CityRail

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File:Cityraillogo.gif
Official logo of the CityRail network
The waiting area at  Central Railway Station, the main station on the CityRail network
Old-style manual train indicator boards at Concord West.

CityRail is the name of the extensive system of urban, suburban and intercity passenger railways based in metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. CityRail's intercity lines also extend outside of metropolitan Sydney to Newcastle, the Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, the Illawarra, the Shoalhaven, the Central Coast and the Hunter Valley. Since the beginnings of the network were established in 1855, it has since grown to be one of the world's most complex rail systems, carrying over 900,000 passengers daily to and from 302 stations on over 2,060 kilometres of track. Despite the extensive service, however, CityRail is frequently criticised as not being up to standard in terms of frequency, reliability and cleanliness when compared to systems in other global cities.

CityRail was established under the Transport Administration Act (NSW) 1988 around 1990 and is owned by the New South Wales State Government and is a "product group" of Rail Corporation New South Wales (Railcorp), the state-owned corporation (SOC) which operates the New South Wales Railways. It is the sister company of CountryLink which operates rail services to regional New South Wales.

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. All electric trains in CityRail's fleet are double-deck multiple units.

The CityRail network

As of 2006, CityRail operates 11 suburban lines, 4 intercity lines, and 1 regional line. Each line is ascribed a colour for use in publicity such as timetables, posters and for identification in network maps. The previous issue of station signs (of which many stations still have) also had the line colour indicated underneath the station name, but the current station signs have a generic blue and white design to match with CityRail's corporate colour scheme.

Suburban railway lines

CityRail suburban network in 2006

Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra Line
Between Bondi Junction and Waterfall/Cronulla

Bankstown Line
Between Central and Liverpool/Lidcombe
(via City Circle (clockwise) and Bankstown)

Inner West Line
Between Central and Liverpool
(via City Circle (anticlockwise) and Strathfield)

Airport and East Hills Line
Between Central and Macarthur
(via City Circle (clockwise) and Sydenham (peak) or Wolli Creek)

South Line
Between Central and Campbelltown
(via City Circle (anticlockwise) and Granville)

Cumberland Line
Between Blacktown and Campbelltown

Western Line
Between Central and Emu Plains/Richmond

North Shore Line
Between Central and Berowra*

Carlingford Line
Between Clyde and Carlingford

Olympic Park Sprint
Between Lidcombe and Olympic Park
(extending to Central in off-peak and during special events)

Northern Line
Between North Sydney and Hornsby

* In peak hour on the North Shore line, some intercity services are run to Gosford and Wyong.

Intercity and regional railway lines

South Coast Line
Between Central** and Bomaderry (Nowra)/Port Kembla

Southern Highlands Line
Between Campbelltown** and Goulburn

Blue Mountains Line
Between Central** and Lithgow

Newcastle & Central Coast Line
Between Central and Newcastle

Hunter Lines
Between Newcastle and Dungog/Scone

** Some peak services on the South Coast Line run from Bondi Junction, some on the Southern Highlands Line from Central, and some on the Blue Mountains Line to North Sydney.

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 - via Thirlmere)
  • South Coast (Wollongong) to Southern Highlands (Bundanoon) (via Robertson)
  • Lithgow to Bathurst (via Mt. Lambie)
  • Fassifern to Toronto

NightRide bus services

File:Nightridemap.gif
Map of the current NightRide Bus network

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. This is called the NightRide bus service and it operates typically at hourly intervals (some routes depart every half hour 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.[1]

The main terminus for NightRide services is located on George Street in the Sydney CBD, outside Town Hall railway station, and all NightRide services depart from there (apart from the N20 which departs from Rockdale instead). Bus stops and railway stations do not always perfectly coincide, but there is a reasonable approximation on most routes.

The full list of routes covered by NightRide and their route numbers are:

A route N71 NightRide service between Blacktown and Richmond was trialled in the early 2000s, but did not become a full service and is now discontinued. A now discontinued route N1 existed until 1 November 2002, serving the stations on the City Circle.[2]

Network overview

A typical message asking passengers to stand behind the yellow line, and rubber strips near the edge of the platform
An R set leaves Artarmon railway station, on the North Shore Line

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.

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. 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.

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. 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. After Maitland, the DMUs travel either to Scone or Dungog, but most of these services terminate at Maitland or Telarah. Another regional service operates as part of the South Coast Line, with diesel railcars travelling between Kiama and Bomaderry-Nowra.

The hub of the CityRail system is Central Station. 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. However, most trains continue on and become respective outward bound Inner West trains and South Line trains. 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 become North Shore line trains once they reach Central and vice-versa.

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. Local services also run on the South Coast Line in the Wollongong local area, usually between Thirroul and Port Kembla.

History

Routes running through the CBD under John Bradfield's original City railway proposal

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 really the result of the vision and foresight of John Bradfield, one of Australia's most respected and famous civil engineers. 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.

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 quickly electrified soon after. 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.

A typical electrified suburban station - Concord West station on the  Northern Line

World War II interrupted programs for further electrification, but the following extensive electric network was in place in 1948 spanning the suburban area:

  • St James - Hurstville - Cronulla
  • St James - East Hills
  • Wynyard - Sydenham - Bankstown
  • Wynyard - Strathfield - Bankstown
  • North Sydney - Strathfield - Hornsby
  • Hornsby - North Sydney - Parramatta
  • Hornsby - North Sydney - Granville - Liverpool
  • Lidcombe - Regents Park - Liverpool shuttle service

In 2002, CityRail electrified the portion of track running from Dapto to Kiama on the South Coast Line.

Fleet

File:Cityrailfleet.png
The 12 train types that make up the CityRail fleet (as of May 2006).
CityRail Millenium train
Main article: CityRail fleet

As of 2006, CityRail runs no less than twelve different types of rolling stock on its network. The trains can be placed in two different categories: electric multiple units (EMUs) for suburban and interurban working, and diesel multiple units (DMUs) for interurban and regional lines for lines with less populated areas. All electric trains operating on the CityRail network use 1500VDC overhead electrification and travel on 1435mm standard gauge tracks. All electric rolling stock has been double deck since the early 1990s.

Notable CityRail cars include DIM8020, formerly DIM8067, DET9216, formerly DCT9034, and D6288.

Depots and operation area

The CityRail network is currently divided into five sectors, based around four maintenance depots. Trains can be identified by their target plate (a coloured square plate attached to the lower front right side of a train, identifying the train set type.)

The depot at Mortdale services trains for the Illawarra and Eastern Suburbs line and some South Coast Line trains (Sector 1). Its trains are marked with a red target plate.

The depot at Flemington services trains on the Cumberland line, Airport and East Hills Line, Olympic Park Sprint, South Line, and Bankstown Line (Sector 2). Its trains are marked with a blue target plate.

The depot at Hornsby services trains on the North Shore Line, Northern Line, Western Line, Carlingford Line, as well as some Blue Mountains Line and Newcastle and Central Coast Line services (Sector 3). These trains are marked with a black target plate.

All V set trains (Sector 4), 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 (Sector 5) which have a green target plate, are serviced at Eveleigh Maintenance Centre near Redfern station.

Ticketing

File:Cityrailticket1.png
An example of the current CityRail magnetic tickets.

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 5km up to 35km, then in increments of 10 up to 135km, then increments of 20 up to 255km, with final pricings at 305km and more than 305km. As of July 2006 the minimum adult single fare for travelling up to and including 5km, is $2.40AU, whereas travelling from Scone to Goulburn, the two stations furthest apart on the network (a distance of 513.54km) is only $29.00AU.

CityRail tickets currently use a magnetic strip ticket, having replaced a paper or cardboard version in the early 1990s. Tickets are currently available in four different types: adult, concession, adult off-peak and child off-peak. Concession tickets (priced at half the full adult fare) are available to children under 16, high school students, full time university and TAFE students, and apprentices. Off-peak tickets are available only on return tickets after 9:00am on weekdays and all day on weekends and are discounted to 70% of the full fare.

The majority of available tickets are single and return trips. Return trip tickets are valid up to 4am after the day of issue. Passengers possessing single or return trip tickets are not permitted to "break" their journey, that is, alight at a station prior to that indicated on the ticket. Weekly tickets between two stops are also available.

More flexible tickets are also available, including as weekly TravelPass tickets, which allow unlimited travel on a combination of train, bus, and ferry services within a designated area, given a colour. For example, a red TravelPass allows unlimited train, bus, and ferry services within the inner Sydney metropolitan area. TravelPasses not issued by CityRail are compatible with CityRail ticketing systems, though they may look different. Ticketing is also available for train and privately-run bus services in areas where the extents of the government-run Sydney Buses do not reach (primarily in Western Sydney).

Day pass ticketing is also available, including as the CityHopper which permits unlimited travel all day between stations in the Central Business District (termed "City" stations), and the DayTripper, which permits near-unlimited train, bus, and ferry use.

Tcard will be introduced as a new contactless smartcard payment mechanism in the near future.

Corporate structure

Prior to 1 January 2004, CityRail was a joint operation of the Rail Infrastructure Corporation and the New South Wales State Rail Authority (SRA), both state-owned entities. The State Rail Authority was responsible for CityRail's ticketing, public relations, political and corporate side. Meanwhile, the Rail Infrastructure Corporation, technically operating independently of the State Rail Authority, was be responsible for CityRail's fleet, track network and maintenance side.

1 January 2004 marked the introduction of a new state-owned, entity called the Rail Corporation New South Wales, or RailCorp. RailCorp's function is to join the State Rail Authority and the Rail Infrastructure Corporation's operations relating to CityRail under one entity. As a result, the State Rail Authority has been dissolved into RailCorp, and the Rail Infrastructure Corporation's duties of track and fleet maintenance have been transferred to RailCorp. The Rail Infrastructure Corporation still has duties outside of the CityRail network, including interstate and rural lines, as well as freight services. CityRail has a loose affiliation with the New South Wales State Transit Authority (STA), which manages Sydney's government bus and Liverpool - Parramatta Transitway. Inner-city transport is supplemented by the privately owned Metro Transport Corporation, which manages Sydney City's small light rail (a modern tram) and monorail network.

Change in CityRail map

Diagram of Epping to Chatswood Line

The CityRail lines map changes the lines and colours every so often. Earlier rail maps: 2005, [1]

Around 1995, the line colours were

  • Red: Hornsby Northern line
  • Yellow: Western lines to Penrith, Parramatta
  • Green: Southern lines to Campbelltown, Liverpool
  • Brown: Canterbury-Bankstown lines
  • Blue: Illawarra lines south to Waterfall and Cronulla

An earlier map, used when the CityRail network was known as the Sydney Rail Transport System (probably in the 1980s), still exists on the concourse at Martin Place railway station. This map used a pink colour for the North Shore line, orange for the East Hills line (before the connection to Glenfield was built via Holsworthy), an indigo colour for the Eastern Suburbs line, and a near-black colour for the City Circle. The Carlingford line was coloured yellow as part of the Western line, and the line via Regents Park was part of the Southern line and therefore coloured green. The map also shows now-disused lines and sidings, and the suburban network extended to Otford to the south and Cowan to the north.

Future

File:Christieplan.gif
Possible 2050 network under the proposed Christie report

In response to public allegations of poor service from CityRail, the government of New South Wales has announced that it intends to separate the existing CityRail lines into five independent lines with more reliable and frequent services. The five lines will be called "Rail Clearways" and 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. This project is estimated to cost AUD$1.5 billion and is scheduled for completion in 2010.

The Clearways project includes 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 inbetween, servicing the North Ryde industrial area, Macquarie University, and Macquarie Shopping Centre. It is due to open in 2008.

To ease congestion along the main West-East corridor, a suggestion has been made for the construction of a privately operated underground train line that would run from the CBD (City Circle) to Parramatta, reducing the current 30 minute trip to ~12 minutes. This service was to operate in conjunction with RailCorp, and would have used CityRail's existing train stations and ticketing system, but a private company would have charged an extra fee on top of the normal CityRail ticket price. The train fleet and rail infrastructure would be built and maintained by the private company. The State Government has never endorsed the proposal.

As of June 2005, the NSW government announced plans for a major new upgrade to the CityRail network involving 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 tunnels under the city. Under this plan, the new north-west suburbs would get a rail line by 2017, the new south-west suburbs would be linked by 2020, and the rail line would pass through the new growth corridor from Ryde to the airport. 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.

See also

References

  1. ^ "NightRide Bus Services", CityRail, retrieved 28 March 2006
  2. ^ "Changes to NightRide Buses: 1 November 2002", Action for Public Transport (NSW), retrieved 28 March 2006

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to CityRail Sydney.

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