Sydney Trains

Sydney Trains

A B set departing Panania station
System icon
Overview
Owner	Transport for NSW
Locale	Sydney
Transit type	Suburban rail
Number of lines	8
Number of stations	170
Annual ridership	377.1 million (2018–2019)
Chief executive	Matt Longland
Website	Transport for NSW: Sydney Trains
Operation
Began operation	1 July 2013; 8 years ago (2013-07-01)
Technical
System length	813 km (505 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	1,500 V DC from overhead catenary
System map

Sydney Trains is the operator of the suburban passenger rail network serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The network is a hybrid urban-suburban rail system with a central underground core that covers over 813 km (505 mi) of track and 170 stations over eight lines. It has metro-equivalent train frequencies of every three minutes or better in the underground core, 5–10 minutes off-peak at most inner-city and major stations and 15 minutes off-peak at most minor stations. During the weekday peak, train services are more frequent, while frequency decreases on weekends and off-peak.^[1]

The network is controlled by Transport for NSW, and is part of its Opal ticketing system. In 2018–19, 377.1 million passenger journeys were made on the network.

History[]

In May 2012, the Minister for Transport announced a restructure of RailCorp, the organisation that owned and managed the metropolitan rail network and operated passenger services throughout New South Wales.^[2][3][4][5] Two new organisations were created to take over operation of the services from 1 July 2013. Sydney Trains acquired all suburban services in the Sydney metropolitan area bounded by Berowra, Emu Plains, Macarthur and Waterfall from RailCorp's CityRail division. Intercity and Hunter Line services previously operated by CityRail were taken over by NSW Trains (branded as NSW TrainLink).^[6] RailCorp remained as the owner of the network infrastructure. When first created as subsidiaries of RailCorp, Sydney Trains and NSW Trains were not controlled entities of RailCorp, but were instead controlled by Transport for NSW.^[7] In July, they ceased to be subsidiaries of RailCorp and became independent standalone agencies in July 2017.^[8][9]

Network changes[]

The first expansion of the Sydney suburban network during the Sydney Trains era occurred in 2015 when the South West Rail Link opened between Glenfield and Leppington.

In 2018, some sections of the network began to be transferred to the city's metro and light rail networks. The Epping-Chatswood Rail Link between Chatswood and Epping was closed for conversion in September 2018 to form part of the Sydney Metro Northwest, which opened in May 2019.^[10][11] The section of the Carlingford Line between Camellia and Carlingford closed in January 2020 and will form part of the Parramatta Light Rail network.^[12] The adjacent section of track between Clyde and Camellia, including Rosehill railway station, also became disused.^[13] The light rail is expected to open in 2023.^[12] The section of the Bankstown Line between Sydenham and Bankstown will form part of Sydney Metro City & Southwest, which is due to open in 2024.^[14]

Operations[]

In July 2013, Howard Collins, the former Chief Operating Officer of London Underground, was appointed as Chief Executive of Sydney Trains. Stewart Mills was appointed Acting Chief Executive in February 2020, succeeded by Suzanne Holden as Acting Chief Executive in June 2020.

In addition to operating suburban train services, Sydney Trains maintains the New South Wales Metropolitan Rail Area, and maintains all but a handful of operational railway stations in the state.

Network[]

Sydney Trains operates electric suburban lines across metropolitan Sydney.

In conjunction with a new timetable released on 20 October 2013, the Sydney Trains network was reorganised with a new numbering system. The number of lines was reduced from eleven to seven by merging several lines.

An eighth line was created on 26 November 2017 by splitting the T2 line into two separate lines. T5 services were also modified to no longer travel to and from Campbelltown, instead starting and terminating at Leppington.^[15]

From 28 April 2019, the T1 line from Gordon to Hornsby via Strathfield was renumbered T9, whilst the portion from Berowra to Richmond & Emu Plains via Chatswood and Parramatta remained T1. T9 is red in colour.^[16]

The T6 Carlingford line, which operated between Clyde and Carlingford, ceased operations on 5 January 2020.

Line colour, number and name		Between
T1	North Shore & Western Line	Berowra and Emu Plains or Richmond.
T2	Inner West & Leppington Line	City Circle and Parramatta or Leppington via Granville.
T3	Bankstown Line	City Circle and Liverpool or Lidcombe via Bankstown and Sydenham.
T4	Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line	Bondi Junction and Waterfall or Cronulla via Central.
T5	Cumberland Line	Schofields and Leppington. Limited services continue from Schofields to Richmond.
T7	Olympic Park Line	Lidcombe and Olympic Park. Some services operate between Central and Olympic Park, particularly during special events, such as the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
T8	Airport & South Line	City Circle and Macarthur via Revesby and either Sydenham (peak) or Airport
T9	Northern Line	Hornsby and Gordon via Strathfield and City

The main hub of the Sydney Trains system is Central station, which most lines pass through. Central is also the terminus of most NSW TrainLink lines. After leaving Central, trains coming from the T2 Inner West & Leppington Line, T3 Bankstown Line and T8 Airport & South Line then travel through the City Circle - a ring line beneath the Sydney central business district. After completing the City Circle, these trains pass through Central for a second time and return to the suburbs. The T1 North Shore & Western, T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra and T9 Northern lines pass through the central business district and continue on to other areas of Sydney. The T5 Cumberland Line serves Western Sydney and provides access to the major centre of Parramatta from the south west of the city without requiring a change of trains at Granville. The T7 Olympic Park Line is a suburban shuttle service.

NightRide[]

NightRide bus services established in 1989, replace trains between midnight and 4:30am, leaving the tracks clear of trains for maintenance work. Such bus services mainly stop near stations operating typically at hourly intervals (some routes depart more frequently on weekends). Many services depart the city from bus stops near Town Hall station.^[17] NightRide services are contracted to external bus operators and are identified by route numbers beginning with "N".

Rolling stock[]

Sydney Trains operates a fleet of double deck electric multiple units. The trainsets are divided into the following classes:

Sydney Trains fleet

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Carriages	Entered Service	Formation	Lines
			km/h	mph
K sets		Electric multiple unit	115	71	160	1981-85	4 cars	T2 T3 T8
T sets			115	71	447	1988-95		T1 T4 T7 T9
M sets			130	81	140	2002-05		T2 T3 T5 T7 T8
H sets			130	81	220	2006-12		T1 T4 T9
A sets			130	81	626	2011-14	8 cars	T1 T2 T3 T5 T7 T8 T9
B sets			130	81	328	2018-21		T2 T3 T8

Though primarily operated by NSW TrainLink, some H sets are also used on suburban services, and with the delivery of the D sets for operations on regional NSW TrainLink lines from 2020, most of the sets will be transferred to suburban services.

All Sydney Trains A, B and M sets are maintained by Downer Rail. Their contract for the Millenium trains (M sets) was extended by 10 years from June 2017.^[18] All other types of trains including NSW TrainLink intercity V and H sets are maintained by UGL Unipart. The contract with UGL Unipart was extended for two years from 1 July 2019.^[19]

The Sydney Trains network is divided into three sectors, based around three maintenance depots.^[20] Trainsets are identified by target plates, which are exhibited on the front lower nearside of driving carriages.^[21] Each target plate includes the letter of the class the set belongs to and the number of the individual set. Waratahs do not have a target plate, but instead, have the information written directly on the front of the train. The composition and formations of train sets and the target designations are subject to alteration. M sets and H sets carry green target plates.

Sydney Trains maintenance sectors

Sector #	Depot	Serviced lines	Target plate	Sets being maintained
1	Mortdale	T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra line Intercity services on the South Coast line	Red (T)	T, H
			Green (H)
2	Flemington	T2 Inner West & Leppington, T3 Bankstown, T5 Cumberland, T7 Olympic Park and T8 Airport & South lines Intercity services on Blue Mountains line and Central Coast & Newcastle line (V sets only)	Blue	K, V
3	Hornsby	T1 North Shore & Western and T9 Northern lines Intercity services on the Central Coast & Newcastle Line (H sets only)	Black (T)	T, H
			Green (H)
N/A	Auburn Maintrain	UGL Unipart carry out maintenance at the various depots to which the trains are allocated but major work may be carried out at Auburn Maintrain.	N/A	All except A, B and M
	Auburn	All A, B and M sets are stabled at the depot for the sector in which they operate but are maintained at Auburn by Downer Rail.	Stickers only (A, B)	A, B, M
			Green (M)

Patronage[]

The following table lists patronage figures for the network during the corresponding financial year. Australia's financial years start on 1 July and end on 30 June. Major events that affected the number of journeys made or how patronage is measured are included as notes.

Sydney Trains patronage by financial year

Year	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20
Patronage (millions)	282.2 [a]	291.9 [b]	322	340.7 [c]	359.2	377.1 [d]	282.0 [e]
References	[22]		[23]	[24]	[25]	[26]

2020–21 Sydney Trains patronage by line^{[n.b. 1] [27]}

T1	57 173 000
T2	32 462 000
T3	16 580 000
T4	38 199 000
T5	5 052 000
T7	657 000
T8	21 503 000
T9	14 488 000

2020–21 Transport for NSW patronage in Sydney by mode^[28]

Mode	Patronage	% of total
Metro	14 248 000	3.75
Train	186 112 000	48.92
Bus	156 868 000	41.24
Ferry	6 200 000	1.63
Light rail	16 982 000	4.46
Total	380 419 000	100.00

Ticketing and costs[]

Sydney Trains currently uses the Opal card ticketing system which was introduced to the network in April 2014.^[29] The fare system is fully integrated with the Sydney Metro network and the NSW TrainLink Intercity network - trips involving suburban, metro and intercity services are calculated as a single fare and there is no interchange penalty. Students who use the Sydney Trains network to get to and from schools can apply for a free school Opal card. Opal is also valid on bus, ferry, and light rail services but separate fares apply for these modes. The following table lists Opal fares for reusable smartcards and single trip tickets:^[30]

Metro and Train

v t   As of 5 July 2021	0–10 km	10–20 km	20–35 km	35–65 km	65 km+
Adult cards & contactless (peak)	$3.66	$4.55	$5.23	$6.99	$8.99
Adult cards & contactless (off-peak)	$2.56	$3.18	$3.66	$4.89	$6.29
Other cards (peak)	$1.83	$2.27	$2.61^	$3.49^	$4.49^
Other cards (off-peak)	$1.28	$1.58	$1.82	$2.44	$3.14^
Adult single trip	$4.50	$5.60	$6.40	$8.40	$10.80
Child/Youth single trip	$2.20	$2.80	$3.20	$4.20	$5.40

^ = $2.50 for Senior/Pensioner cardholders

A surcharge is levied when using the two privately operated stations serving Sydney Airport:

Airport station access fee

v t   As of 17 February 2020[31]	Adult cards	Other cards
Domestic or International Airport to/from all other stations	$14.87	$13.18
Domestic or International Airport to/from Green Square	$8.97	$8.97
Domestic or International Airport to/from Mascot	$6.57	$6.57
Domestic to/from International	$2.20	$2.20

As there are no return or periodical options available, reusable Opal cards include a number of caps to reduce the cost for frequent travellers:

Fare caps

v t   As of 6 July 2020[32][33][34]	Adult cards	Other concession cards	Senior/Pensioner cards
Daily Mon-Fri	$16.10	$8.00	$2.50
Daily Saturday and Sunday	$8.05	$4.00	$2.50
Weekly	$50.00	$25.00	$17.50
Weekly Airport Station Access Fee	$30.16	$26.78	$26.78

The previous ticketing system was introduced in 1992 and was based on magnetic stripe technology. It was shut down on 1 August 2016.^[35]

See also[]

• Commuter rail in Australia
• NSW TrainLink
• Railways in Sydney
  • List of Sydney Trains railway stations
  • Proposed railways in Sydney
  • Sydney Metro

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sydney Trains.

• Sydney Trains website
• Sydney Trains on transportnsw.info website

Preceded by CityRail

Operator of Sydney's suburban rail network 1989–2013

Incumbent