Sydney_Trains
Sydney Trains
Operator of passenger rail services in metropolitan Sydney
Sydney Trains is the operator and brand name of the train network serving the Greater Sydney metropolitan area in New South Wales, Australia. The network is a hybrid urban-suburban rail system with a central underground core that covers 369 km (229 mi) of route length over 813 km (505 mi) of track, with 170 stations on eight lines.[1]
| Sydney Trains | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
.jpg) B set trains at Summer Hill station | |||
 Roundel | |||
| Overview | |||
| Owner | Transport for NSW | ||
| Locale | Greater Sydney | ||
| Transit type | Suburban rail | ||
| Number of lines | 8 | ||
| Number of stations | 170 | ||
| Annual ridership | 288.3 million (FY 2022–2023) | ||
| Chief executive | Matt Longland | ||
| Website | Transport for NSW: Sydney Trains | ||
| Operation | |||
| Began operation | 1 July 2013; 10 years ago (2013-07-01) | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 369 km (229 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| Electrification | 1,500 V DC from overhead catenary | ||
| |||
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.
The network is managed 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, making it the most-used rail network in Australia.
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 the 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 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]
On 21 August 2023, it was announced that the majority of NSW TrainLink's intercity operations would be transferred to Sydney Trains, including rolling stock, maintenance, operations, stations, and staff. This would also include the modifications, testing, and introduction of the New Intercity Fleet (NIF).[10] All NSW Trainlink non-booked services will transfer to Sydney Trains on the 1 July 2024.[11]
In July 2013, Howard Collins, the former Chief Operating Officer of London Underground, was appointed as Chief Executive of Sydney Trains.[citation needed] Stewart Mills was appointed Acting Chief Executive in February 2020, succeeded by Suzanne Holden as Acting Chief Executive in June 2020. In June 2021, Matt Longland was appointed as Chief Executive.[citation needed]
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.
Network changes
An eighth line was created on 26 November 2017 by splitting the T2 line into two separate lines; T2 and T8. T5 services were also modified to no longer travel to and from Campbelltown, instead starting and terminating at Leppington.[12]
From 28 April 2019, the section of the T1 line between Gordon and Hornsby via Strathfield was renumbered as T9, whilst the portion between Berowra and Richmond or Emu Plains via Chatswood and Parramatta remained as T1.[13]
The first expansion of the Sydney suburban network after the restructuring of CityRail into Sydney Trains 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 to 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.[14][15]
The Carlingford Line between Clyde and Carlingford closed on 5 January 2020, and is expected to form part of the Parramatta Light Rail network from mid-2024.[16] The adjacent section of track between Clyde and Camellia, including Rosehill railway station, also became disused.[17]
From mid-2024, the T6 Line will be the Bankstown to Lidcombe shuttle (Lidcombe & Bankstown Line), with commuters interchanging at Regents Park or Lidcombe for connecting services to Liverpool or City Circle.[18]
The section of the Bankstown Line between Sydenham and Bankstown will form part of Sydney Metro City & Southwest, which is due to open in 2025.[19]
Network summary
| Line colour, number and name | Between | |
|---|---|---|
| North Shore & Western Line | ||
| Inner West & Leppington Line | ||
| Bankstown Line | City Circle and Liverpool or Lidcombe via Bankstown and Sydenham. | |
| Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line | Bondi Junction and Waterfall or Cronulla via Central. | |
| Cumberland Line | Schofields and Leppington. Limited services continue from Schofields to Richmond. | |
| Lidcombe & Bankstown Line | Bankstown and Lidcombe. | |
| 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. | |
| Airport & South Line | City Circle and Macarthur via Revesby and either Sydenham (peak) or Airport | |
| 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 to other areas of Sydney. The T5 Cumberland Line serves Western Sydney and provides access to the major centre of Parramatta from the southwest 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 4:30 am, 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.[20] 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:
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Carriages | Entered service | Formation | Routes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km/h | mph | |||||||
| K sets | Electric multiple unit | 115 | 71 | 160 | 1981–1985 | 4 cars | ||
| T sets | 115 | 71 | 447 | 1988–1995 | ||||
| M sets | 130 | 81 | 140 | 2002–2005 | ||||
| H sets | 130 | 81 | 220 | 2006–2012 | ||||
| A sets | 130 | 81 | 626 | 2011–2014 | 8 cars | |||
| B sets | 130 | 81 | 328 | 2018–2021 | ||||
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 in 2024, most of the sets will be transferred to suburban services.
All A, B and M sets are maintained by Downer Rail. Their contract for the M sets was extended by 10 years from June 2017.[21] All other types of trains including the V and H sets are maintained by UGL Unipart. The contract with UGL Unipart was extended for two years from 1 July 2019.[22]
The Sydney Trains network is divided into three sectors, based around three maintenance depots.[23] Trainsets are identified by target plates, which are exhibited on the front lower nearside of driving carriages.[24] 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.
| 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, A |
| Green (H) | ||||
| — | 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. | — | 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.
| Year | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patronage (millions) |
282.2 [lower-alpha 1] |
291.9 [lower-alpha 2] |
322 | 340.7 [lower-alpha 3] |
359.2 | 377.1 [lower-alpha 4] |
282.0 [lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6] |
186.3 [lower-alpha 6] |
135.5 [lower-alpha 6] |
288.3[25] | 470.4 |
| References | [26] | [27] | [28] | [29] | [30] | ||||||
- The South West Rail Link opened in February 2015.
- The Epping to Chatswood Rail Link closed in September 2018. Patronage figures includes Station Link but excludes Sydney Metro
- Patronage was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions in the Greater Sydney area.
| 41,980,000 | |
| 23,077,000 | |
| 11,198,000 | |
| 27,775,000 | |
| 3,503,000 | |
| 605,000 | |
| 16,879,000 | |
| 10,415,000 |
- Figures based on Opal tap on and tap off data.
| Mode | Patronage | % of total |
|---|---|---|
 Metro |
19,738,171 | 3.93 |
 Train |
229,666,997 | 45.75 |
 Bus |
206,846,833 | 41.20 |
 Ferry |
13,230,548 | 2.64 |
 Light rail |
32,518,814 | 6.48 |
| Total | 502,001,363 | 100.00 |
Ticketing and costs
Sydney Trains currently uses the Opal card ticketing system which was introduced to the network in April 2014.[33] 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:[34]
| As of 16 Oct 23 | 0–10 km | 10–20 km | 20–35 km | 35–65 km | 65 km+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult cards & contactless (peak) | $4.00 | $4.97 | $5.72 | $7.65 | $9.84 |
| Adult cards & contactless (off-peak) | $2.80 | $3.47 | $4.00 | $5.35 | $6.88 |
| Other cards (peak) | $2.00 | $2.48 | $2.86^ | $3.82^ | $4.92^ |
| Other cards (off-peak) | $1.40 | $1.73 | $2.00 | $2.67^ | $3.44^ |
| Adult single trip | $4.80 | $6.00 | $6.90 | $9.20 | $11.80 |
| Child/Youth single trip | $2.40 | $3.00 | $3.40 | $4.60 | $5.90 |
^ = $2.50 for Senior/Pensioner cardholders
A surcharge is levied when using the two privately operated stations serving Sydney Airport:
| As of 16 Oct 23[35] | Adult cards | Other cards |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic or International Airport to/from all other stations | $16.68 | $14.92 |
| Domestic or International Airport to/from Green Square | $10.78 | $10.78 |
| Domestic or International Airport to/from Mascot | $7.44 | $7.44 |
| Domestic to/from International | $4.00 | $4.00 |
As there are no return or periodical options available, reusable Opal cards include several caps to reduce the cost for frequent travellers:
| As of 16 Oct 2023[36] | Adult cards | Other concession cards | Senior/pensioner cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Mon–Thu | $17.80 | $8.40 | $2.50 |
| Daily Fri, Sat and Sun | $8.90 | $4.45 | $2.50 |
| Weekly | $50.00 | $25.00 | $17.50 |
| Weekly airport station access fee |
$33.84 | $30.33 | $30.33 |
The previous ticketing system was introduced in 1992 and was based on magnetic stripe technology. It was shut down on 1 August 2016.[37]
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- Transport for NSW, Bureau of Transport Statistics (2014). "Train statistics 2014" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 February 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
- "RailCorp job cuts first of many: unions" Archived 27 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Sydney Morning Herald 15 May 2012
- Corporate Plan 2012/13 Archived 25 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine RailCorp
- 700 jobs to go as RailCorp gets the axe Daily Telegraph 16 November 2012
- About the Reform Sydney Trains
- "Railcorp Annual Report 2013–14" (PDF). Transport for NSW. p. 15. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
- "Transport for NSW Annual Report 2017–18" (PDF). Transport for NSW. p. 49. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- Transport Administration Amendment (Transport Entities) Act 2017 No 12 Schedule 1 Archived 3 December 2002 at the Wayback Machine, Legislation NSW, retrieved 18 December 2018
- "Agreement reached for New Intercity Fleet". 21 August 2023.
- "NSW TrainLink Corporate Plan 2024-2025 Draft for consultation" (PDF). Transport for NSW. 24 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - "More Trains, More Services for South Western Sydney" (PDF). Transport for NSW. Government of New South Wales. 27 February 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
- O'Sullivan, Matt (21 February 2019). "A New Red Line Through Sydney's Rail Map". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
- "Station Link bus services to connect customers during Metro upgrade". transportnsw.info. Transport for NSW. 7 April 2018. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- "North West opening date announced". Sydney Metro. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- "Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 | NSW Government". www.nsw.gov.au. 19 February 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- "Parramatta Light Rail | Stage 1 – Westmead to Carlingford via Camellia: Environmental Impact Statement" (PDF). Transport for NSW. pp. 5–65, 5–66. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 June 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
- "More Trains, More Services". www.transport.nsw.gov.au. 22 May 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- O'Sullivan, Matt (10 April 2023). "'Nightmare': Residents enter fourth year of Metro pain as construction drags on". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
- Section, Transport for NSW, Customer Experience Division, Customer Service Branch, Customer Information Services. "Late night services". transportnsw.info. Archived from the original on 13 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Millenium maintenance contract extension Archived 30 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine Downer Rail] 28 February 2017
- UGL secures $277M extension with Sydney Trains Archived 29 June 2019 at the Wayback Machine UGL 31 January 2019
- "Train Fleet Maintenance". CityRail. 1 June 2006. Archived from the original on 13 March 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
- Department of Railways, New South Wales: Working of Electric Trains, 1965
- NSW Government (2022–2023). "Historical Trips by Financial Year - All Modes".
- "Transport for NSW Annual Report 2014–15" (PDF). Transport for NSW. p. 131. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
- "Sydney Trains 2015–16 Annual Report Volume 1" (PDF). Sydney Trains. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- "Sydney Trains Annual Report 2016–17" (PDF). Transport for NSW. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- "Sydney Trains Annual Report 2017–18" (PDF). Sydney Trains. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
- "Train Patronage – Monthly Figures". Transport for NSW. 8 June 2017. Archived from the original on 30 July 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- "Train Patronage – Monthly Figures". Transport for NSW. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
- See Transport for NSW patronage in Sydney by mode for sources
- "Trains | NSW Government | Opal". Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- "Opal fares". transportnsw.info. Transport for NSW. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
- "Getting to and from Sydney Airport". transportnsw.info. Transport for NSW. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- "Getting to and from Sydney Airport". transportnsw.info. Transport for NSW. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- "No more paper tickets | NSW Government | Opal". opal.com.au. Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
| Preceded by | Operator of Sydney's suburban rail network 2013–present |
Incumbent |