSW government says the plan will support the construction of 10,000 new homes near existing infrastructure.
The move aims to shift housing growth back to the city’s east, after years of concentrated development in western Sydney. Officials say better access to transport and rezoning incentives are key to making more homes viable in high-demand suburbs.
A new station at Woollahra, on the Eastern Suburbs line, would address a long-standing infrastructure gap. Originally planned in the 1970s, the stop was scrapped following local opposition, but is now being revived to support the state’s housing targets.
According to the NSW government, Woollahra has been assessed as the most feasible inner-city area for new housing. Despite its central location and established public services, the suburb has seen limited new construction and declining population numbers.
First Suburban Rail Expansion in Over a Decade
The proposed Woollahra station marks the first addition to Sydney’s suburban heavy rail network since 2015, when stations between Glenfield and Leppington opened to support southwestern growth. Since then, rail investment has focused on the city’s Metro system, with automated lines expanding in the north-west and inner-south.
The new station would sit between Edgecliff and Bondi Junction on the Eastern Suburbs line, offering an eight-minute direct service to the Sydney CBD. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the station opening by 2029.
Premier Chris Minns said the decision aims to offer more people the chance to live near existing rail, schools and health services. “Young people and families have been forced to choose between moving away from Sydney’s centre or being priced out of the market entirely,” he said.
The eastern suburbs have seen minimal housing approvals in recent decades, despite their proximity to major employment zones. According to government data, Woollahra’s population has dropped 11% over 50 years, while Greater Sydney grew by 74%.
Rezoning Plan to Include Affordable Housing Component
Housing Minister Rose Jackson confirmed that new homes around the future station will include affordable housing, although public land agencies currently hold no land near the site. “Rezoning will deliver a dedicated portion of affordable housing,” she said, indicating that private developers would be required to contribute in exchange for higher building rights.
Proposals include a rezoning radius of 400 metres around Edgecliff station, with possible building heights up to 21 storeys. Full planning frameworks are not expected to be finalised for two years, but the government sees this as a key step in addressing the city’s housing imbalance.
Efforts to deliver large-scale housing around other future stations have faced setbacks. A plan for 25,000 homes near a proposed Rosehill station failed earlier this year when the local racecourse owner declined to sell the land.
Premier Minns acknowledged the Woollahra plan may face resistance. “It’s a decision that won’t be met by universal happiness,” he said, but insisted the alternative—limiting the next generation’s housing prospects—was “intolerable”.
