Name: Meadowbank Railway Bridge
Rating: 3.3

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Former Railway

Why visit the Meadowbank Railway Bridge?

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Views of the upper reaches of Sydney Harbour and harbourside suburbs
Connections to scenic walks such as Rhodes foreshore and cycleways, for example to Parramatta and Olympic Park
Access to Meadowbank TAFE and Meadowbank Park

Nearby Attractions

Scenic upper harbour foreshore areas and suburbs
Panoramic views up and down the Parramatta River

Trail Guide

Last updated: 28 November 2022

The old Parramatta River Railway Bridge (also called the John Whitton Bridge or Meadowbank-Rhodes Railway Bridge) at Meadowbank was converted for pedestrian and cycle use when the modern railway bridge across the Parramatta River was opened in 2000.

The bridge can be reached from Blaxland Rd, Rhodes or Bay Drive, Meadowbank (on the north side of the river), and by ferry from the nearby Meadowbank wharf. It links Ryde in the north with Homebush Bay and Olympic Park in the south.

Meadowbank Park and Shepherds Bay are immediately north of the bridge; Meadowbank TAFE is nearby. A 3 km shared pathway including a separated cycleway on the road bridge over Parramatta River takes the rider in a loop around Homebush and Shepherds Bays. These are popular areas for walking and exercising and can be very busy.

Photo Gallery

The former Meadowbank railway bridge

Old and new bridges side-by-side

Adjacent pathways to the east

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Reviews

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3 reviews of “Meadowbank Railway Bridge”

Cycled across the Meadowbank Bridge on 5 February – there have been minor repairs to the bridge decking but still an enjoyable ride. There are many other cycling and walking trails in the Homebush Bay and Olympic Park areas which can be combined with traversing this historic bridge, including trails on the north side of Parramatta River linking up to the Carlingford and Liverpool railside trails.

I used to ride across this bridge weekly a couple of years ago. It provides nice views of the western end of Sydney Harbour. Apart from the reused rail bridge there is a good rail-side trail extending to Meadowbank Station in the north to past Rhodes Station in the south, from which other cycleways connect to Sydney Olympic Park and Bicentennial Park and beyond.

I walked this trail this evening with my brother – it is a good use of the rail bridge to cross the Parramatta river, with good connecting trails leading on from both sides.

Further Information

Information and Links

For more information:

https://visitsydneyaustralia.com.au/meadowbank-bridge.html

Contact Rail Trails Australia

To contact us about this rail trail, email nsw@railtrails.org.au

Background Information

Traditional owners

We acknowledge the Wallumedegal and Wangal people, the traditional custodians of the land and waterways on which the rail trail is built.

Development and future of the rail trail

The disused cast iron bridge was opened for pedestrian and cycle use in April 2000. There are no further additions possible to the rail trail, though other cycleways may be added or extended in surrounding areas.

Rail line history

The cast iron bridge was fabricated in England and erected in 1886. The railway through Meadowbank was opened in September 1886. The bridge was built for double track; initially it only carried a single line of rails, but a second track was provided in 1891. It carried trains until 1980 when a parallel box girder railway bridge was opened.

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