in the late 1920s it was decided by the then new south wales government that a railway line was needed between moss vale and wollongong to get freight trains from southern locations directly to port kembla and away from the increasing passenger train services in southern and south western sydney. a right of way was surveyed from unanderra just south of wollongong through the southern part of farmborough heights on a gradient of 1 in 33 to moss vale.