CityRail Clearways Project
Encyclopedia
The CityRail Clearways Project is a $1.8 billion program of public works
on Sydney
's CityRail
suburban railway network to "untangle" the excessively intertwined and complicated rail network. The Government of New South Wales
has suffered heavy criticism for its perceived mishandling of the Sydney rail network - which had very poor on time performance following the Waterfall train disaster
in January 2003. The safety regime introduced after this crash required drivers to stick to the speed limit, which often caused delays due to the expectations of the timetable for higher speeds. A new slower timetable was introduced in September 2005, which significantly improved on time running. The clearways plan is intended to be the next step in improving on time performance.
Currently, delays on one part of the system can affect trains in a completely different section of the network, due to the heavily interwoven system in which infrastructure, carriages and services are shared between lines. The Clearways project aims to divide the network's fourteen metropolitan rail lines into five independent "clearways". This is intended to isolate incidents to one part of the network so other clearways will still run as scheduled, increasing on time performance. The clearways will feed the existing lines through the Central Business District. As the Carlingford Line does not run through the CBD, it is not included in any of the clearway routes. However, a Carlingford Line upgrade was included in the clearways project before being cancelled in the November 2008 Mini-Budget. The Cumberland Line is spread across Clearways 4 and 5. Intercity lines are not included in the project but may incur fewer delays as trains pass through the suburban area and benefit from the improved reliability of suburban services.
All projects were delivered by the Transport Construction Authority until November 2011, when TCA was subsumed by Transport for New South Wales
.
and Erskineville, where tracks are shared with the Bankstown line. As of 2006 almost all East Hills trains run via the Airport. After the Campbelltown express clearway opens, trains from the south west will again run via Sydenham. This requires dedicated tracks for the Bankstown line between Sydenham and Erskineville. St Peters and Erskineville railway stations are expected to continue to be served by the Bankstown line and will require new platforms. A new turnback platform will also be constructed at Lidcombe, separating the Bankstown line's operations from the Inner West line which will be truncated to Homebush.
via Sydenham and back again.
lines. Faster services from the South Line will begin at Glenfield
and make their way through Liverpool, Cabramatta, Granville, Lidcombe and Strathfield stations to the City Circle
. All-stations Inner West Line services to the City will start at Homebush. After passing through the City Circle, trains will head south-west via the Airport to Revesby (running parallel with the Campbelltown Express line from Wolli Creek to Revesby).
and Western
lines. It will improve reliability and capacity. Trains from the west will start from the Richmond
, Penrith
or Epping
branches, meet up at Strathfield and travel through the city to Chatswood. Here trains will split, either continuing up the North Shore line to Berowra, or via the Epping to Chatswood line to Hornsby.
, adding extra tracks
, stabling facilities, or upgrading junctions.
The projects include:
Cancelled projects include:
Public works
Public works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
on Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
's CityRail
CityRail
CityRail is an operating brand of RailCorp, a corporation owned by the state government of New South Wales, Australia. It is responsible for providing commuter rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. It is...
suburban railway network to "untangle" the excessively intertwined and complicated rail network. The Government of New South Wales
Government of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
has suffered heavy criticism for its perceived mishandling of the Sydney rail network - which had very poor on time performance following the Waterfall train disaster
Waterfall train disaster
The Waterfall rail accident was a train accident that occurred on 31 January 2003 near Waterfall, New South Wales, Australia. The train derailed, killing seven people aboard, including the train driver.-Incident:...
in January 2003. The safety regime introduced after this crash required drivers to stick to the speed limit, which often caused delays due to the expectations of the timetable for higher speeds. A new slower timetable was introduced in September 2005, which significantly improved on time running. The clearways plan is intended to be the next step in improving on time performance.
Currently, delays on one part of the system can affect trains in a completely different section of the network, due to the heavily interwoven system in which infrastructure, carriages and services are shared between lines. The Clearways project aims to divide the network's fourteen metropolitan rail lines into five independent "clearways". This is intended to isolate incidents to one part of the network so other clearways will still run as scheduled, increasing on time performance. The clearways will feed the existing lines through the Central Business District. As the Carlingford Line does not run through the CBD, it is not included in any of the clearway routes. However, a Carlingford Line upgrade was included in the clearways project before being cancelled in the November 2008 Mini-Budget. The Cumberland Line is spread across Clearways 4 and 5. Intercity lines are not included in the project but may incur fewer delays as trains pass through the suburban area and benefit from the improved reliability of suburban services.
All projects were delivered by the Transport Construction Authority until November 2011, when TCA was subsumed by Transport for New South Wales
Transport for New South Wales
Transport for New South Wales is an agency of the Government of New South Wales created on 1 November 2011 to manage the transport services in state of New South Wales, Australia....
.
Clearways routes
The five clearways routes are designed to improve capacity and help isolate operating problems. These routes are:Clearway 1: Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra
This route will not change from the current Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra line. The projects undertaken on this route have increased capacity.Clearway 2: Bankstown
After the Airport line was opened in 2000, most East Hills line trains used the new line to approach the city, easing congestion on the line between SydenhamSydenham railway station, Sydney
Sydenham railway station is a major interchange station located in the small Sydney suburb of Sydenham, serving the East Hills, Illawarra and Bankstown lines on the CityRail system. The Illawarra line platforms are also used by a very small number of South Coast line services. The station is...
and Erskineville, where tracks are shared with the Bankstown line. As of 2006 almost all East Hills trains run via the Airport. After the Campbelltown express clearway opens, trains from the south west will again run via Sydenham. This requires dedicated tracks for the Bankstown line between Sydenham and Erskineville. St Peters and Erskineville railway stations are expected to continue to be served by the Bankstown line and will require new platforms. A new turnback platform will also be constructed at Lidcombe, separating the Bankstown line's operations from the Inner West line which will be truncated to Homebush.
Clearway 3: Campbelltown Express
The Campbelltown Express Clearway will separate the section of the East Hills line west of Revesby from the inner section that line by quaduplicating between Kingsgrove and Revesby. This will allow more frequent express services to the City, relieve pressure on other parts of the network and improve the distribution of passengers. Trains will go from Macarthur through to Revesby then express through to the City CircleCity Circle
The City Circle is a system of largely underground passenger railway lines located in the central business district of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, that make up the heart of the Sydney passenger railway network. The lines are owned by RailCorp, a New South Wales government agency, and...
via Sydenham and back again.
Clearway 4: Airport and South
The Airport and South Clearway will feed the Inner West, East Hills and Airport, and SouthSouth railway line, Sydney
The South Line is a railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the CityRail suburban network...
lines. Faster services from the South Line will begin at Glenfield
Glenfield railway station, Sydney
Glenfield railway station is an important junction station serving the small Sydney suburb of Glenfield. To the north of the station is a junction between the Main South line and the East Hills Line. To the south, a junction between the Main South and South West lines will be constructed. The...
and make their way through Liverpool, Cabramatta, Granville, Lidcombe and Strathfield stations to the City Circle
City Circle
The City Circle is a system of largely underground passenger railway lines located in the central business district of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, that make up the heart of the Sydney passenger railway network. The lines are owned by RailCorp, a New South Wales government agency, and...
. All-stations Inner West Line services to the City will start at Homebush. After passing through the City Circle, trains will head south-west via the Airport to Revesby (running parallel with the Campbelltown Express line from Wolli Creek to Revesby).
Clearway 5: North West
North West Clearway will provide an independent corridor for the North Shore, NorthernNorthern railway line, Sydney
The Northern Line is part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney known as CityRail. It serves the northern suburbs of Sydney and the Lower North Shore, along with parts of the Inner West and the Hills District. The line utilises the Epping to Chatswood Line and parts of the Main Northern Line,...
and Western
Western railway line, Sydney
The Western Line is part of the CityRail metropolitan rail network in Sydney, and is the suburban section of the Main West line which connects Sydney with the west of New South Wales. It connects the Sydney CBD to the employment centre of Parramatta and the outer western suburbs, terminating at Emu...
lines. It will improve reliability and capacity. Trains from the west will start from the Richmond
Richmond railway station, Sydney
-Transport links:Westbus:*677 - to Penrith*678 - to Penrith*679 - to University of Western Sydney*680 - between Windsor and Kurrajong*682 - to Glossodia and Freemans Reach...
, Penrith
Penrith railway station, Sydney
Penrith railway station is a railway station on the CityRail network in New South Wales, Australia. Located in the Sydney suburb of Penrith, the station serves as a major interchange between Western line, Blue Mountains line trains. Western-bound CountryLink XPT and Xplorer services also stop here...
or Epping
Epping railway station, Sydney
Epping railway station is on the Northern Line of the CityRail network in Sydney, Australia. It serves the suburb of Epping, a significant commercial and residential area. Epping is a significant interchange station and is the western terminus of the Epping to Chatswood Line...
branches, meet up at Strathfield and travel through the city to Chatswood. Here trains will split, either continuing up the North Shore line to Berowra, or via the Epping to Chatswood line to Hornsby.
Projects
Many infrastructure upgrades need to be completed in order to implement the Clearways plan. These projects include upgrading stationsTrain station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
, adding extra tracks
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
, stabling facilities, or upgrading junctions.
The projects include:
| Project | Clearway | Opened |
|---|---|---|
| Berowra third platform | North West | October 2006 |
| Bondi Junction turnback and stabling sidings. | Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra | July 2006 |
| Carlingford Line passing loop at Rydalmere | N/A | Cancelled November 2008 |
| Erskineville-Sydenham six tracks | Bankstown, Campbelltown Express | Cancelled November 2008 |
| Homebush Turnback | Airport and South | March 2011 |
| Hornsby fifth platform | North West | March 2009 |
| Kingsgrove-Revesby Quadruplication includes second turnbck at Revesby |
Campbelltown Express, Airport and South | Under construction |
| Lidcombe Turnback | Bankstown | November 2010 |
| Liverpool Second Turnback | Bankstown | Under construction |
| Macarthur fourth platform and upgrade | Campbelltown Express | Stage one (upgrade) December 2010 |
| Macdonaldtown Turnback | Airport and South | December 2005 |
| Macdonaldtown Stabling | Airport and South | November 2007 |
| Quakers Hill-Vineyard Western railway line, Sydney The Western Line is part of the CityRail metropolitan rail network in Sydney, and is the suburban section of the Main West line which connects Sydney with the west of New South Wales. It connects the Sydney CBD to the employment centre of Parramatta and the outer western suburbs, terminating at Emu... Duplication |
North West | Schofields - Vineyard deferred Oct 2008 Quakers Hill - Schofields: October 2011 |
| Revesby Turnback | Airport and South | December 2008 |
| Sutherland-Cronulla Duplication | Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra | April 2010 |
Resignalling
- Sefton - completed Jan 2006.
- Oatley-Sutherland-Cronulla - completed April 2010.
- North SydneyNorth SydneyNorth Sydney may refer to:*North Sydney Council, a Local government area in Sydney*North Sydney, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney, Australia*Division of North Sydney, an electoral division serving the suburb...
-St LeonardsSt Leonards- Places :in the United Kingdom:*St Leonards, Buckinghamshire*St Leonards, Dorset*St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex*St Leonards, East Kilbride*St Leonards, Edinburgh*St Leonards railway station*St Leonard's , Lambeth, London...
Other
Other projects not officially part of the Rail Clearways program that will also improve the suburban passenger network include:- Epping to Chatswood Line - opened 2009.
- South West Rail LinkSouth West railway line, SydneyThe South West Rail Link is an extension of the CityRail commuter rail network in Sydney, Australia. It is currently under construction and is intended to be the major piece of public transport infrastructure for the Sydney metropolitan area's "South West Growth Centre"...
- under construction. - Southern Sydney Freight LineSouthern Sydney Freight LineThe Southern Sydney Freight Line is a railway line under construction in the south-western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. At present, a curfew for non-passenger trains operates in the suburban area during peak hours, restricting the movement of freight to off-peak periods...
by the Australian Rail Track CorporationAustralian Rail Track CorporationAustralian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...
- will give freight services their own dedicated line through southern Sydney. Under construction. - North West Rail Link
- North Strathfield to Hornsby freight facilities including refuge loops and quadruplication.
Cancelled projects include:
- Redfern to Chatswood line - announced in 2005 cancelled in 2008.
- CBD Relief LineCBD Relief LineThe CBD Relief Line was a proposed underground railway line through the Sydney central business district. The line was intended to augment the existing city underground network and ease congestion at some of the city's busiest stations...
- announced in 2010 cancelled in 2011 following a change of Government.
External links
- CityRail Rail Clearways Plan Official info on the Clearways Project
- Photo gallery showing construction of Rail Clearways projects