Mixing
Sydney Trains
Clash Royale CLAN TAG#URR8PPP  | |
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 Top: An A set train at Glenfield Bottom: A T set train at Wolli Creek | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Sydney |
| Transit type | Suburban rail |
| Number of lines | 8 |
| Number of stations | 178 |
| Annual ridership | 340.7 million (2016-17) |
| Website | Transport Info |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 1 July 2013 |
| Technical | |
| System length | 815 km (506 mi)[1] |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Electrification | 1500 V (DC) overhead line |
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 815 km (506 mi) of track and 178 stations over eight 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.[2]
The network is controlled by the New South Wales Government's transport authority, Transport for NSW, and is part of the authority's Opal card ticketing system. In 2016-17, 340.7 million passenger journeys were made on the network.
Contents
1 History
1.1 Network changes
2 Operations
2.1 Network
2.1.1 NightRide
2.2 Fleet
2.3 Patronage
2.4 Ticketing and costs
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
History
In May 2012 the Minister for Transport announced a restructure of RailCorp.[3][4][5][6] This resulted in all suburban services in the Sydney Metropolitan area bounded by Berowra, Emu Plains, Macarthur and Waterfall transferring from RailCorp's CityRail division to Sydney Trains on 1 July 2013. Intercity and Hunter Line services previously operated by CityRail were taken over by NSW TrainLink which was formed as part of the restructure.[7] RailCorp remained as the owner of the network infrastructure.
In April 2013 the Sydney Trains logo was unveiled.[8]
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. Over the coming years, some sections of the network will be transferred to the city’s metro and light rail networks, while sections of the network in south-western and western Sydney are under consideration to be expanded or upgraded.
The line between Chatswood and Epping will form part of Sydney Metro Northwest and will close for conversion from 30 September 2018.[9] The section of line between Sydenham and Bankstown will form part of Sydney Metro City & Southwest. This is due to open in 2024.[10] The section of line between Camellia and Carlingford will form part of the Parramatta Light Rail network.[11] The adjacent section of track between Clyde and Camellia, including Rosehill railway station, will be permanently closed.[12] The light rail is expected to open in 2023.[11]
A new rail link has been announced to serve the under-construction Western Sydney Airport. The line will link with the Western Line at St Marys station.[13] The line is the first stage of a proposed "North-South Link" between Schofields and Macarthur.[14] However, this line is likely to be delivered using metro or light metro technology.[15] In addition, a proposed extension to the South West Rail Link would connect Leppington to the Badgerys Creek Aerotropolis interchange south of the Western Sydney Airport.[15]
Operations
Sydney Trains railway stations are identified with an orange and white T symbol
In July 2013 Howard Collins, the former Chief Operating Officer of London Underground, was appointed as Chief Executive of Sydney Trains. 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. Sydney Trains is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Transport for NSW (TfNSW) statutory authority.[16]
Network
Map of the stations.
Sydney Trains operates eight 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 together.
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.[17]
| Line colour, number and name | Between | |
|---|---|---|
T1 | North Shore, Northern & Western Line | Central and Berowra via Gordon. |
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. |
T6 | Carlingford Line | Clyde and Carlingford. |
T7 | Olympic Park Line | Lidcombe and Olympic Park. Some services operate between Central and Olympic Park, particularly during special events. |
T8 | Airport & South Line | City Circle and Macarthur via Revesby and either Sydenham (peak) or Airport |
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, Northern & Western Line and T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line 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 T6 Carlingford Line and T7 Olympic Park Line are suburban shuttle services.
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.[18] NightRide services are contracted to private bus operators and State Transit, and identified by route numbers beginning with "N".
Fleet
Sydney Trains operates a fleet of double deck electric multiple units. The trainsets are divided into the following classes:
S sets (192 carriages)
K sets (160 carriages)
C sets (56 carriages)
T sets (447 carriages)
M sets (140 carriages)
A sets (626 carriages)
Though primarily operated by NSW TrainLink, some H sets are also used on suburban services. Sydney Trains is also taking delivery of 24 eight-carriage series 2 Waratah trains, which are similar to the original A sets.[19] It also maintains intercity trains for NSW TrainLink.[20]
The Sydney Trains network is divided into three sectors, based around three maintenance depots.[21] Trainsets are identified by target plates, which are exhibited on the front lower nearside of driving carriages.[22] Each target plate includes the letter of the class the set belongs to and the number of the individual set. A-sets 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.
| Sector # | Depot | Serviced lines | Target plate | Fleet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mortdale | T4 Eastern Suburbs Illawarra Line. | Red | T |
| 2 | Flemington | T2 Inner West & Leppington, T3 Bankstown, T6 Carlingford, T7 Olympic Park and T8 Airport & South lines. | Blue | S, K, C |
| 3 | Hornsby | T1 North Shore, Northern & Western line. | Black | T |
| N/A | Eveleigh | Limited services on the T1 Western & North Shore lines. | Green | H |
| N/A | Auburn | T1 North Shore, Northern & Western (A sets only), T2 Inner West & Leppington, T3 Bankstown, T5 Cumberland, T7 Olympic Park and T8 Airport & South lines. | N/A | A, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patronage (millions) | 282.2 [note 1] | 291.9 [note 2] | 322 | 340.7 [note 3] |
| References | [23] | [23] | [24] | [25] |
 | ||||
^ Opal rollout completed in March 2014.
^ South West Rail Link opened in February 2015.
^ Non-Opal tickets were discontinued in August 2016.
T1 | 140 279 000 |  |
T2 | 85 551 000 | |
T3 | 27 447 000 | |
T4 | 64 629 000 | |
T5 | 5 739 000 | |
T6 | 512 000 | |
T7 | 1 746 000 |
 |
^ Figures from Opal tap on and tap off data and based on the lines that existed prior to November 2017
Ticketing and costs
Sydney Trains currently uses the Opal card ticketing system which was introduced to the network in April 2014.[27] The fare system is fully integrated with the NSW TrainLink Intercity network - trips involving both suburban and intercity services are calculated as a single fare and there is no interchange penalty. 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 as of 2 July 2018:[28]
| Train | 0–10 km | 10–20 km | 20–35 km | 35–65 km | 65 km+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult cards (peak) | $3.54 | $4.40 | $5.05 | $6.76 | $8.69 |
| Adult cards (off-peak) | $2.47 | $3.08 | $3.53 | $4.73 | $6.08 |
| Other cards (peak) | $1.77 | $2.20 | $2.52^ | $3.38^ | $4.34^ |
| Other cards (off-peak) | $1.23 | $1.54 | $1.76 | $2.36 | $3.03^ |
| Adult single trip | $4.40 | $5.40 | $6.20 | $8.20 | $10.60 |
| Child/Youth single trip | $2.20 | $2.70 | $3.10 | $4.10 | $5.30 |
^ = $2.50 for Senior/Pensioner cardholders
A surcharge is levied when using the two privately operated stations serving Sydney Airport:
| Airport station access fee[29] | Adult cards | Other cards |
|---|---|---|
Domestic or International Airport to/from all other stations | $14.30 | $12.80 |
Domestic or International Airport to/from Green Square | $8.40 | $8.40 |
Domestic or International Airport to/from Mascot | $6.00 | $6.00 |
Domestic to/from International | $2.00 | $2.00 |
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[30][31] | Adult cards | Other concession cards | Senior/Pensioner cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Mon-Sat | $15.80 | $7.90 | $2.50 |
| Sunday | $2.70 | $2.70 | $2.50 |
| Weekly | $63.20 | $31.60 | $17.50 |
| Weekly Airport Station Access Fee | $29.00 | $26.00 | $26.00 |
The previous ticketing system was introduced in 1992 and was based on magnetic stripe technology. It was shut down on 1 August 2016.[32]
Unlike the ticketing systems of other cities in Australia, most of Sydney Trains' ticket prices are calculated on the distance travelled, and were found to be inexpensive by world standards as at December 2003.[33] However, in October 2012, a report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers found the rail system performed poorly compared to many metro services from 27 other major world cities. Sydney was ranked as the fourth-worst public train system, beating only Los Angeles, São Paulo and Johannesburg for operation efficiency and coverage, while being proven to have the most expensive tickets of any major city public transport system. An update to the same Cities of Opportunity report in 2014 - after the rollout of the Opal card - has shown a drop to the second most expensive system after London. Despite fares having only seen increases since this rollout, the card does afford regular users 'rewards' such as half price train journeys after a certain number of rides and daily cap limits. Since July 2013 customer satisfaction has risen from 78% to over 90% (November 2016) and most Sydneysiders acknowledge "Fixing the Trains" has seen major improvements in cleanliness, reliability, customer service and better information. citation needed
See also
- Commuter rail in Australia
- NSW TrainLink
Railways in Sydney- List of Sydney Trains railway stations
- Sydney underground railways
- Proposed railways in Sydney
References
^ "Transport for NSW 2013/14 Annual Report" (pdf). Transport for NSW. p. 32.
^ "Train timetables". Transport for NSW.
^ "RailCorp job cuts first of many: unions" Sydney Morning Herald 15 May 2012
^ "Ruthless RailCorp reforms planned as middle management axed" Daily Telegraph 15 May 2012
^ Corporate Plan 2012/13 RailCorp
^ 700 jobs to go as RailCorp gets the axe Daily Telegraph 16 November 2012
^ About the Reform Sydney Trains
^ Fixing the Trains: New approach to customer service Archived 22 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Transport for NSW 18 April 2013
^ "Station Link bus services to connect customers during Metro upgrade". transportnsw.info. Transport for NSW. 7 April 2018.
^ "Sydney Metro". Transport for NSW. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
^ ab "Parramatta Light Rail – Stage 1: Connecting great places" (PDF). Transport for NSW. March 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
^ "Parramatta Light Rail | Stage 1 – Westmead to Carlingford via Camellia: Environmental Impact Statement" (PDF). Transport for NSW. pp. 5–65, 5–66. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
^ UK, DVV Media. "Sydney to get second airport rail link". Railway Gazette. Retrieved 2018-03-06.
^ "Western Sydney City Deal - connectivity factsheet". Australian Government. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
^ ab "Western Sydney Rail Needs Scoping Study". Australian and New South Wales governments. p. 57. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
^ Annual Report 30 June 2012 RailCorp
^ "More Trains, More Services for South Western Sydney" (PDF). Transport for NSW. Government of New South Wales. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
^ Section, Transport for NSW, Customer Experience Division, Customer Service Branch, Customer Information Services. "Late night services". transportnsw.info. Retrieved 2018-04-14.
^ O'Sullivan, Matt (2018-03-22). "New Waratah trains finally signal end to Sydney's 'sweat sets'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2018-04-05.
^ sector=Government, corporateName=Sydney Trains; contact=Communications Directorate;. "Our fleet - Sydney Trains". Sydney Trains. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
^ "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
^ ab "Transport for NSW Annual Report 2014-15" (PDF). Transport for NSW. p. 131. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
^ "Sydney Trains 2015-16 Annual Report Volume 1" (pdf). Sydney Trains. p. 3.
^ "Sydney Trains Annual Report 2016-17" (PDF). Transport for NSW. p. 4. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
^ "Train Patronage - Monthly Figures". Transport for NSW. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
^ "Opal fares". opal.com.au. Transport for NSW. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
^ "Sydney Airport Station access fee". opal.com.au. Transport for NSW. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
^ "Opal benefits". opal.com.au. Transport for NSW. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
^ "Airport station access fee". opal.com.au. Transport for NSW. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
^ "No more paper tickets | NSW Government | Opal". www.opal.com.au. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
^ Ministerial Inquiry into Sustainable Transport in New South Wales, Transport NSW. December 2003.
External links
Media related to Sydney Trains at Wikimedia Commons
- Sydney Trains website
- Sydney Trains on transportnsw.info website
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