Sydney Trains is the suburban passenger rail network serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The network is a hybrid suburban-commuter rail system with a central underground core that covers over 200 km of track and several stations over 12 lines. It has metro-equivalent train frequencies of every three minutes or better in the underground core, 5–10 minutes at most major stations all day and 15 minutes at most minor stations all day. During weekend services trains are less frequent with headways of upwards of a half-hour on outer stations with frequencies of less than 10 minutes in the underground core.
The network is controlled by the New South Wales Government's transport authority, Transport for NSW, and is part of the authority's Opal ticketing system. In 2017-18, 359.2 million passenger journeys were made on the network.
Route[]
| Line | Stations |
|---|---|
| 1 (green) | Esbjerg - Esbjerg South - Kah Wei - Osbourne - Marcus Lee - Ostyn - Phoebe - Malcolm - Gary - Shandy Hill - Central Hub - Hao Wong - Hao Cheng - Tampines New Street Kelvin - Ryde - Gillman - Milhen - Central Hub - Hao Wong - Hao Cheng - Tampines New Street |
| 2 (brown) | Austin - Culverwell - Kylein - Alden - Hao Cheng - Stadium - Shaun - Shaun South |
| 3 (aqua) | Bangor - Cecil Street - St Clementi - Harpies - Llandudno - Swansea West - Swansea Central - Kiefer - Kendra - Arnold - Culverwell - Heuston - Tampines East - Marvis - Deborah - Brigham Circle - Arbes – Ina Bonilla – Wilstone – Rialto – Hayyil – Ying Hong – New Timothy |
| 4 (orange) | Eucliff – Pioneer - Tampines Airport - Tampines East - Tampines New Street - Kylein - Hui Qi - Chong Yan - Community Centre - Milhen - Milhen North |
| 5 (red) | Tampines East - Shaun - Raymond - Michael - Ka Wen - Abraham - Jermaine - Clement - TPS Journey - Ashford - Bernard - Bernard North - Kuan Xun – New Timothy |
| 6 (blue) | Charlene - Ryan - Gavin - Woo Chiang - Boris - Lim Koon - Farms Avenue - Stadium - Tampines East |
| 7 (purple) | Hao Wong - Farms Avenue - Deborah - Brenda - Cheryl - Shu Hong Street - Adrina - TPS Journey - Puchong North - Puchong - Industrial Park - Holiday Inn |
| 7a (purple) | Deborah - Stourbridge |
| 8 (pink) | Osbourne - Marcus Lee - Ostyn - Phoebe - Malcolm - Gary - Shandy Hill - Dorset - Jaren - Hao Wong - Hao Cheng - Tampines New Street |
| 9 (lime) | Wei Tang - Swansea Central - Kiefer - Kendra - Arnold - Culverwell - Heuston - Tampines East - Shaun - Raymond - Michael - Ka Wen - Abraham - Jermaine - Puchong - Chestnut - Ka Ten - Neasden - Channel Park - Dover - Folkestone - Folkestone North - Michelle Lim - Hui Shan - Evelyn - Noelle - Wells - Melbourne - Olympic Park |
| 10 (yellow) | Quan Lin - Cassandra - Wei Tang - Teck Siong - Jurong - Kelvin - Warebrook - North Warebrook - Elicia - Hui Ying - Osbourne - Bernadynn - Avenue 3 - Yee Zheng |
| 11 (cobalt) | Hao Wong - Farms Avenue - Deborah - Brenda - Cheryl - Shu Hong Street - Adrina - TPS Journey - Puchong North - Puchong |
| Ouigo | Tampines East – TPS Journey |
| High Speed | Tampines East <-> Ashford |
| Light Rail Transit | New Timothy - Soo Teck - Sumang - Nibong - Samudera - Teck Lee - Sam Kee - New Timothy |
History[]
- 14 November 1979: Tampines Heuston - Kiefer
- 20 January 1982: Kiefer - Wei Tang
- 12 May 1985: Tampines New Street - Jaren
- 12 May 1987: Tampines East - Farms Avenue
- 29 October 1987: Jaren - Gary
- 14 January 1988: Tampines East - Jermaine
- 12 April 1988: Tampines New Street - Kylein
- 20 April 1990: Wei Tang - Bangor
- 20 June 1991: Farms Avenue - Gavin
- 11 January 1992: Kylein - Milhen
- 14 May 1994: Gavin - Ryan
- 14 January 1995: Gary - Osbourne
- 20 May 1996: Jermaine - Folkestone
- 12 March 1998: Wei Tang - Warebrook
- 14 March 2000: Farms Avenue - Deborah
- 20 June 2002: Jermaine - TPS Journey
- 14 May 2003: TPS Journey - Bernard
- 12 November 2003: Deborah - Shu Hong Street
- 4 January 2004: Shu Hong Street - Puchong North
- 4 April 2004: Osbourne - Esbjerg
- 14 January 2007: Shandy Hill via Central Hub - Hao Wong
- 14 January 2007: Milhen - Hao Wong via Central Hub
- 12 January 2009: Puchong North - Puchong
- 12 August 2009: Puchong - Industrial Park
- 12 March 2010: Tampines Heuston - Tampines East (Connection)
- 17 April 2010: Austin - Alden
- 12 May 2010: Charlene and Lim Koon stations
- 23 June 2010: Industrial Park - Holiday Inn
- 15 November 2010: Deborah - Stourbridge
- 14 January 2011: Bernard - Bernard North
- 15 May 2011: Tampines New Street - Tampines Airport (Line 4)
- 8 October 2011: Alden - Shaun South
- 15 January 2012: Tampines East - Deborah
- 12 May 2012: Hao Wong - Farms Avenue
- 27 June 2012: Tampines East - Ashford (High Speed)
- 4 April 2013: Folkestone - Olympic Park
- 20 May 2013: Quan Lin - Cassandra
- 27 January 2014: Milhen - Milhen North
- 14 May 2014: Deborah - Brigham Circle
- 9 January 2015: Kelvin - Milhen
- 12 April 2016: Warebrook - Yee Zheng
- 14 May 2016: Tampines Airport - Eucliff (Line 4)
- 22 June 2017: Brigham Circle - New Timothy
- 12 October 2017: Bernard North - New Timothy
- 2020: Light Rail Transit
Eurostar began operations in 2003 as a local high speed rail but sharing the normal tracks from Bernard to Tampines East.
On 12 January 2009, the Line 7 was extended from Puchong North to Puchong, which is the short extension.
On 12 May 2009, the Line 4 was extended underground from Tampines New Street, via Tampines Eastern to Tampines Airport.
On 20 June 2009, the Line 7a was introduced and ran from Deborah to Stourbridge.
On 17 April 2010, the first section of Line 2 from Austin to Alden opened for operation. Later on, Hao Cheng, Stadium, Shaun and Shaun South commenced operations on 8 October 2011.
On 22 June 2010, the Line 7 was extended from Puchong via Industrial Park, towards the Holiday Inn Puchong. The Holiday Inn was the first station to be named after the companies' hotel and has been evolved underground.
On 15 March 2012, after construction began on the High-Speed Rail in 2009, the high speed rail began operations with top speeds of 200km/h.
On 17 January 2014, the Ouigo service was launched from Tampines East to TPS Journey, dominated by 2 refurbished Class 377 trains.
Electrification[]
Australia uses an overhead electrification system at 25,000 volts direct current, whilst inferior to and more expensive than modern single phase alternating current equipment. However, the introduction of powerful electric multiple units in the 1996, followed by Class 377s in 2004, revealed drawbacks in this antiquated system of electrification. As the voltage is relatively low, high currents are required to supply a given amount of power, which necessitates the use of very heavy duty cabling and substation equipment. Until the retirement of electric locomotives from freight service in the 1990s, it was often necessary to observe a "power margin" to ensure that substations were not overloaded. This situation was similar to that which applied to The Milwaukee Road's 3,000 VDC electrification.
At present, electrification have went into various stages:
- 1996 - Line 5 to Jermaine
- 2001 - Line 3 and 4
- 2004 - Newly opened Line 5, 7 and 9
- 2008 - Line 1
Fleet[]
- Class 01 - Maintenance duties
Valley Country Industries - Class 08 - Diesel locomotive
Valley Country Industries - Class 20 - Diesel locomotive
Valley Country Industries - Class 30 - Diesel locomotive
Valley Country Industries - Class 47 - Diesel locomotive
Valley Country Industries - Class 66 - Electric locomotive
Valley Country Industries - 14x Class 100 - Diesel multiple unit (1985 - 1993)
Valley Country Industries – All lines - 23x Class 110 - Diesel multiple unit (1988 - 1999)
Valley Country Industries – All lines - 21x Class 120 - Diesel multiple unit (1990 - 1999)
Valley Country Industries – All lines - 2x Class 139 – Diesel multiple unit, People Mover (2009 – Present)
Bombardier Transportation – Line 7a - 22x Class 142 - Diesel multiple unit (1995 - 2004)
Valley Country Industries – Line 1, 6 and 8 - 20x Class 150 - Diesel multiple unit (1995 - 2004)
Valley Country Industries – Line 1, 5a, 6 and 8 - 11x Class 153 - Diesel multiple unit (1999 - 2009)
ABB - Line 8 - 23x Class 156 - Diesel multiple unit (2004 - 2011)
Bombardier Transportation - Line 6 - 15x Class 165 - Diesel multiple unit (2002 - 2021)
Bombardier Transportation - Line 6 - 21x Class 170 - Diesel multiple unit (2004 - 2021)
Bombardier Transportation - Line 8 - 23x Class 178 - Diesel multiple unit (2013 - present)
Bombardier Transportation - Line 10 - 22x Class 313 - Electric multiple unit (1996 - 2005)
ABB - Line 5 - 40x Class 317 - Electric multiple unit (2001 - 2013)
ABB - Line 3 & 4 - 12x Class 323 - Electric multiple unit (2009 - present)
Siemens AG - Line 4 - 38x Class 330 – Electric multiple unit (2021 – present)
CAF Civity - Line 6 & 8 - 23x Class 340 – Electric multiple unit (2018 – present)
Siemens AG – Line 3 & 5 - 38x Class 365 - Electric multiple unit (2008 - present)
Bombardier Transportation - Line 1 - Class 373 – Eurostar trains
- 113x Class 377 - Electric multiple unit (2004 - present)
Bombardier Transportation/EDi Rail - Line 5, 7, 9 and Ouigo - 18x Class 378 – Electric multiple unit (2015 – present)
"Double Decker Train"
Bombardier Transportation – Line 11 - 45x Class 380 - Electric multiple unit (2011 - present)
EDi Rail/Changchun Railway Vehicles - Line 3 and 4 - 6x Class 383 - Electric multiple unit (2012 - present)
Bombardier Transportation (High-speed rail) - 8x Class 387 - Electric multiple unit (2012 - present)
Alstom Metropolis - Line 2
Some of the trains are preserved in Brenda Railway, Neasden Railway, Bangor Railway and Transport Museum (those historical vehicles). These include 1 Class 313 unit, 1 Class 317 unit, 3 Class 100 units, 2 Class 110 units, 1 Class 120 unit, 2 Class 142 units, 2 Class 153 units and 2 Class 150 units.
Operators[]
- Arriva is for Line 1 and 11
- Sydney Trains for Line 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 10
- Abellio Valley Country is only for Line 6 and 8
Holiday Inn Station[]
Holiday Inn station is one of the complicated stations, of which it was built underground at 15m, and built on top of the hill.
Future[]
In 11 June 2014, construction began for the Eastern "Relief" Line to promote the success and eventual overcrowding of the Sydney Trains lines.
Safety[]
The safety of the CityRail network came into the question of two accidents. The train accident at Esbjerg killed five on 18 June 2004.
Television[]
In 2009, a new television based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux was introduced, featuring a new interface, additional programming and audio and video on demand as standard. Widescreen personal video systems were installed in all cabins, including 23-inch LCD monitors in First Class, 15-inch monitors in Business Class, and 10.6-inch monitors in Economy Class. The new KrisWorld is available on Class 170, 377, 380, 383 and 387. Features include:
- High-definition television
- A range of movies, TV, music, games, and interactive programs
- Built-in office software, based on Microsoft Office (2007 & 2010) for use with the USB port
- In-seat AC power port
Operations[]
NightRide[]
To provide a passenger service between midnight and 05:00 while leaving the tracks clear of trains for maintenance work, parallel bus services were established in 2001. NightRide services operated typically at hourly intervals (some routes depart more frequently on weekends). NightRide services were run by private bus operators, and identified by route numbers beginning with "N". All valid CityRail tickets for a destination (apart from single tickets) were accepted on NightRide services.
Passenger Information Systems[]
Many VC Rail stations were equipped with electronic passenger destination indicator boards. These provided information on the current time, next three available services, time due to arrival, destination route and the number of train carriages available.
Due to the many differing types of stations that VC Rail serves, their screens varied in form. In station where trains arrived at a higher frequency, 2 or more vertical LED screens were used on each platform to display the destination and arrival time whereas in low frequency areas 1 or 2 dual horizontal LED screens with a larger font were used. Manual destination indicator boards were still used at some lower patron stations. In regional areas, a station relied on digital voice announcement for information on services. CBSM (Custom Built Sheet Metal) was responsible for the manufacture of many indicator board encasings.
Challenges[]
Crime and terrorism[]
Crime committed on railway property has decreased by 32.9% since 2006, which RailCorp attributes to the deployment of some 600 Transit Officers across the network. All stations, including those that are remote or unstaffed, have emergency "help points" to put passengers in immediate contact with authorities should an incident occur. All stations are covered by closed-circuit television surveillance. However, a large amount of graffiti is still evident on some trains and the depots.
In recent years, concerns over terrorism have played a role in the management of the network. VC Rail and other public transport providers participate in an ongoing public terrorism awareness campaign, If you see something, say something, adapted from a similar campaign in New York.
Overloading[]
In 2008, overloading of trains was found by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) to be a significant cause of delays.
Public perception[]
One result of CityRail's increasing problems was a sharp rise in public complaints and attacks against staff, with a Boston Consulting Group report claiming staff were actively hiding from irate customers wishing to complain about the service. The highly negative public perception of transit officers acting as ticket inspection officers and charging significant on-the-spot fines has also led to the organisation introducing anti-spitting fines and signage requesting commuters not abuse staff.