For the Beijing subway line known as the CityRail Line, see Line 13, Beijing Subway

CityRail
Overview
Mode	Commuter rail Intercity rail Coach
Owner	New South Wales Government
Area	Greater Sydney
Business
Founded	1990
Operations
Network	2,060 km
Stations	302
Ticketing	Automated Fare Collection System
Public transport |  v • d • e

The concourse of  Central Railway Station, the main station on the CityRail network. Line 13 of the Beijing Subway, also known as the CityRail Line (城铁线 is a light rail line that serves the northern suburbs of Beijing Commuter rail, regional rail or suburban rail is a Passenger rail transport service between a city center and outer suburbs and Commuter towns Inter-city rail services are express Train passenger services which cover longer distances than Commuter trains Africa Inter-city services are reasonably In British English and Australian English, the term coach is used to refer to a large motor vehicle for conveying passengers The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution which dates from 1856 although it has been amended many times since then Automated Fare Collection System (AFC is the name given to three interoperable automated ticketing systems for government -run Buses Trains and ferries Sydney and its surrounding regions is served by an extensive network of public transport services Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. The station opened in its present location in 1906.

CityRail is an operating division of RailCorp, a state-owned corporation of the government of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rail Corporation New South Wales (RailCorp is a Government-owned corporation of the New South Wales government For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. It is responsible for providing commuter, 'intercity' and regional rail services, and some coach services, in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities of New South Wales. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie It is also known as the name of the network on which the services run.

Construction of what is now the CityRail network began in 1855. Today it is frequently cited as one of the most complex commuter rail systems in the world, and consists of 302 stations and over 2,060 km of track, extending even to the upper Hunter Valley and the Shoalhaven areas. Commuter rail, regional rail or suburban rail is a Passenger rail transport service between a city center and outer suburbs and Commuter towns This is a list of Sydney railway stations. It includes all currently operating railway stations on the railway network based in Sydney, New South Wales, The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, extending from approximately to north of Sydney, Australia "Shoalhaven" redirects here For the river of the same name see Shoalhaven River. Four new lines are now in various stages of planning and construction. CityRail and the state's Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation are currently engaged in a process of "sectorisation", a project called "Rail Clearways", in an effort to address this complexity. The Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation is an agency of the Government of New South Wales with responsibility for new railway projects in the city of Sydney

Established under the Transport Administration Act (NSW) 1988 around 1990, CityRail is a "product group" of Rail Corporation New South Wales (Railcorp), the state-owned corporation (SOC) which operates the New South Wales railways. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Rail Corporation New South Wales (RailCorp is a Government-owned corporation of the New South Wales government It is the sister group of CountryLink which operates rail and coach services to regional New South Wales. CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and from New South Wales into Queensland and Victoria

Most of the CityRail system is electrified with 1500V DC supplied by overhead wire; however, some isolated sections outside the Sydney metropolitan area are still operated by diesel railcars. Direct current ( DC) is the unidirectional flow of Electric charge. A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel All electric trains in CityRail's fleet are double-deck multiple units. The term multiple unit or MU is used to describe a self-propelling train unit capable of coupling with other units of the same or similar type and still

Operations

Fleet

CityRail Millennium train

Main article: CityRail fleet

As of 2006, CityRail runs 12 types of rolling stock on its network. CityRail operates a large fleet of electric and diesel Multiple units in and around Sydney New South Wales, Australia. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The trains can be placed in two categories: electric multiple units (EMUs) for suburban and interurban working, and diesel multiple units (DMUs) for interurban and regional lines running through less populated areas. An electric multiple unit or EMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of many carriages using Electricity as the motive power A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board Diesel All electric trains operating on the CityRail network use 1500VDC overhead electrification and travel on 1435mm standard gauge tracks. This a list of the voltages used or have been used for tramway and Railway electrification systems Note the voltages are nominal and vary depending on load and distance from the substation Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit Electrical energy to Trams Trolleybuses or Trains at a distance from the The standard gauge (also named the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, or Normal gauge) is a widely-used Rail gauge. All electric rolling stock has been double deck since the early 1990s. The 1990s collectively refers to the years between and including 1990 and 1999

The CityRail network is divided into three sectors, based around three maintenance depots ^[1]. A train's set can be identified by their target plate, a coloured square plate attached to the lower front right side of a train.

All V set trains, which operate on the Blue Mountains, Newcastle and Central Coast, and South Coast lines, are serviced at Flemington Depot, and all M set and H set trains which have a green target plate, are serviced at Eveleigh Maintenance Centre near Redfern station. Mortdale is a railway station on the CityRail Illawarra line. Flemington Railway Station is a railway station in Sydney Australia Hornsby railway station is a railway station at the junction between the North Shore and Northern railway lines of the CityRail network in Redfern railway station is a major railway station in Redfern which is to the south of the Sydney city centre As of 2008, M sets only work in Sector 2, and H sets only on the South Coast line. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common However, this will soon be expanded to cover some Central Coast services and peak North Sydney-Springwood services.

As of November 2006, the NSW government and RailCorp/CityRail announced the manufacturer for the new trains (626 carriages) which are set to replace the R/S sets. The chosen manufacturer RelianceRail/Downer EDI is the same company which built the M (Millennium) sets. Downer EDi ( is an Australian company specialising in engineering and infrastructure management services to the power rail road telecommunications mining and mineral processing industries This has been said to be the largest order of rollingstock in Australia's history, at a cost of $3. 6 billion, which includes a brand new maintenance facility at Auburn. The first carriages are set to be on the network by 2009, with all running on the network by 2012.

Ticketing

Main article: Automated Fare Collection System

CityRail's automated ticketing system, dating from 1992, is based on magnetic stripe technology and is interoperable with the systems of the government's bus and ferry companies. Automated Fare Collection System (AFC is the name given to three interoperable automated ticketing systems for government -run Buses Trains and ferries A magnetic stripe card is a type of card capable of storing Data by modifying the Magnetism of tiny iron-based magnetic particles on a band of magnetic material

Unlike the ticketing systems of other cities in Australia, most of CityRail's ticket prices are calculated on the distance travelled. The distance begins in increments of 5 km up to 35 km, then in increments of 10 km up to 135 km, then increments of 20 km up to 255 km, with final pricings at 305 km and more than 305 km. As of May 2008, the minimum adult single fare for travelling up to and including 5 km, was AU$2. International holidays May 1 - Labour Day ( Pakistan) May 1 - Labour Day ( Singapore) 60, whereas a journey from Scone to Goulburn, the two stations furthest apart on the network (a distance of 513. 54 km) cost AU$30. ^[2]

Performance

According the 'Parry report', "The interaction of metropolitan, suburban, intercity and freight lines and services has resulted in an overly complex system. "^[3] This complexity has contributed in part to the organisation being widely criticised for poor reliability and safety. CityRail is also enormously expensive. RailCorp requires a government subsidy of close to $1. 8 billion a year—approximately 5% of the state budget and more than three times what it collects in fares. "There is an overwhelming sense," the report concluded, "that CityRail does not promote a real commitment to quality, customer focus and a service culture. "

On-time running has improved since new timetables were introduced in 2005 and 2006. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. In April 2008, 99. 6% of all services ran, and 92. 6% of these services arrived within five minutes of their scheduled arrival time ^[4]. However a 2007 report by Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway Corporation found that Sydney's train system reliability levels lagged behind international benchmarks. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders MTR Corporation Limited ( abbreviated as 港鐵公司 is a company listed on the Hong Kong Exchange ( and included in the Hang Seng Index. ^[5]

The CityRail network

As of 2006, CityRail operates 11 suburban lines, four intercity lines, and one regional line. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The standard network map is shown here.

CityRail Suburban network.

Suburban Lines

■ Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line - Between Bondi Junction and Waterfall/Cronulla. The Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra railway line (also known as the Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line) is a commuter railway line in the eastern and southern Bondi Junction is a CityRail underground railway station at Sydney's Bondi Junction and is the eastern terminus of the Eastern Suburbs railway, opened Waterfall 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 Illawara Cronulla railway station is a railway station on the Cityrail network a short distance from Cronulla Beach of Sydney, Australia, on the This includes the:

• Eastern Suburbs Line. See also Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra railway line Sydney The Eastern Suburbs Railway is a Commuter railway line in Sydney
• Illawarra Line. The Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra railway line (also known as the Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line) is a commuter railway line in the eastern and southern
• Cronulla Line. See also Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra railway line Sydney The Cronulla railway line is a branch of the Illawarra railway line, serving the southern suburbs

■ Bankstown Line - Between Central and Liverpool/Lidcombe, via City Circle (clockwise) and Bankstown. The Bankstown Line is part of the metropolitan rail network of Sydney known as CityRail. Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. Liverpool railway station is a railway station in the south-western suburbs of Sydney and is situated on the Main South Line. Lidcombe railway station is a major junction station on the CityRail network in the Sydney suburb of Lidcombe.
■ Inner West Line - Between Central and Liverpool, via City Circle (anticlockwise) and Strathfield. The Inner West Line is a railway line located in the Inner West region of Sydney, Australia. Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. Liverpool railway station is a railway station in the south-western suburbs of Sydney and is situated on the Main South Line.
■ Airport & East Hills Line - Between Central and Macarthur, via City Circle (clockwise) and Sydenham (peak) or Wolli Creek. The Airport & East Hills Railway Line, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, connects the Sydney Central Business District with Glenfield Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. Macarthur railway station is located in the outer southwestern suburbs of Sydney, Australia.
■ South Line - Between Central and Campbelltown, via City Circle (anticlockwise) and Granville. The South Line (line colour light blue originally green is a railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the CityRail Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. Campbelltown railway station is located in Campbelltown, a city on the south-western periphery of Sydney, Australia.
■ Cumberland Line - Between Blacktown and Campbelltown. The Cumberland railway line connects Blacktown and Campbelltown stations in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia and appears in magenta on Blacktown is a railway station on the Western railway line Sydney of the CityRail network servicing the suburb of Blacktown and surrounding region Campbelltown railway station is located in Campbelltown, a city on the south-western periphery of Sydney, Australia.
■ Western Line - Between Central and Emu Plains or Richmond. The Western Line is part of the CityRail metropolitan rail network in Sydney. Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. Emu Plains railway station is located in the western Sydney suburb of Emu Plains and also serves the surrounding suburbs of Emu Heights and Leonay Richmond railway station is a station on the Richmond branch of the Western line of Sydney 's CityRail network This includes the:

• Richmond Line. The Richmond railway line is a railway line in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

■ North Shore Line - Between Central and Berowra
■ Carlingford Line - Between Clyde and Carlingford. The North Shore Line is a part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney, Australia, operated by CityRail. Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. Berowra railway station in Berowra New South Wales, is the northern most suburban terminus of the Sydney CityRail network The Carlingford Line is a short railway line on the metropolitan CityRail network located in western Sydney, Australia. Clyde railway station is a Station on the Cityrail network Its main reason for existence is as a junction for the quiet Carlingford line. Carlingford is a railway station on the Carlingford Line of the CityRail network in Sydney Australia.
■ Olympic Park Sprint - Between Lidcombe and Olympic Park, extending to Central in off-peak and during special events). The Olympic Park Line (or the Olympic Park Sprint) is a train line in Sydney, Australia that connects the Sydney Olympic Park precinct to the Lidcombe railway station is a major junction station on the CityRail network in the Sydney suburb of Lidcombe. The Olympic Park railway station in Sydney serves the stadiums and sportsgrounds in the suburb of Homebush Bay.
■ Northern Line - Between North Sydney and Hornsby (via Strathfield). The Northern Line is part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney known as CityRail, running between North Sydney and Hornsby via Strathfield and Central The North Sydney railway station is a CityRail station that was created as part of the construction project for the Sydney Harbour Bridge and opened to traffic Hornsby railway station is a railway station at the junction between the North Shore and Northern railway lines of the CityRail network in

* In peak hour on the North Shore line, some outer-suburban services are run to Gosford and Wyong, and some Western Line services extend to Springwood. Gosford Railway Station is located in Gosford on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia on the Newcastle & Central Coast Line. Wyong railway station is located in Wyong on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia.

In peak hour, some City Circle services run in the opposite direction than normal

Intercity and railway lines

CityRail intercity and regional network as of 2000.

Intercity lines are shown in grey on CityRail maps, with the line colour on the stations.

■ South Coast Line - Between Central** and Bomaderry (Nowra) or Port Kembla. The South Coast Line is in the intercity region of Sydney 's CityRail services Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. Bomaderry (Nowra is a CityRail railway station on the South Coast railway line. Port Kembla is a CityRail railway station on the Port Kembla branch of the South Coast railway line.
■ Southern Highlands Line - Between Campbelltown** and Goulburn. The Southern Highlands Line is a section of the Main South railway line, and part of the CityRail outer suburban network Campbelltown railway station is located in Campbelltown, a city on the south-western periphery of Sydney, Australia. Goulburn Railway Station is a station on the Main Southern railway line in New South Wales, Australia.
■ Blue Mountains Line - Between Central** and Lithgow. The Blue Mountains Line is a section of the Main Western railway line in New South Wales, Australia. Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. Lithgow railway station is a regional railway station on the Blue Mountains Line of the CityRail intercity network serving the town of Lithgow in
■ Newcastle & Central Coast Line - Between Central and Newcastle. The Newcastle and Central Coast Line is an intercity railway line of Sydney 's CityRail network Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. Newcastle Railway Station (also known as Newcastle Terminal) is the main railway station in Newcastle, New South Wales.

** Some peak services on the South Coast Line run to/from Bondi Junction, some on the Southern Highlands Line to/from Central, and some on the Blue Mountains Line to/from Hornsby. Bondi Junction is a CityRail underground railway station at Sydney's Bondi Junction and is the eastern terminus of the Eastern Suburbs railway, opened Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. Hornsby railway station is a railway station at the junction between the North Shore and Northern railway lines of the CityRail network in

Regional Line

■ Hunter Lines - Between Newcastle and Dungog or Scone. The Hunter railway line is a regional railway line which is part of Sydney 's CityRail network Newcastle Railway Station (also known as Newcastle Terminal) is the main railway station in Newcastle, New South Wales. Dungog Railway station is a railway station on the North Coast Line branch of CityRail 's Hunter Line in New South Wales, Scone Railway Station is located in the town of Scone, New South Wales, and lies on the Main North Line.

Connecting bus services

CityRail also operates several bus routes along corridors where the railway line has been closed to passenger traffic or fallen into disuse altogether. These bus services appear in CityRail timetables and accept CityRail tickets, but they are operated by private-sector bus companies contracted by CityRail. As of 2006 these CityRail bus services are:

■ Bowral to Picton Loop Line - Bowral to Picton via Thirlmere. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. History The Picton-Mittagong line was originally built in 1867 formed part of the Main Southern Line.
■ South Coast to Southern Highlands Line - Bundanoon/Bowral to Wollongong via Robertson. The Unanderra - Moss Vale railway line is a cross country Railway line in New South Wales, Australia.
■ Lithgow to Bathurst - Lithgow to Bathurst via Mt Lambie. The Blue Mountains Line is a section of the Main Western railway line in New South Wales, Australia.
■ Fassifern to Toronto - Fassifern to Toronto via Blackall's Park. The Newcastle and Central Coast Line is an intercity railway line of Sydney 's CityRail network

NightRide

Nightride Map

Main article: NightRide

To provide a lower-cost passenger service between midnight and 5:00 AM while leaving the tracks clear of trains for maintenance work, a parallel bus service was established in 1989. NightRide is a network of bus routes in operation between midnight and 5 Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) This is called the NightRide bus service and it operates typically at hourly intervals (some routes depart more regularly on weekends). NightRide services are run by private bus operators, and are identified by route numbers beginning with "N". All valid CityRail tickets for a destination (apart from single tickets) are accepted on NightRide services. ^[6] Bus stops and railway stations do not always perfectly coincide, but there is a reasonable approximation on most routes.

Network overview

An R set leaves Artarmon railway station, on the North Shore Line

The underground Museum station in the centre of Sydney. The R set and S set are a class of Electric multiple unit operated by CityRail in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia The North Shore Line is a part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney, Australia, operated by CityRail. Both Museum and St James stations on the City Circle are decorated to look like a London Underground station.

The CityRail network is a hybrid of three different types of passenger railway - it is a combination of a metro-style underground railway system; a suburban commuter rail system and an interurban rail system. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway Commuter rail, regional rail or suburban rail is a Passenger rail transport service between a city center and outer suburbs and Commuter towns Inter-city rail services are express Train passenger services which cover longer distances than Commuter trains Africa Inter-city services are reasonably

For example, a person who lives in Blacktown, 30 km west of Sydney and works in the city centre 2 km from Sydney's Central Station can catch a CityRail suburban service from his/her local station. Blacktown is a Suburb in the City of Blacktown, in Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. However, the train does not terminate at Central Station, instead proceeding onward into the underground network in Sydney's CBD and some inner city neighbourhoods without the need to change trains or buy tickets from a different railway organisation. Sydney's underground railways do not form a true metro, because they are extensions of suburban main line services and are not a completely segregated system A central business district ( CBD) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city

There is evidence this hybrid arrangement was deliberate. According to a local historical society, the design of the early electric carriages was developed as a combination of the high-capacity, low-boarding time of the New York Subways trains and the existing English long carriage design that was established in Australia's long-haul steam train system. ^[7]. Those design principles have carried over to successive rolling stock.

CityRail also operates several interurban services which terminate at Central Station (though some services operate in the metro-style portions of the system in the peak hours). These lines stretch over 160 km (100 miles) from Sydney, as far north as Newcastle, as far west as Lithgow, as far south-west as Goulburn and as far south as Kiama and Port Kembla. The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Goulburn is a provincial City in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council. For the corresponding seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, see Electoral district of Kiama. Port Kembla is a Seaport, industrial complex (one of the largest in Australia and suburb of Wollongong, in the Illawarra region of New South Wales Usually, Southern Highlands trains require a connection at Campbelltown as they run into the city during peak hours only.

Regional services operate from the terminus station at Newcastle, with local electric services to the Central Coast and diesel services to Maitland. The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter After Maitland, the DMUs travel either to Scone or Dungog, but most of these services terminate at Maitland or Telarah. Scone (which rhymes with 'bone' is a town in the Upper Hunter Shire in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia. Dungog is a small country town in the Upper Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia. Another regional service operates as part of the South Coast Line, with diesel railcars travelling between Kiama and Bomaderry-Nowra. The South Coast Line is in the intercity region of Sydney 's CityRail services For the corresponding seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, see Electoral district of Kiama. Nowra is a city in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia.

The hub of the CityRail system is Central Station. Central Railway Station (also known as Sydney Terminal) is the largest Railway station in Sydney. It is also where most lines start and end. Trains coming from the Airport and East Hills Line and Bankstown Line, after travelling anticlockwise on the City Circle sometimes terminate upon arrival at Central and proceed to the Macdonaldtown Turnback. The Airport & East Hills Railway Line, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, connects the Sydney Central Business District with Glenfield The Bankstown Line is part of the metropolitan rail network of Sydney known as CityRail. The City Circle is a system of underground passenger railway lines located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia that make up the heart of the Sydney passenger However, most trains continue on and become respective outward bound Inner West trains and South Line trains. The Inner West Line is a railway line located in the Inner West region of Sydney, Australia. The South Line (line colour light blue originally green is a railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the CityRail The reverse applies for trains coming from the Inner West and South Lines, which, if not terminating, become outward bound trains on the Airport and East Hills line and Bankstown Line respectively. In the same manner, all trains from the Western Line or Northern Line become North Shore line trains once they reach Central and vice-versa. The Western Line is part of the CityRail metropolitan rail network in Sydney. The North Shore Line is a part of the metropolitan rail network in Sydney, Australia, operated by CityRail.

As well as the intercity services mentioned above, local services also run in the Newcastle local area during off-peak (as part of the Newcastle & Central Coast Line. The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie The Newcastle and Central Coast Line is an intercity railway line of Sydney 's CityRail network Local services also run on the South Coast Line in the Wollongong local area, usually between Thirroul and Port Kembla. The South Coast Line is in the intercity region of Sydney 's CityRail services Thirroul is a railway station on the South Coast Line of the CityRail interurban network in New South Wales, Australia. Port Kembla is a CityRail railway station on the Port Kembla branch of the South Coast railway line.

History

The original railway network for the Sydney CBD planned by John Bradfield

CityRail's origins go as far back as 1855 when the first railway in New South Wales was opened between Sydney and Parramatta, now a suburb of Sydney but then a major agricultural centre. The 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. The State's railway system quickly expanded from the outset with lines radiating from Sydney and Newcastle into the interior of New South Wales, with frequent passenger railway services in the suburban areas of Sydney and Newcastle along with less frequent passenger trains into the rural areas and interstate. All services were powered by steam locomotives, though in the 1920s petrol railcars were introduced for minor branch lines with low passenger numbers, both in metropolitan Sydney and rural areas.

The CityRail system as it exists today is to some extent the result of the vision and foresight of John Bradfield, one of Australia's most respected and famous civil engineers. John Job Crew Bradfield ( December 26, 1867 - September 23, 1943) was an Australian engineer best known as the designer of the He was involved in the design and construction of Sydney's underground railways in the 1920s and 1930s, but he is more famous for the associated design and construction of Sydney's greatest icon, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. } The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a Steel arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail vehicular and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business

Electrification

Electrification came to Sydney's suburbs 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 soon electrified. 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.

World War II interrupted programs for further electrification, but an extensive electric network was in place in 1948.

Structure

The New South Wales Public Transport Commission was created in 1972 by the merger of the New South Wales Government Railways and the New South Wales Department of Government Transport, which operated buses and ferries. The New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport It was broken up in 1980 into the State Rail Authority and Urban Transit Authority. CityRail was established under the Transport Administration Act (NSW) 1988 as a business unit of State Rail in 1990.

Challenges

The quality of the rail system is a matter of not inconsiderable political sensitivity. Its performance has been questioned due to issues regarding safety, punctuality and other technicalities. Transport is the third largest area of public expenditure in NSW, after health and education. A newspaper distributed to commuters, mX, and the Sydney Morning Herald's recent "campaign for Sydney" kept transport at the top of the agenda ahead of the 2007 state election. mX is an Australian free afternoon daily newspaper in the cities of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, owned and produced The Sydney Morning Herald ( SMH) is a daily Broadsheet Newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia

Safety

A typical message asking passengers to stand behind the yellow line, and rubber strips near the edge of the platform

The safety of the CityRail network was dramatically called into question by two fatal accidents. The Glenbrook train disaster in 1999 killed seven people. In 2003, the Waterfall train disaster killed six. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Inquiries were conducted into both accidents. Official findings into the latter accident also blamed an "underdeveloped safety culture". There has been criticism of the way CityRail managed safety issues that arose, resulting in what the NSW Ministry of Transport called a "a reactive approach to risk management". CityRail has launched public information campaigns regarding railway trespassing, prams and strollers, and falling between the platform and the train. ^[8]

Crime & terrorism

Crime committed on railway property has decreased by some 32. 9% since 2002, which RailCorp attributes to the deployment of some 600 Transit Officers across the network. A Transit Officer is the primary security and law enforcement officer for RailCorp train services in New South Wales, Australia. ^[9] Most stations now 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. Closed-circuit television ( CCTV) is the use of Video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place limited set of monitors 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. CityRail 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^[10]. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous

Value

In his interim report to the NSW Government, Tom Parry was highly critical of CityRail. "It is hard to believe that taxpayers or the state are getting the best possible value from the large amounts of money being spent each year," he wrote. ^[11]

Future development

Partial diagram of possible 2050 network under the proposed Christie report

Main articles: Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation and Epping to Chatswood railway line, Sydney

The CityRail network is currently undergoing a process of expansion in response to concerns that rail services are inadequate in Western Sydney, while the existing network has become dilapidated. The Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation is an agency of the Government of New South Wales with responsibility for new railway projects in the city of Sydney The Epping to Chatswood Rail Line (ECRL (originally a part of the Parramatta Rail Link) is a railway line under construction in the northern suburbs of Sydney At present, the Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation is undertaking or planning several construction projects for CityRail. The Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation is an agency of the Government of New South Wales with responsibility for new railway projects in the city of Sydney

The Government of New South Wales announced in 2003 that it intended to separate the existing CityRail lines into five independent lines with more reliable and frequent services. The project is called "Rail Clearways", and the five new sectors are listed as the Illawarra and Eastern Suburbs Line, the Bankstown Line, the Campbelltown Express Line, the Airport & South Line and the North-West Lines. The CityRail Clearways Project is a $18 billion dollar program of Public works on Sydney 's CityRail suburban railway network to "untangle" the This project is estimated to cost AUD$1. 5 billion and is scheduled for completion in 2010. For the film see 2010 The Year We Make Contact. For the book see 2010 Odyssey Two.

Related to the Clearways Project is the construction of the new 13km Epping to Chatswood Line which runs between Epping on the Northern Line and Chatswood on the North Shore line, with three new stations in between, servicing the North Ryde industrial area, Macquarie University, and Macquarie Shopping Centre. The Epping to Chatswood Rail Line (ECRL (originally a part of the Parramatta Rail Link) is a railway line under construction in the northern suburbs of Sydney Macquarie University is an Australian public University located in Sydney. Macquarie Centre is a regional sized shopping centre located between Herring Waterloo and Talevera Roads in the suburb of Macquarie Park in Sydney, New It is due to open in 2008. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

As of February 2006, the NSW government has plans for a major new upgrade to the CityRail network, called the Metropolitan Rail Expansion Project. Stories without links will be removed. News stories must be in English This involves building a new line from the north-west to the city and then to the south-west. This massive project was estimated to cost about A$8 billion, $5 billion of which was for the building of a new tunnel under the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney central business district, (called the CBD Rail Link). The Redfern to Chatswood Rail Link (RCRL is the name of one of the routes proposed for a new underground Railway line in Sydney 's central business district } The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a Steel arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail vehicular and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business The Sydney Central business district (CBD and also referred to as the City) is the main commercial centre of Sydney, the capital of New The Redfern to Chatswood Rail Link (RCRL is the name of one of the routes proposed for a new underground Railway line in Sydney 's central business district Under this plan, the north-west suburbs would be served by the North West Rail Link by 2017, the new south-west suburbs would be linked to the network via the South West Rail Link by 2015, and the rail line would pass through the new growth corridor from Ryde to the airport. The North West Metro (previously the North West Rail Link and Anzac Line) is a proposed metro line which will run from the northwestern suburbs of Sydney The South West Rail Link is a planned expansion of the Commuter rail network in Sydney, Australia. Critics of the New South Wales government have criticised what they perceive as a lack of follow through, citing the previously planned Parramatta to Chatswood rail link which has since been truncated to link only Epping to Chatswood, with the Epping to Parramatta portion postponed indefinitely.

Other suggestions have also been made for the future of the CityRail network. One project that has been suggested is a privately operated underground rail tunnel running between the Sydney CBD and Parramatta, a distance of 26 km, with the high-speed link continuing to Penrith on the outskirts of Sydney. The Sydney Central business district (CBD and also referred to as the City) is the main commercial centre of Sydney, the capital of New Parramatta (ˈpærɑːmætɑː is a suburb in the west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is a Suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. First introduced in 2004 by a consortium of Dutch bank ABN AMRO and developer Leighton Holdings, the project, dubbed the Penrith High Speed Link, was reproposed in December 2006 and received favourable comments by the New South Wales State Government,^[12] and was offered funding by Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd should the Australian Labor Party win the 2007 Federal Election. ABN AMRO is a Dutch bank currently owned by RFS Holdings BV, a consortium of Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Fortis Bank Nederland, and Banco Santander Leighton Holdings ( is notable as Australia's largest project development and contracting group Western FastRail is a proposed $2 billion privately funded underground and above-ground train line that would link central Sydney with Western Sydney independent from the The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution which dates from 1856 although it has been amended many times since then Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957 is the 26th and current Prime Minister of Australia and federal leader of the Centre-left Australian Labor Federal elections for the Parliament of Australia were held on Saturday 24 November 2007 after a 6-week campaign in which 13 ^[13]

The proposed link would ease congestion along the main West-East corridor and reduce the current 29 minute service into the city to just 12 minutes. The service would operate in conjunction with RailCorp, and would use CityRail's existing railway stations and ticketing system, but with an extra fee on top of the normal CityRail ticket price (at approximately $9. 90 a trip including a $3. 10 surcharge). The train fleet and rail infrastructure would be built and maintained by a private company. The line has been estimated to cost $5 billion. ^[12]

As of September 2007 the NSW Government announced plans to build an East-West underground metro line ("Anzac Line"). September 2007 is the ninth month of that year It began on a Saturday The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution which dates from 1856 although it has been amended many times since then A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway ^[14]

See also

• List of rapid transit systems
• List of suburban and commuter rail systems
• List of Sydney railway stations
• Metropolitan Goods Railway Line, Sydney
• North West Rail Link
• Public transport
• Railways in Sydney
• Southern Sydney Freight Line
• Sydney underground railways
• MetroPitt

References

Other references

• RailCorp Annual Report 2005-2006
• Interim Report of the Ministerial Inquiry into Sustainable Transport in New South Wales
• CityRail website

External links

• CityRail - CityRail Website
• CityRail's Fleet - CityRail webpage of its rollingstock.
• RailCorp Homepage
• Rail Infrastructure Corporation
• State Transit Authority
• Details and map of Clearways
• North West Rail Link
• South West Rail Link
• Christie Report - Long Term Strategic Plan for Rail.
• NSW Audit Office: Managing Disruption to CityRail services.
• Railpage Australia - General news and discussion about Australian railways.
• Sydney Electric Train Society (SETS) Incorporated - Established in 1991 for the preservation and operation of Sydney's vintage single deck electric trains and electric locomotives 4615 and 8606.
• Trendy's Trainpage - Facts and photos of the trains and railways of Sydney, Australia
• The Intercity Platform - Images (and videos) of the CityRail Fleet.
• Historical NSW Rail Timetables- Historical Sydney Railway Timetables