Light at the end of Sydney’s secret train tunnels: St James Historical Walking Tour to commence later this year
February 28, 2025
Abandoned train tunnels 20 metres below the Sydney CBD have been turned into a historic tourist hotspot after a million-dollar makeover by the NSW Government.
Built in the 1920s, visitors will be able to explore hidden parts of the St James Tunnels following restoration and revitalisation works to create a unique underground experience.
St James Tunnels will combine a historical walking tour with an immersive multimedia and soundscape attraction, offering visitors a snapshot of our city’s transport and wartime past.
Once utilised as a World War II air raid shelter, tour groups will be able to walk through the disused southern tunnel, extending under Hyde Park, from busy St James station.
The tunnels were part of visionary engineer John Bradfield’s intended east-west rail corridor, but this was abandoned in the face of the Great Depression and disagreements over rail routes.
Two of the constructed tunnels at St James station have been in continuous use as part of the City Circle since opening in 1926, but the other two were never put into active service.
The abandoned tunnels extend some distance in either direction from St James. To the north is a double-track tunnel which proceeds for some 250 metres under Macquarie Street to be roughly parallel with the State Library; to the south two single-track tunnels extend to Whitlam Square at the intersection of Liverpool and College Streets.
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One of the disused platforms. When the station was first constructed, the public could access these platforms but they have since been walled off from the rest of the station. Photo: Beau Giles from Sydney
The southern tunnels were modified during World War II to serve as a public air raid shelter. The abandoned air raid shelter begins in the single track section of the southern end of the station and continues into the two single track tunnels beyond. At the station end the air raid shelter is protected by a blast curtain and the doorways and openings for ventilation between the chambers, each about 30 metres long, are protected by blast curtains.
Crowds leaving a shelter in Hyde Park after the 'all clear' has been given c1942. Image courtesy of the State Library of Victoria [H99.201/3739](Argus Newspaper Collection of Photographs)
The tunnels were also used during World War II as an operations bunker by the No. 1 Fighter Sector RAAF. The bunker was located in what was intended to be the City Inner Tunnel, access to which was provided by a wooden staircase in a shaft leading upward to Shakespeare Place. Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) personnel housed in this operations bunker collected information from radar and weather stations, as well as reports on air traffic, ship and troop movements collected from airports, army and Volunteer Air Observer Corps reporting posts. This section of tunnel was constructed using a cut and cover technique outside St James station, and connects to the tunnels in St James through pilot tunnels, accessible via ladder.
As air quality in the tunnel was poor, WAAAF shifts were limited to six hours. Eventually the health of the WAAAF personnel declined due to poor air quality or poor food, so operations were relocated first to The Capital Theatre in Bankstown, and subsequently to the Bankstown Bunker on Black Charlies Hill near Condell Park.
The staircase used to access the bunker was destroyed by fire on 16 November 1968 with smoke from this fire interrupting train services for hours.
From 1933 to 1934, the City Inner tunnel between St James and Circular Quay was used by Raymond Mas as the location for an experimental mushroom farm producing 4,500 kilograms (10,000 lb) of mushrooms per month.
The end of the northern tunnel flooded and produced an underground lake, 10 metres (33 ft) wide, 5 metres (16 ft) deep, and 1 kilometre (3,300 ft) long. Known as St James Lake, it is off limits to the public. In recent years, due to drought and diminishing water supplies in underground aquifers, there have been a number of proposals for how to use the abandoned tunnels and other underground spaces for storage and recycling of water.
In the mid-2000s, Ian Kiernan proposed that an abandoned water tunnel, Busby's Bore, be redirected to St James Lake where water could be stored and recycled. Busby's Bore was originally used to carry water from nearby swamps to the Hyde Park area, but was abandoned for that purpose in the 1890s after becoming contaminated by sewage. In 2004 the idea of recycling the water from the bore received support from the executive director of the Botanical Gardens Trust, Tim Entwisle.
During 2006, it was proposed that the northern unused tunnels be used as a reservoir for irrigation water for The Domain and the Royal Botanic Gardens as part of a Clean Up Australia project to create a series of water reclamation and storage facilities. Clean Up Australia partnered with a number of groups in the attempt to move the project forward, and in 2007 obtained funding to proceed.
The tunnels which had been prepared as an air raid shelter were also used by ABC TV as a location for one episode of the TV series Police Rescue in the early 1990s. In the episode, a boy who had fallen down a storm drain is rescued.
The platforms were used as a shooting location in 2003 film The Matrix Revolutions.
In 2008, the station was used as a location for the mini-series False Witness. The platforms featured in Zoë Badwi's 2010 music video Freefallin. In 2011, The Tunnel was filmed in the abandoned tunnels.
Experience-led tourism is a key priority of the NSW Government, with plans to help transform the state’s visitor economy into a $91 billion powerhouse by 2035.
The St James Tunnels tour is expected to be a visitor drawcard, similar to award-winning attractions in London which explore disused tube stations and secret wartime shelters.
The tour is anticipated to run several times a day and will be suitable for visitors aged 13 and above. Once an operator is appointed, tours are expected to commence later this year.
Minister for Transport John Graham said:
“These historic tunnels are more than just infrastructure; they are an expression of Sydney’s development as a modern, international city. These tunnels belong to the people of NSW, so it’s fantastic news that they’ll become another of our city’s great public spaces.
“Tours like Bridgeclimb on the Harbour Bridge are now a must-do experience for Sydney locals and visitors alike. In time, we want to see tours of the St James tunnels become just as popular.
“I want to congratulate the teams who worked so hard underground in a difficult environment to preserve the heritage of the site and reimagine it into an exciting and educational experience.
TAM Chief Executive Lyndal Punch said:
“Transport Asset Manager of NSW (TAM) is proud to be leading this innovative project, unlocking a disused, historic rail asset while using multimedia technology to tell the story of Sydney’s city railway development.
“This new visitor attraction will ensure the stories of the past continue to inspire future generations.”
Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said:
“We are very excited be part of this unique transport project which is turning a once disused and unseen heritage site into a fascinating, interactive and educational visitor experience.
“The St James Tunnels are a window into our transport past, a snapshot of World War II history, and the efforts of the workers who built Sydney’s transport infrastructure.”
Elizabeth Street building and entrance, July 2023. Photo: Windmemories.