Rockdale railway station is located on the Illawarra railway line serving the southern Sydney suburb of Rockdale, the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Rockdale. It consists of five platforms, only four of which are currently in use. Located nearby are sidings for permanent way maintenance vehicles. The station sits beside a major State Transit Authority bus interchange. Sydney government bus routes such as 400, 410, 476, 477, 478, 479 and 492 serve the station.
The station opened on 15 October 1884 as two side platforms . In 1907, the platforms were lengthened and the Down Main platform made into an island platform and the track moved to the down side of the island. The Up track was diverted to the former Down face of that island. The old up track became an Up refuge siding.
In 1908, the former up platform was converted to an island platform and an additional track laid along its western face. Rockdale now had four platform numbers. In 1923, a back platform was erected, the lines from Wolli Creek to Rockdale were quadruplicated and the level crossing at Frederick Street was replaced by a bridge
In February 1993 Rockdale Signal Box was abolished. Its frame consisted of a combination of pistol grip and large mechanical levers, the last example in New South Wales.
Trains to the city leave from platforms 2 and 4, trains travelling away from the city stop at platforms 3 and 5. Outside of peak hours and on weekends, trains almost exclusively depart from platforms 4 and 5. With the May 2006 timetable the station is now included on the South Coast Line timetable.