Railways in Sydney
Encyclopedia
Sydney
, the largest city in Australia
, has an extensive network of passenger and freight railways. The passenger network is a hybrid metro
-suburban railway with a central underground
core running at metro
style frequencies, which branches out into a suburban commuter type network. The system also carries freight, and there is a separate network of freight lines, some of which are disused.
Passenger service is operated in Sydney by RailCorp under the CityRail
brand. Trains operate for 20 hours a day, and over 1 million weekday passenger journeys are made on 2365 daily services over 2080 km of track and through 306 stations (including interurban lines). Suburban services operates along the portions of the main lines from Sydney to the north, west, south and south-west, and also along several dedicated suburban lines. All of these lines are electrified at overhead 1500 V DC, starting in 1926.
Most suburban services operate through central Sydney via the underground City Circle (a horseshoe-shaped line), the Eastern Suburbs underground line, or over the Harbour Bridge
. There are long term plans for a new underground line passing beneath Pitt Street
to a new harbour crossing (known as MetroPitt), and a long-standing concept for a new underground line that will pass down the western side of the central business district (known as MetroWest). Whether either of these will be built remains to be seen.
Timetables are published for all lines, and most lines run on headways of 15 minutes in peak periods, half-hourly off-peak and weekends. Headways are closer over shared routes. Although frequencies match metro
style operation in the city core, few Sydneysiders use the underground network as a metro, most journeys being commuter trips from suburbs into the central city area. An exception to this is the Eastern Suburbs line which serves the high density inner eastern suburbs and opened in 1979.
In March 2008, the NSW State Government announced the proposed construction of the North West Metro
between the CBD and the Hills District of north-west Sydney, 34 km long with 17 stations. This line may be the first of several new metro-style passenger lines.
All suburban passenger trains in Sydney are double-deck electric multiple unit
s. Upon electrification in the 1920s Sydney operated single-deck multiple units but these were progressively withdrawn from the 1960s until their final demise in 1993. Single-deck cars may be reintroduced if the proposed 'metro' lines are constructed.
in the southwest closed in 1994 and has since been demolished. These four depots were all built and opened with the opening of electrified services in the 1920s.
Heavy maintenance of passenger cars was carried out at the Suburban Car Workshops at Redfern
, now closed. Heavy maintenance is now contracted out to Maintrain, a private company with workshops at Clyde
. All M (known as "Millennium") and H (known as "Oscar", for Outer Suburban CAR) Sets are maintained at Eveleigh Depot, which is located near Redfern.
The major interstate freight routes are the Main Southern
and Main North
lines, with the Illawarra
and Main Western
lines serving lineside industries and as alternate interstate routes. In the inner city area the Metropolitan Goods Lines connects major freight terminals to the main passenger lines, but expansion of the network has not followed that of the suburban services. The Southern Sydney Freight Line
is underway to connect the western end of the Metropolitan Goods Lines to the Main South at a point beyond the suburban services.
The main traffic is containerised freight
. The main intermodal terminal are at Camellia
, Leightonfield
, Yennora
and Minto
. Interstate train to Sydney terminals are up to 1500 metres long, while short-haul container trains from the terminals to the Port Botany seaport
are around 600 metres long. Coal services to Port Kembla
are another major traffic. Freight operators include Pacific National
, QRNational, Independent Rail
, Australian Railroad Group
, Southern and Silverton Rail and Patrick Port Logistics
.
was opened between Sydney
and Parramatta in 1855. This railway formed the basis of the New South Wales railways and was owned by the government. Passenger and freight services were operated from the beginning. By 1880, there was half hourly service to Homebush
.
In 1884, the railway opened from Strathfield to Hornsby. The North Shore line opened in 1893 to a harbour side station at Milson's Point, and was originally built because parliament thought it would be a shorter route for country produce from the north to Sydney Harbour (a role it has never fulfilled). Sydney's first deliberately suburban railway was a line to Belmore which opened in 1896 and was soon extended to Bankstown
.
Sydney's suburban passenger service was severely hampered by the inconvenient location of its city terminus, at a site south of Devonshire Street. Most of Sydney's population was well served by trams
, and the suburban railways had relatively little initial role to play. This was to change in the 1920s.
The railway system as it exists today is really the result of the vision and foresight of John Bradfield, one of Australia
's most respected and famous civil engineers. He was involved in the design and construction of Sydney underground railways
in the 1920s and 1930s, but he is more famous for the associated design and construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
.
The electrification of the passenger network began in 1926 with the first suburban electric service running between Sydney's Central Station
and the suburb of Oatley approximately 20 km south of Sydney
. In the same year, the first underground railway was constructed from Central Station to St James in Sydney's CBD . Electric trains that had previously terminated at the Central Station continued north, diving underground at the Goulburn Street tunnel portal, stopping at Museum underground station and then terminating at St James.
Other lines were quickly electrified soon after. Also, in conjunction with the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
which opened in 1932, an additional underground line in downtown Sydney was constructed, connecting the North Shore line with Central Station
via two downtown stations - Town Hall and Wynyard
. It was only in 1956 that the two CBD lines were linked via the Circular Quay viaduct, which allowed services to make a continuous run through the city and return to the suburbs without having to terminate.
New electrified lines were built:
. RailCorp operates passenger trains under the Cityrail
brand, and long distance trains run through Sydney under the Countrylink
brand.
RailCorp was formed on 1 January 2004 by the merger of the State Rail Authority (SRA) and the metropolitan functions of the Rail Infrastructure Corporation. Until 1972, railways in NSW were operated by the New South Wales Government Railways
until this department was replaced by the Public Transport Commission
(PTC), which was also responsible for bus and ferry services. In 1980 the PTC was broken up into the State Rail Authority
, responsible for rail services, and the Urban Transit Authority (UTA), responsible for bus and ferry services. The UTA later became the State Transit Authority
.
In 2001, the State Rail Authority had its 'above track' operations separated from its track ownership and maintenance operations. The track maintenance operations and track ownership were moved to the new Rail Infrastructure Corporation
(RIC). However this separation into a horizontally operated rail system was criticised for the passing of blame for rail delays and accidents between authorities, and in 2004 railways in Sydney became a vertically operated system again with the creation of Railcorp, a fusion of the State Rail Authority and the urban sections of the RIC.
, with a distance
of between the rails.
Several enhancement projects are underway as part of the Rail Clearways programme, the largest of which is a quadruplication of the East Hills line between Kingsgrove and Revesby.
From the top of the northern stair to platform 10 at Redfern Station it is possible to view the unfinished structure for the low-level "up" (toward Central) Southern Suburbs platforms. The associated never-used tunnels are quite complex. Immediately to your left is the (surface level) stub tunnel for the "down" Southern Suburbs track. This short tunnel exits on the northern side of Lawson Street road bridge. There are at least nine railway tunnels under the suburb of Redfern: some in use, some never used.
Platforms 26 and 27 at Central lie above the Eastern Suburbs Railway platforms and have never been used for trains. Like St. James station, these stations have stub tunnels, although they are much shorter.
There are two tunnels for the old Pyrmont goods line, not part of the passenger railway system. One runs underneath Railway Square, between the Central station railway yards and the Powerhouse Museum
, the other underneath Glebe
. The first tunnel is now only used to service the Powerhouse Museum, but the old railway from the Powerhouse Museum
to Lilyfield, including Glebe tunnel, has been converted to form part of the Metro Light Rail
line from Central station (see Metropolitan Goods Line).
Also of interest is a tunnel connecting the Eveleigh rail yards, on the southern side of the main line, to the northern side of the main line, just past Redfern.
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...
, the largest city in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, has an extensive network of passenger and freight railways. The passenger network is a hybrid metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
-suburban railway with a central underground
Sydney underground railways
Sydney, Australia has several sections of underground railway. These sections of railway are extensions of suburban main line services and are not a completely segregated true metro system. The underground sections, especially the City Circle, typically have frequent services...
core running at metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
style frequencies, which branches out into a suburban commuter type network. The system also carries freight, and there is a separate network of freight lines, some of which are disused.
Passenger service
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...
brand. Trains operate for 20 hours a day, and over 1 million weekday passenger journeys are made on 2365 daily services over 2080 km of track and through 306 stations (including interurban lines). Suburban services operates along the portions of the main lines from Sydney to the north, west, south and south-west, and also along several dedicated suburban lines. All of these lines are electrified at overhead 1500 V DC, starting in 1926.
Most suburban services operate through central Sydney via the underground City Circle (a horseshoe-shaped line), the Eastern Suburbs underground line, or over the Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
. There are long term plans for a new underground line passing beneath Pitt Street
Pitt Street, Sydney
Pitt Street is a major street in central Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The street runs through the entire city centre from Circular Quay in the north to Waterloo, although today's street is in two disjointed sections after a substantial stretch of it was removed to make way for Sydney's...
to a new harbour crossing (known as MetroPitt), and a long-standing concept for a new underground line that will pass down the western side of the central business district (known as MetroWest). Whether either of these will be built remains to be seen.
Timetables are published for all lines, and most lines run on headways of 15 minutes in peak periods, half-hourly off-peak and weekends. Headways are closer over shared routes. Although frequencies match metro
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
style operation in the city core, few Sydneysiders use the underground network as a metro, most journeys being commuter trips from suburbs into the central city area. An exception to this is the Eastern Suburbs line which serves the high density inner eastern suburbs and opened in 1979.
In March 2008, the NSW State Government announced the proposed construction of the North West Metro
North West Metro
North West Metro was a proposal for a rail link from the north west suburbs of Sydney, Australia to the Sydney CBD. It would have connected Rouse Hill with Epping and the Sydney CBD...
between the CBD and the Hills District of north-west Sydney, 34 km long with 17 stations. This line may be the first of several new metro-style passenger lines.
Rollingstock
All suburban passenger trains in Sydney are double-deck electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s. Upon electrification in the 1920s Sydney operated single-deck multiple units but these were progressively withdrawn from the 1960s until their final demise in 1993. Single-deck cars may be reintroduced if the proposed 'metro' lines are constructed.
Depots
Electric cars are maintained at depots at Hornsby in the northern suburbs, Mortdale in the southern suburbs, and Flemington in the western suburbs. A depot at PunchbowlPunchbowl, New South Wales
Punchbowl, a suburb of local government areas City of Bankstown and the City of Canterbury is located 17 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, and is a part of the South-western Sydney region.- History :Punchbowl is named for a...
in the southwest closed in 1994 and has since been demolished. These four depots were all built and opened with the opening of electrified services in the 1920s.
Heavy maintenance of passenger cars was carried out at the Suburban Car Workshops at Redfern
Redfern, New South Wales
Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Redfern is 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, now closed. Heavy maintenance is now contracted out to Maintrain, a private company with workshops at Clyde
Clyde, New South Wales
Clyde is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Clyde is located 21 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Parramatta...
. All M (known as "Millennium") and H (known as "Oscar", for Outer Suburban CAR) Sets are maintained at Eveleigh Depot, which is located near Redfern.
Freight services
Freight services operate over most of the suburban railway lines in Sydney, however due to the high frequency of passenger services and the lack of freight only tracks, there is a curfew on freight movements during peak hours.The major interstate freight routes are the Main Southern
Main Southern railway line, New South Wales
The Main Southern Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and the Riverina regions.- Description of route :...
and Main North
Main North railway line, New South Wales
The Main North Line is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Central Coast, Hunter and the New England regions. The line was the original main line between Sydney and Brisbane, however this required a change of gauge at Wallangarra...
lines, with the Illawarra
South Coast railway line, New South Wales
The South Coast Line is in the intercity region of Sydney's CityRail services. It serves the coastal region to the south of the Sydney metropolitan area including the Illawarra region, most notably the regional city of Wollongong, and extended services reach as far as Nowra in Shoalhaven.- Line...
and Main Western
Main Western railway line, New South Wales
The Main Western Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Blue Mountains, Central West, North West Slopes and the Far West regions.- Description of route :...
lines serving lineside industries and as alternate interstate routes. In the inner city area the Metropolitan Goods Lines connects major freight terminals to the main passenger lines, but expansion of the network has not followed that of the suburban services. The Southern Sydney Freight Line
Southern Sydney Freight Line
The 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...
is underway to connect the western end of the Metropolitan Goods Lines to the Main South at a point beyond the suburban services.
The main traffic is containerised freight
Containerization
Containerization is a system of freight transport based on a range of steel intermodal containers...
. The main intermodal terminal are at Camellia
Camellia, New South Wales
Camellia is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Camellia is located 23 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Parramatta.-History:...
, Leightonfield
Leightonfield, New South Wales
Leightonfield is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is serviced by Cityrail and various bus routes. Leightonfield's postcode is 2163....
, Yennora
Yennora, New South Wales
Yennora is a suburb of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Yennora is located 29 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Fairfield and is part of the Greater Western Sydney region....
and Minto
Minto, New South Wales
Minto is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Minto is located 48 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Campbelltown and is part of the Macarthur region.-History:...
. Interstate train to Sydney terminals are up to 1500 metres long, while short-haul container trains from the terminals to the Port Botany seaport
Port Botany (seaport)
Port Botany is a deepwater seaport located in Botany Bay in Sydney, Australia. The port is dominated by trade in containerised manufactured products, and to a lesser bulk liquid imports including petroleum and natural gas...
are around 600 metres long. Coal services to Port Kembla
Port Kembla, New South Wales
Port Kembla is a suburb of Wollongong 8 km south of the CBD and part of the Illawarra region of New South Wales. The suburb comprises a seaport, industrial complex , a small harbour foreshore nature reserve, and a small commercial sector. It is situated on the tip of Red Point, first sighted...
are another major traffic. Freight operators include Pacific National
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
, QRNational, Independent Rail
Independent Rail of Australia
Independent Rail of Australia is an accredited railway freight operator in New South Wales, Australia.-History and Fleet:Originally known as Lachlan Valley Rail Freight , the company changed names in 2007 and is based in Minto in Sydney's southwest.The Independent Rail owned fleet initially...
, Australian Railroad Group
Australian Railroad Group
Australian Railroad Group was one of Australia's largest private rail operators, operating across almost 10,000 kilometres of track and began operating in Western Australia on 17 December 2000 following its purchase of the Westrail freight business. It was acquired by QR National...
, Southern and Silverton Rail and Patrick Port Logistics
Patrick Corporation
Patrick Corporation Ltd was an Australian publicly listed logistics conglomerate. Headed by CEO Chris Corrigan before it was absorbed by Toll Holdings in 2006, Patrick had interests in shipping, rail and aviation, including a 62% shareholding in airline Virgin Blue...
.
History
The first railway in SydneySydney
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...
was opened between Sydney
Central railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
and Parramatta in 1855. This railway formed the basis of the New South Wales railways and was owned by the government. Passenger and freight services were operated from the beginning. By 1880, there was half hourly service to Homebush
Homebush, New South Wales
Homebush is an inner western suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Homebush is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Strathfield. Homebush West and Homebush Bay are separate suburbs...
.
In 1884, the railway opened from Strathfield to Hornsby. The North Shore line opened in 1893 to a harbour side station at Milson's Point, and was originally built because parliament thought it would be a shorter route for country produce from the north to Sydney Harbour (a role it has never fulfilled). Sydney's first deliberately suburban railway was a line to Belmore which opened in 1896 and was soon extended to Bankstown
Bankstown, New South Wales
Bankstown is a suburb of south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bankstown is located 20 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Bankstown.-History:Prior to European...
.
Sydney's suburban passenger service was severely hampered by the inconvenient location of its city terminus, at a site south of Devonshire Street. Most of Sydney's population was well served by trams
Trams in Sydney
The Sydney tramway network once served Sydney, the capital city of New South Wales, Australia. In its heyday, it was the largest in Australia, the second largest in the Commonwealth , and one of the largest in the world. It was extremely intensively worked, with about 1,600 cars in service at any...
, and the suburban railways had relatively little initial role to play. This was to change in the 1920s.
The railway system as it exists today is really the result of the vision and foresight of John Bradfield, one of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's most respected and famous civil engineers. He was involved in the design and construction of Sydney underground railways
Sydney underground railways
Sydney, Australia has several sections of underground railway. These sections of railway are extensions of suburban main line services and are not a completely segregated true metro system. The underground sections, especially the City Circle, typically have frequent services...
in the 1920s and 1930s, but he is more famous for the associated design and construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
.
The electrification of the passenger network began in 1926 with the first suburban electric service running between Sydney's Central Station
Central railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
and the suburb of Oatley approximately 20 km south of 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...
. In the same year, the first underground railway was constructed from Central Station to St James in Sydney's CBD . Electric trains that had previously terminated at the Central Station continued north, diving underground at the Goulburn Street tunnel portal, stopping at Museum underground station and then terminating at St James.
Other lines were quickly electrified soon after. Also, in conjunction with the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
which opened in 1932, an additional underground line in downtown Sydney was constructed, connecting the North Shore line with Central Station
Central railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
via two downtown stations - Town Hall and Wynyard
Wynyard railway station, Sydney
Wynyard is a major underground CityRail station in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, 2.05 km from Central. Wynyard averages 108000 passenger movements per day Monday to Friday.-History:The station opened on 28 February 1932...
. It was only in 1956 that the two CBD lines were linked via the Circular Quay viaduct, which allowed services to make a continuous run through the city and return to the suburbs without having to terminate.
Electrification timeline
- 1926 - Illawarra line to Royal National ParkRoyal National ParkRoyal National Park is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 29 km south of Sydney CBD.Founded by Sir John Robertson, Acting Premier of New South Wales, and formally proclaimed on 26 April 1879, it is the world's second oldest purposed national park, the first usage of the term...
. - 1926 - Bankstown line.
- 1927 - North Shore line.
- 1929 - Western lineWestern railway line, SydneyThe 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...
to Parramatta. - 1929 - Northern lineNorthern railway line, SydneyThe 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,...
(Strathfield to Hornsby). - 1929 - South lineSouth railway line, SydneyThe South Line is a railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the CityRail suburban network...
to Liverpool. - 1936 - Carlingford line from Clyde to Rosehill.
- 1955 - Parramatta to PenrithPenrith railway station, SydneyPenrith 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...
. - 1957 - Penrith to Lithgow.
- 1959 - Rosehill to Carlingford.
- 1959 - Hornsby to Cowan.
- 1960 - Cowan to Gosford.
- 1968 - Liverpool to Campbelltown
- 1975 - Blacktown to Riverstone.
- 1980 - LoftusLoftus railway station, Sydney-Transport links:Veolia Transport runs two routes via Loftus station:*991 - between Sutherland and Heathcote*992 - between Miranda and Engadine-Neighbouring stations:-References:...
to WaterfallWaterfall railway station, SydneyWaterfall railway station is a Sydney railway station serving the suburb of Waterfall, New South Wales and is the last stop of the suburban section of the Illawarra line. Waterfall station also provides access to Camp Coutts, a large Scout campsite. The station opened in 1886, moving to its present...
. - 1982 - Gosford to Wyong.
- 1984 - Wyong to Newcastle.
- 1985 - Waterfall to Port Kembla.
- 1985 - Macarthur station opened.
- 1991 - Riverstone to Richmond.
- 1996 - ConistonConiston railway station, New South Wales-Transport links:Premier Illawarra runs five routes via Coniston railway station:*10 - Wollongong Loop.*11 - Wollongong Loop.*23 - Between North Beach and Figtree.*24 - Between North Beach and Figtree....
to Dapto. - 2002 - Dapto to Kiama.
New electrified lines were built:
- 1926 - line from CentralCentral railway station, SydneyCentral Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
to St James station and Museum opened. - 1931 - line opened to East Hills.
- 1932 - line from Central to Town Hall, WynyardWynyard railway station, SydneyWynyard is a major underground CityRail station in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, 2.05 km from Central. Wynyard averages 108000 passenger movements per day Monday to Friday.-History:The station opened on 28 February 1932...
, the Sydney Harbour BridgeSydney Harbour BridgeThe Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
, Milsons Point station and North Sydney station opened. - 1939 - Line to Cronulla built and connected with the Illawarra Line at Sutherland.
- 1956 - Circular Quay station opened completing the City CircleCity CircleThe 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...
. - 1979 - Eastern Suburbs railway completed to Bondi Junction
- 1987 - East Hills - GlenfieldGlenfield railway station, SydneyGlenfield 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...
line opened. - 1996 - Cumberland line completed from Campbelltown to Blacktown
- 1998 - line from FlemingtonFlemington railway station, SydneyFlemington Railway Station is a railway station in Sydney Australia. It is located near the area known as Flemington; the station itself is located in an area now officially known as Homebush West. On the north side of the station are the Flemington markets, and on the south side is a local...
and Lidcombe to Olympic Park. - 2000 - line to Sydney Airport and Wolli Creek built as a public-private partnershipPublic-private partnershipPublic–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
by the Airport Link CompanyAirport Link CompanyThe Airport Link Company Pty Ltd operates the Green Square, Mascot, Airport Domestic and Airport International Train Stations. These stations are located in the nine kilometre Airport Line tunnel, which is 23 metres below the earth’s surface...
. - 2009 - line between EppingEpping railway station, SydneyEpping 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...
and Chatswood opened.
Organisation
The rail network in the metropolitan area of Sydney is owned, maintained and operated by RailCorp, a NSW State Government owned corporation. Third party access to Railcorp's tracks by other freight operators is allowed under an open-access arrangement. Track outside the Sydney metropolitan area is operated and maintained by the Australian Rail Track CorporationAustralian Rail Track Corporation
Australian 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...
. RailCorp operates passenger trains under the 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...
brand, and long distance trains run through Sydney under the Countrylink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
brand.
RailCorp was formed on 1 January 2004 by the merger of the State Rail Authority (SRA) and the metropolitan functions of the Rail Infrastructure Corporation. Until 1972, railways in NSW were operated by the New South Wales Government Railways
New South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...
until this department was replaced by the Public Transport Commission
New South Wales Public Transport Commission
The Public Transport Commission was a state government agency responsible for the provision of rail, bus and ferry services in New South Wales, Australia between 1972 and 1980.-History:...
(PTC), which was also responsible for bus and ferry services. In 1980 the PTC was broken up into the State Rail Authority
New South Wales State Rail Authority
The State Rail Authority was the government authority responsible for the operation and maintenance of railways in the Australian state of New South Wales between 1980 and 2003.-History:...
, responsible for rail services, and the Urban Transit Authority (UTA), responsible for bus and ferry services. The UTA later became the State Transit Authority
State Transit Authority of New South Wales
The State Transit Authority of New South Wales is an agency of the Government of New South Wales based in Sydney, Australia operating bus and ferry services. The STA is part of transport minister Gladys Berejiklian's portfolio...
.
In 2001, the State Rail Authority had its 'above track' operations separated from its track ownership and maintenance operations. The track maintenance operations and track ownership were moved to the new Rail Infrastructure Corporation
Rail Infrastructure Corporation
The Rail Infrastructure Corporation is a New South Wales government owned corporation with responsibility for the management of the railway network in rural New South Wales, Australia....
(RIC). However this separation into a horizontally operated rail system was criticised for the passing of blame for rail delays and accidents between authorities, and in 2004 railways in Sydney became a vertically operated system again with the creation of Railcorp, a fusion of the State Rail Authority and the urban sections of the RIC.
Gauge
All Sydney trains use standard gaugeStandard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, with a distance
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
of between the rails.
Terminology
The railways in Sydney generally use British-derived terminology.- Points refers to what in American English are known as railroad switchRailroad switchA railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
es, or crossovers. - Up refers to the direction "towards Sydney".
- Down refers to the direction "away from Sydney", or "towards the country".
- Signal box refers to the signal control installation (tower in American terminology).
Mainlines
Four main 'trunk' lines radiate from Sydney to the north, south, west, and southwest:- The Main Western LineMain Western railway line, New South WalesThe Main Western Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Blue Mountains, Central West, North West Slopes and the Far West regions.- Description of route :...
from Central through Strathfield and west to Penrith and western NSW. - The Main North LineMain North railway line, New South WalesThe Main North Line is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Central Coast, Hunter and the New England regions. The line was the original main line between Sydney and Brisbane, however this required a change of gauge at Wallangarra...
from Strathfield north to Hornsby and on to northern NSW - The Main South LineMain Southern railway line, New South WalesThe Main Southern Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Southern Highlands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and the Riverina regions.- Description of route :...
from Lidcombe through Regents Park and Cabramatta and southern NSW - The Illawarra lineSouth Coast railway line, New South WalesThe South Coast Line is in the intercity region of Sydney's CityRail services. It serves the coastal region to the south of the Sydney metropolitan area including the Illawarra region, most notably the regional city of Wollongong, and extended services reach as far as Nowra in Shoalhaven.- Line...
from Redfern south to Sutherland and on to Wollongong and the South Coast.
Other passenger lines
Other passenger lines branch from or interconnect with the four main lines-- The Airport Line, an underground line linking the airport to the city.
- The Bankstown Line, from Sydenham to Lidcombe via Bankstown
- The Carlingford Line, from Clyde to Carlingford
- The City CircleCity CircleThe 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...
, a mostly underground loop in central Sydney - The Cronulla Line, from Sutherland to Cronulla
- The East Hills Line, from Tempe to Glenfield via East Hills.
- The Eastern Suburbs Line, a mostly underground line from Central to Bondi Junction
- The Epping to Chatswood Line an underground line connecting the North Shore and Main Northern lines, and serving the Macquarie Park employment area.
- The North Shore Line, from Central to Hornsby via the Harbour Bridge
- The Old Main South LineSouth railway line, SydneyThe South Line is a railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the CityRail suburban network...
, from Granville to Cabramatta via Fairfield - The Olympic Park Line, a balloon loop line between Lidcombe and Olympic Park
- The Richmond Line, from Blacktown to Richmond
Goods lines
Several railway lines carry goods only-- The Metropolitan Goods Railway from Flemington/Sefton to Port Botany, with former branches from Dulwich Hill to Rozelle Yard and from Lillyfield to Darling Harbour.
Closed lines
There are several closed lines in Sydney-- The Camden Line, from Campbelltown to Camden
- The Rogans Hill Line, from Westmead to Rogans Hill
- The Ropes Creek Line, from St Marys to Ropes Creek
- The Royal National Park line from Loftus to the Royal National Park.
Under construction
There is one line under construction-- The 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...
between Macarthur and Sefton, where it will connect with the Metropolitan Goods Line. - The South West lineSouth 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"...
, from Glenfield to Leppington (construction started mid 2010)
Several enhancement projects are underway as part of the Rail Clearways programme, the largest of which is a quadruplication of the East Hills line between Kingsgrove and Revesby.
Proposed
As of April 2011, the following lines have been proposed or are under construction:- South West Rail Link, under construction between Glenfield and Leppington
- North West Rail Link, proposed link between Epping and Rouse Hill
Underground sections
Sydney has four underground lines.- The oldest is the main city loop, the City CircleCity CircleThe 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...
, which runs between CentralCentral railway station, SydneyCentral Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
, Town Hall, WynyardWynyard railway station, SydneyWynyard is a major underground CityRail station in the central business district of Sydney, Australia, 2.05 km from Central. Wynyard averages 108000 passenger movements per day Monday to Friday.-History:The station opened on 28 February 1932...
, Circular Quay, St James station and Museum stations. Central and Circular Quay are above-ground stations (Circular Quay is elevated, directly underneath the Cahill Expressway), while the remainder are below ground. The line to St. James station and Museum was opened in 1926, but Circular Quay was a "missing link" until 1956. The "western limb" of the City Circle through Town Hall and Wynyard to Sydney Harbour BridgeSydney Harbour BridgeThe Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
opened in 1932.
- The second, the Eastern Suburbs line, opened in 1979. It runs between Redfern, Central, Town Hall, Martin Place, Kings CrossKings Cross railway station, Sydney-Transport links:Outbound bus services:*200 - Bondi Junction via Edgecliff*311 - Circular Quay via Elizabeth Bay and Woolloomooloo*323 - Dover Heights via Edgecliff, New South Head Road*324 - Watsons Bay via Edgecliff, New South Head Road...
, Edgecliff, Woollahra (Unused Platforms) and Bondi Junction stations. All these are underground, but there are three above-ground sections, two on viaduct and one in cutting. Most of the platformsRailway platformA railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
at Redfern and Central stations are above ground, including the platforms for the City Circle, but the Eastern Suburbs line is underground. There were plans to extend the Eastern Suburbs line from Bondi Junction to Bondi Beach, but the plans have since fallen through. Originally the line was to extend to Kingsford but was finished at Bondi Junction for political reasons.
- The third underground line is the Airport Line, which opened in 2000, prior to the Sydney Olympics2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. This serves Central, Green Square, Mascot, DomesticDomestic railway station, Sydney-Transport links:Sydney Buses runs one route via Domestic Airport Terminal station:*Route 400 - Limited Stops Services - west to Westfield Burwood, east to Bondi Junction Interchange.-See also:* Airport Link Company...
(underneath the Domestic terminal), InternationalInternational railway station, SydneyInternational is an underground railway station which serves the International Terminal of Sydney Airport...
(underneath International terminal at Sydney Airport), and Wolli Creek. After Wolli Creek it joins the above-ground East Hills line at Turrella.
- The fourth underground line is the Epping to Chatswood rail link. It links Chatswood to EppingEpping railway station, SydneyEpping 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...
, with new underground platforms at Epping and new underground stations at Macquarie University, Macquarie Park and North Ryde. The line was intended to continue from Epping to Parramatta, incorporating the existing Carlingford line, but this section has been postponed indefinitely, though a stub tunnel has been constructed at the northern end of Epping station.
Disused tunnels
Sydney has several disused tunnels. The best known of these are those leading out of St James station. There are also several disused tunnels and platforms on the Eastern Suburbs line, which like St James station provided for the possibility of four tunnels even though only two are in use. There is a stub tunnel at North Sydney railway station, north of platform 2, for a never constructed Manly to Mona Vale line.http://www.railpage.org.au/ausrail/98nov/msg00490.html.From the top of the northern stair to platform 10 at Redfern Station it is possible to view the unfinished structure for the low-level "up" (toward Central) Southern Suburbs platforms. The associated never-used tunnels are quite complex. Immediately to your left is the (surface level) stub tunnel for the "down" Southern Suburbs track. This short tunnel exits on the northern side of Lawson Street road bridge. There are at least nine railway tunnels under the suburb of Redfern: some in use, some never used.
Platforms 26 and 27 at Central lie above the Eastern Suburbs Railway platforms and have never been used for trains. Like St. James station, these stations have stub tunnels, although they are much shorter.
There are two tunnels for the old Pyrmont goods line, not part of the passenger railway system. One runs underneath Railway Square, between the Central station railway yards and the Powerhouse Museum
Powerhouse Museum
The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney, the other being the historic Sydney Observatory...
, the other underneath Glebe
Glebe, New South Wales
Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....
. The first tunnel is now only used to service the Powerhouse Museum, but the old railway from the Powerhouse Museum
Powerhouse Museum
The Powerhouse Museum is the major branch of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney, the other being the historic Sydney Observatory...
to Lilyfield, including Glebe tunnel, has been converted to form part of the Metro Light Rail
Metro Light Rail
The Metro Light Rail is the only currently operating light rail line in Sydney. The line opened on 31 August 1997, mostly along the route of an unused goods railway line, to serve the redeveloped inner-city areas of Darling Harbour, Ultimo and Pyrmont, and was extended in 2000 to serve some of...
line from Central station (see Metropolitan Goods Line).
Also of interest is a tunnel connecting the Eveleigh rail yards, on the southern side of the main line, to the northern side of the main line, just past Redfern.
See also
- CityRailCityRailCityRail 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...
- Rail Corporation New South WalesRail Corporation New South WalesRail Corporation New South Wales is a statutory authority of the New South Wales government. RailCorp owns, operates and maintains the Sydney suburban and interurban rail network which is marketed under the CityRail brand; in addition to operating rural passenger services under the CountryLink...
- Rail transport in New South WalesRail transport in New South WalesThe Australian state of New South Wales has an extensive network of railways, which were integral to the growth and development of the state. The vast majority of railway lines were government built and operated, but there were also several private railways, some of which operate to this...
- Rail rollingstock in New South WalesRail rollingstock in New South WalesThe railways of New South Wales, Australia, use a large variety of passenger and freight rollingstock.- Suburban Passenger Rollingstock :From the opening of the first railway line in Sydney in 1855, suburban steam hauled trains operated suburban services. By 1890, suburban steam hauled trains ran...
- Proposed railways in SydneyProposed railways in SydneyVarious railway lines have been proposed for Sydney, Australia, including both heavy rail extensions to the existing network, and more recently proposals for metro style lines.-Bradfield railway scheme, 1920s:...