The Goods Line is a partly elevated urban walkway that runs from Sydney Central Station to Darling Square, following the route of a historic railway line.
After undergoing a $15 million transformation, the Goods Line reopened to the public in August 2015 as a walkway, linear park, and open space.
In this article, we’ll highlight the best parts of the walk, share pictures, and explain how to get there, along with things to do nearby.
| The Goods Line Walk | |
|---|---|
| Distance: | 800 m (one way) |
| Duration: | 0.5 hours |
| Grade: | Easy |
| Dog-friendly: | Yes |
Getting There
The Goods Line begins at the western end of the underground Devonshire Street Tunnel at Central Station, making the train the easiest way to get there.
To reach it, exit Central Station at South Concourse, where the Devonshire Street Tunnel begins. Walk through the tunnel to Railway Square, then continue into the second section of the tunnel. This leads directly to the Goods Line, where you’ll spot the old train tracks and a yellow UTS sign.
Alternatively, you can enter Central Station from Chalmers Street (Exit 6) and access the Devonshire Street Tunnel from there.
If you’re not arriving via Central Station, you can walk to Railway Square (between George Street and Lee Street), take the escalators down, and you’ll arrive at the end of the tunnel, where the Goods Line starts.
Map
The map below shows the Goods Line and the Devonshire Street Tunnel.
A: Devonshire Street Tunnel
B: The Goods Line
The Cahill Walkway at Circular Quay.
About the Goods Line
The Goods Line has a rich history, much of which has been preserved in its current form. Before heading out to explore this urban walkway, it’s a good idea to learn a bit more about its past.
Rail Line
Once part of a busy freight rail system, the line began operating in the mid-19th century, running from Dulwich Hill to Sydney Central via large rail yards at Rozelle and Darling Harbour.
It was primarily used to transport wool, meat, and wheat into the area, but by 1984, the last official train had departed from Darling Harbour on the Goods Line.
In the years that followed, the line was occasionally used by steam locomotives to transport goods between the Powerhouse Museum and Darling Harbour.
Redevelopment
The Goods Line was once a stark industrial area. But with redevelopment, including the addition of educational, cultural, and media institutions, it has transformed into a vibrant urban hub with a welcoming atmosphere.
The pedestrian walkway features bike paths, table tennis tables, study pods, outdoor workspaces, playgrounds, and a striking bright yellow community table.
Remnants of the old train tracks have been preserved, and you can clearly see them as you walk along the Goods Line.
This project is often compared to New York’s High Line, a well-known urban renewal initiative that turned part of a historic Manhattan freight line into a public park and walkway.
Since its inception, the Goods Line has become a valued green space in Sydney, popular with office workers, students, and tourists alike.
It’s also a great spot to enjoy some quiet time, just steps away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The Walk
At just 0.8 km long, the Goods Line is a short stroll, but it’s a fantastic way to walk from Central Station to the Darling Square and Darling Harbour precincts.
This shared pedestrian and cycle path passes by key educational, cultural, and media institutions, including Sydney TAFE, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), the ABC, and the Powerhouse Museum.
About halfway through the walk, you’ll cross the Ultimo Road railway underbridge, the oldest iron bridge in Australia, built in 1879.
Today, the bridge features a large neon-lit The Goods Line sign, which looks especially striking at night when viewed from the road below.
The Ultimo Street signal box and interlocking machine at the bridge remained fully operational until the early 1980s. It’s fascinating to see just how much has changed in such a relatively short time.
One of the most striking buildings along the walkway is the Dr Chau Chak Wing Building at UTS.
Designed by renowned Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, it stands out for its unique and unconventional design.
Built using approximately 320,000 custom-designed bricks, this innovative structure has often been compared to a crumpled brown paper bag.
Nearby
When you’ve reached the northern end of the walkway, there are a few options to continue your walking adventure in Sydney.
1. Explore Chinatown:
Most global cities have a dedicated Chinatown, and Sydney is no different. Sydney’s Chinatown is a bustling part of the city, with many Asian grocers, noodle bars, charming food halls, yum cha restaurants, and regular markets.
To get there from the western end of the Goods Line, follow the light rail tracks into Hay St to Paddys Markets, and start exploring from there.
2. Have lunch in Darling Square:
Darling Square is a revitalised shopping and lifestyle precinct with plenty of cafes and eateries from fast food to fine dining.
3. Explore Darling Harbour and Barangaroo:
You can also spend the rest of the day in the much-loved Darling Harbour precinct with its many cafes, restaurants, playgrounds, and regular events.
Beyond Darling Harbour, you can continue walking to the vibrant Barangaroo area and the beautiful Barangaroo Reserve green space.
I absolutely love The Goods Line, it’s great on a weekend afternoon and it also makes a nice place to stroll through at night (after eating some dumplings in Chinatown of course).
I hope Sydney keeps on putting in things like this for folks to enjoy for free.
Completely agree!
I started at the Power House Museum and so the Goods Line was quite easy to find. I liked the majority of it although I was surprised how small the planting/shrubs were considering it was finished in 2015. The end as you approach it is awful! Ugly dead end with tall ugly, graffitied building and crappy tarmac. The words urban decay and menacing sprang to mind. If only they had designed and planted to the very end. A nice concept but underwhelming.
Hi Susanna, you’re making valid points. The Goods Line certainly isn’t perfect, and hopefully it will receive another upgrade at some point.
Hi there, great to hear about this urban rejuvenation project. I am a big fan of the Highline in NYC, and had no idea this even existed!
I just wondered if I am allowed to take my dog along this walkway? If he is on a lead, and of course, I clean up after any accidents?
Thanks,
Mike
Hi Mike, yes dogs are more than welcome on the Goods Line, have fun!
Hi there, just wondering if there are different access points to the walk and if it is open all the time?
Thanks.
Hi Martine, yes you can start The Goods Line also from the other end at Powerhouse Museum via Harris Street. Another good access point is from Mary Ann St next to the Dr Chau Chak Wing building. You can also access via the Ultimo Road railway underbridge. Good luck!
I’d read about the Goods Line, and as we were visiting the Powerhouse Museum I was hoping to see it. However, as we had two very small children we parked at the Novotel, so I thought we’d miss it. But who could miss that spectacular Frank Gehry building?! We loved the walk – didn’t have the opportunity to read the information hence researching on the internet. Husband very interested in the signal box (he’s a steam train enthusiast).
Ages of children precluded an extended visit to the museum but we’ll return on our next visit from the UK.
That’s awesome Dinah, so glad to hear you enjoyed the walk!
We enjoyed our stroll along the line today whilst visiting Sydney. It is certainly up to the standard of Manhattens skyline.
The only downside was we couldn’t find the beginning at central station and the red bus guy hadn’t heard of it! Some signage in and around George st / Pitt st say would be useful and of course the official Sydney map needs updating. We eventually found our way on at ultimate road so missed about 50% of the route.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Richard. It’s true that the start of the Goods Line can be a bit of a challenge to find.
Our group had no trouble, though we met under the clock at Central Interstate Railway Concourse, a well known meeting spot in Sydney.
We then walked out to the street level and veered left where we came to the steps leading down to the second part of the tunnel, which leads to the Goods Line, nice coffee shop inside the Paper Bag building and toilets, this is part of UTS and worth a vist. Lovely sculptures downstairs.
We then walk past the Powerhouse Museum (don’t follow the Darling Harbour sign) and go down past Wentworth Park Greyhound track, across parkland towards Fish Markets, more toilets. We then head around the foreshore at Pyrmont, past the Casino, you can get buses back from here to Central or continue and come out at the other side of Darling Harbour and catch a ferry to the Quay from there.
You could follow the signs at Darling Harbour to the Goods line and go back past the other side of the Powerhouse Museum and back onto the Goods line.
Thanks Fay, sounds like you had a fantastic day out in Sydney!
Thank you for posting about this walk. I took my 3 kids under 5 to the Powerhouse Museum yesterday. They really wanted to catch the train, so when I read about The Goods Line I thought I’d give it a try. It was really easy to find thanks to your instructions, plus there was a lot of reference to it on signs etc. It was an easy walk with kids and a pram.
Glad you liked it, Melanie. You’re right, the best way to get to Powerhouse Museum and Darling Harbour is via the Goods Line!
Couldn’t find the Goods Line Walkway from Central Station end. No signage at all. Was trying to walk along it to Powerhouse Museum, as your webpage encourages. No one we asked who worked at Central Station admitted to having heard of it, except one who said it was near the YHA. But he neglected to say there were two YHAs nearby (so we found out later), and the one we went to had no one behind the desk who’d heard if it.
Ended up packing on to the crowded light rail that everyone pointed out to us. The present set-up is not functional, and should be an embarrassment. Wasted 45 minutes for nothing. At the very least some (any!) simple basic signage, please. Previous comments indicate that this is by now an old complaint. Give someone a nudge or two in the ribs please.
Hi Ian,
Sorry to hear you had troubles locating the starting point of The Goods Line. Please note though that this website is not responsible for any signage, this is ultimately the City of Sydney council’s responsibility. All we can do is write about these walks and encourage people to go outdoors. I would recommend you write to the council and urge them to install some proper signage because, like you said, this is lacking a bit.
For others reading: exit Central station at South Concourse where the Devonshire tunnel starts. Go into the tunnel and walk all the way to the end and keep going straight into the second part of the tunnel. This will then flow into The Goods Line. You’ll see the old train track and also a big yellow UTS sign. If you’re not arriving via Central Station, you can also walk to the Railway Square entrance to Central Station which is at the end of the tunnel.
There is a small sign at Railway Square, but even if you miss it, just go down the stairs/escalators and you’ll find yourself in the Devonshire Street pedestrian tunnel. Then just keep walking west. It’s a nice way to get to Chinatown.
Thanks Andrew, and yes you’re right, the Goods Line is a great way to get to Chinatown and also to Darling Quarter and Darling Harbour.