Northern Sydney Freight Corridor
Encyclopedia
The Northern Sydney Freight Corridor is a proposal to improve access between Sydney
and Newcastle
for freight trains. Frequent passenger services operate on the Main Northern Line between North Strathfield and Broadmeadow. These passenger services take priority, meaning freight trains can be delayed and are subject to a curfew during peak passenger train hours. The Northern Sydney Freight Corridor aims to reduce delays, reduce the length of the curfew and increase capacity by providing additional train paths. The development of the NSFC will be managed by Transport for New South Wales
on behalf of the Australian Government.
there is a quadruplicated section of track used by express passenger trains to overtake all stations passenger trains in addition to its use by freight trains. Between Pennant Hills and Thornleigh there are two extra tracks, but these are too short for 1500m trains. The Main Northern line has seen two upgrades as part of the CityRail Clearways Project
. An additional platform was opened at Berowra in 2006, and in 2009 an additional platform and passing loop was opened at Hornsby for the recent opening of the Epping to Chatswood Railway Line. These allow overtaking of terminating suburban trains. There are also several refuges for freight trains between Hornsby and Broadmeadow.
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...
and Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
for freight trains. Frequent passenger services operate on the Main Northern Line between North Strathfield and Broadmeadow. These passenger services take priority, meaning freight trains can be delayed and are subject to a curfew during peak passenger train hours. The Northern Sydney Freight Corridor aims to reduce delays, reduce the length of the curfew and increase capacity by providing additional train paths. The development of the NSFC will be managed 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....
on behalf of the Australian Government.
Existing infrastructure
In addition to the two main tracks, there is an extra Down (northbound) line from North Strathfield to Rhodes and a disused extra Up (southbound) track from Concord West to North Strathfield. Between West Ryde and EppingEpping 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...
there is a quadruplicated section of track used by express passenger trains to overtake all stations passenger trains in addition to its use by freight trains. Between Pennant Hills and Thornleigh there are two extra tracks, but these are too short for 1500m trains. The Main Northern line has seen two upgrades as part of the CityRail Clearways Project
CityRail Clearways Project
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...
. An additional platform was opened at Berowra in 2006, and in 2009 an additional platform and passing loop was opened at Hornsby for the recent opening of the Epping to Chatswood Railway Line. These allow overtaking of terminating suburban trains. There are also several refuges for freight trains between Hornsby and Broadmeadow.