As soon as the line was extended over the Blue Mountains, Penrith became an important railway centre where locomotives and crews were changed and passengers took refreshments.

The only other known metropolitan examples of standard two-storey residences were constructed at Lithgow, Newcastle and Lavender Bay demonstrating the importance of these locations as major terminus stations on the network.

In 1926 it was strengthened with steel bracing and continued in service after the 1956 electrification of the line to serve those locomotives using the coal stage until at least 1970, even though the main depot had by then closed.

All remnants of the locomotive depot have been removed except the turntable, which is now physically isolated from the remainder of the network of tracks in the yard.

The water tank was erected to serve the expanding traffic needs for the Penrith Station, an important locomotive service stop prior to the Blue Mountains ascent.

The original central building remains relatively unchanged and maintains its wide awning supported on cast iron turned posts and decorative brackets though roofing has been replaced with metal sheeting.

The floor layout remains essentially the same and used for staff meal and communication purposes with ticket office on the Up end of the building.

A flat roofed brick wing is attached to the Down end of the main 1863 station building and accommodates staff toilets and appears to have been an early addition.

The roadside elevation of the building is asymmetric and is characterised by a series of tall multi-paned window openings with cement rendered decorative architraves around and a group of two arched windows on the projecting bay, and a pitched timber framed awning supported on timber post to the recessed bay.

The interior of the waiting hall has been modified with only two corner columns with moulded plaster capitals and a cast iron turned post remaining from the original features.

[3] Internal: The signal box is relatively intact with its equipment including CTC panel, communication and control desk, and staff instruments.

[3] The Belmore Street (front) elevation has a centrally located entrance door with transom above and two vertically proportioned double-hung sash timber windows with rendered sills on both sides.

The majority of the rendered walls show significant paint deterioration and flaking indicating rising damp issues in some rooms.

Modern station furniture including timber bench seating, lighting, glass and metal canopies supported on steel columns with concrete footings, vending machines and aluminium fencing are other features of the Platforms.

The existing footbridge is essentially a contemporary design glass and steel structure with overhead concourse and stairs and lifts to each platform and amenities below.

It consists of cast iron with a 90,922 litres (20,000 imp gal) storage capacity single tier tank forming the top of the tower.

A steel inspection ladder is located on the west side of the tower that enabled access to the tank for maintenance purposes.

However, study of the current aerial images of the railway yard provides enough evidence that the turntable is still in the similar form of its last inspection made in 2001.

[3] It is a cast iron and steel manual operation turntable centrally pivoted with each end moving on a circular rail line.

[3] While losing its historical context with the removal of the loco depot structures, the turntable itself is virtually intact with a significant sandstone wall.

[3] Penrith railway station was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.

The Signal Box is historically important as evidence of Penrith Station's role in providing assistance to the management of the increased railway traffic between Sydney and the Blue Mountains since 1956.

The historical visual link between the station and the residence is important, which remains relatively intact today with some interruption by the adjoining ancillary building to the west.

[3] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

They feature typical design characteristics of such roadside railway station buildings in the 1860s and 1890s, such as a large central brick building flanked by attached wing, simple hip roofs with multiple brick chimneys, a symmetrical layout and platform awning supported on cast iron columns with decorative bracketing.

It is an unusual example of post World War II period Functionalist style railway signal boxes due to its polygonal signal tower and flat roofed stepped down wing featuring multi-paned glazing to Up, Down and rail side elevations of the control room of the tower, and a polygonal hipped and tiled roof with wide eaves.

It is a simply detailed symmetrical building demonstrating the construction techniques of the late 19th-century "type 4" railway residences, where aesthetic qualities and embellishments were restricted due to a balance between status and financial restraint.

[3] The place has potential to yield information that will contribute to an understanding of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

[3] The place possesses uncommon, rare or endangered aspects of the cultural or natural history of New South Wales.

Penrith Station Group features a number of rare items including a filler spout and water column, which are one of a few such facilities remaining in operating condition on the system.