CityRail
CityRail S set enters Museum station
Background
Locale	Sydney Newcastle Hunter Region Wollongong Shoalhaven Southern Highlands Blue Mountains
Transit type	Commuter rail Inter-city rail Bus
Number of lines	16
Number of stations	307
Annual ridership	306 million (2010/11)
Website	www.cityrail.info
Operation
Began operation	16 January 1989
Ended operation	30 June 2013
Operator(s)	RailCorp
Technical
System length	1,595 kilometres (991 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

	CityRail Chime The distinctive chime that is played prior to announcements
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CityRail is a trading name of RailCorp, a statutory authority of the Government of New South Wales, Australia and controlled entity of Transport for NSW.

CityRail is responsible for providing passenger rail services in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities in New South Wales as well as some rail replacement bus services. The majority of the CityRail system is electrified with 1,500 V DC supplied by overhead wire and are operated by double-deck electric multiple units. Some isolated sections outside the Sydney metropolitan area are operated by single deck diesel railcars. The network is incorporated in the New South Wales MyZone ticketing system.

Construction of the rail network began 3 July 1850. Today it consists of 307 stations and over 2,060 km (1,280 mi) of track, extending north to the upper Hunter Region, south to the Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands regions and west to Bathurst. In the year ended 30 June 2011, 306 million journeys were made on the network.^[1]

CityRail was established in January 1989 pursuant to the Transport Administration Act, 1988 (NSW).^[2] From July 2013 CityRail will be replaced by Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink.

Operations[edit]

Fleet[edit]

The Waratah is the newest train in CityRail's fleet

CityRail V set at Hamilton

Diesel multiple units such as the Endeavours operate on the non-electrified parts of the network

At the time of it cessation in June 2013, CityRail operated eight electric multiple unit classes for suburban and interurban working, and diesel multiple unit classes. All CityRail electric trains use 1500 V DC overhead electrification and travel on 1,435mm standard gauge tracks. Double deck rollingstock was first introduced in 1964 and since 1996, all electric multiple units have been double deck.

The CityRail network is divided into three sectors, based around three maintenance depots.^[3] EMU trainsets are identified by target plates, which are exhibited on the front lower nearside of driving carriages.^[4] Target designations and set numbers are used in identifying EMU trainsets. The composition and formations of trainsets, and the target designations are subject to alteration. The target designation originally identified the depot at which a trainset was based. However, the introduction of a variety of EMU types led to the target designation's use as a means of identifying the class of trainset, more like a vehicle or locomotive number.

All CityRail V sets which operate on the Newcastle and Blue Mountains lines, are serviced at Flemington Depot. All M and H sets, which have a green target plate, are serviced at Eveleigh Maintenance Centre.

Ticketing[edit]

CityRail's current ticketing system is called the Automated Fare Collection System. Dating from 1992, is based on magnetic stripe technology and is interoperable with the Sydney Buses and Sydney Ferries systems. It is to be replaced by the contactless Opal smartcard system in 2015.

Unlike the ticketing systems of other cities in Australia, most of CityRail's ticket prices are calculated on the distance travelled and are inexpensive by world standards.^[5]

Entry to privately owned train stations at Sydney Airport requires a Station Access Fee in addition to the train fare. This station access fee does not apply for Green Square and Mascot.^[6]

Performance[edit]

According to the 2003 Parry Report, "The interaction of metropolitan, suburban, intercity and freight lines and services has resulted in an overly complex system.^[5] 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.^[7] The newly introduced timetable increase the station dwelling time and increase the amount of time a train is expected to arrive at the destination.^[8] In April 2008, 99.6% of all services ran, and 92.6% of these services arrived within five minutes of their scheduled arrival time.^[9] However a 2007 report by Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway Corporation found that Sydney's train system reliability levels lagged behind international benchmarks.^[10]

Later, in October 2012, a report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers found CityRail 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.^[11]

Network[edit]

CityRail operates eleven suburban lines, four intercity services, one regional service, and five connecting bus services, plus a late night bus service across metropolitan Sydney. The standard network map is shown here.

Suburban lines[edit]

CityRail Suburban network

Line colour and name		Between
	Airport & East Hills line	City Circle and Macarthur via either Sydenham (peak) or Wolli Creek
	Bankstown line	City Circle and Liverpool or Lidcombe, via Bankstown
	Carlingford line	Clyde and Carlingford, with limited services to Lidcombe and Central (i)
	Cumberland line	Blacktown and Campbelltown
	Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra line	Bondi Junction and Waterfall or Cronulla
	Inner West line	City Circle and Bankstown or Liverpool, via Regents Park
	Northern line	Epping and Hornsby via Strathfield, the City and Macquarie Park
	North Shore line	Central and Berowra via Chatswood
	Olympic Park line	Lidcombe and Olympic Park. Some services operate between Central (i) and Olympic Park, particularly during special events
	South line	City Circle and Campbelltown, via Granville
	Western line	Central and Emu Plains or Richmond

:*In peak hour on the North Shore line, some outer-suburban services run to Gosford and Wyong, and some Western Line services extend to Springwood.
:*Inbound Inner West and South services generally travel around the City Circle in the clockwise direction. Inbound Airport and East Hills and Bankstown services generally travel around the City Circle in the anti-clockwise direction.

Intercity lines[edit]

CityRail Intercity and regional network separated from the suburban network

Line colour and name		Between
	Blue Mountains line	Central and Lithgow a b
	Newcastle line	Central and Newcastle
	South Coast line	Central c and Bomaderry or Port Kembla
	Southern Highlands line	Campbelltown d and Moss Vale, with less frequent services to Goulburn

Regional line[edit]

Line colour and name		Between
	Hunter line	Newcastle and Telarah, with less frequent services to Dungog or Scone

Connecting bus services[edit]

CityRail operates several bus routes along corridors where the railway line has been closed to passengers or as a supplement to rail services. These bus services appear in CityRail timetables and accept CityRail tickets, but they are operated by private sector bus companies contracted by CityRail. Two are CountryLink services that carry CityRail passengers, but require a seat reservation.

Line colour and name		Between	Bus contractor
	Blue Mountains line	Lithgow to Bathurst via Mount Lambie (r)	Australia Wide Coaches
	Newcastle line	Fassifern to Toronto via Blackalls Park	Hunter Valley Buses
	South Coast line	Wollongong to Moss Vale/Bundanoon via Robertson (r)	Roadcoach
	Southern Highlands line	Moss Vale to Goulburn via Marulan	Roadcoach
	Southern Highlands line	Picton to Bowral via Thirlmere on weekdays only	Picton Coaches

NightRide[edit]

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 1989. NightRide services operate typically at hourly intervals (some routes depart more frequently 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.^[12] Bus stops and railway stations do not always perfectly coincide, but there is a reasonable approximation on most routes.

Network overview[edit]

The concourse of Central Railway Station, the main station on the CityRail network that opened in its present location in 1906

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2011)

The CityRail network is a hybrid of three different types of passenger railway: metro-style underground; suburban commuter rail and interurban.

Most Intercity trains terminate at Central while most suburban (except Carlingford line) services will proceed through the city.

There is evidence this hybrid arrangement was deliberate. 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.^[13] Those design principles have carried over to successive rolling stock.

CityRail also operates several Intercity services that terminate at Central station (though some services operate in the metro-style portions of the system in the peak hours). These lines stretch over 200 kilometres from Sydney, as far north as Newcastle, as far west as Bathurst, as far south-west as Goulburn and as far south as Kiama and Port Kembla. 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 Telarah with some extending to Dungog and Scone. Diesel services also operate on the South Coast Line between Kiama and Bomaderry.

The hub of the CityRail system is Central station, where most lines start and end. Trains coming from the Airport & East Hills Line and Bankstown Line, after travelling anti-clockwise 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 & East Hills and Bankstown lines respectively. In the same manner, all trains from the Western Line or Northern line become North Shore line trains once they reach Central.

As well as the Intercity services mentioned above, local services also run in the Newcastle local area during off-peak times, as part of the Newcastle and Central Coast Line. Local services also run on the South Coast Line in the Wollongong local area, usually between Thirroul and Port Kembla.

Passenger Information Systems[edit]

Dual horizontal, ceiling mounted screens as installed on most CityRail stations

Many CityRail stations are well equipped with electronic passenger destination indicator boards. These provide 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 CityRail serves, their screens vary in form. In station where trains arrive at a higher frequency, 2 or more vertical LED screens are 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 is used. Manual destination indicator boards are still used in some lower patron stations but CityRail staff will need to be present on the station to change the boards if necessary. In regional areas, a station may only rely on digital voice announcement for information on services. CBSM (Custom Built Sheet Metal) was responsible for the manufacture of many indicator board encasings.^[14]

History[edit]

The original railway network for Sydney CBD planned by John Bradfield

CityRail's origins go as far back as 1855 when the first public railway in New South Wales opened between Sydney and Granville, now a suburb of Sydney but then a major agricultural centre. The railway formed the basis of the New South Wales Government Railways. 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.^{[citation needed]}

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. 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.^[15]

Electrification[edit]

New South Wales uses an overhead electrification system at 1,500 volts direct current.^[16] Whilst inferior to and more expensive than modern single phase alternating current equipment, it was in vogue during the 1920s and is generally sufficient for the operation of electric multiple unit trains. However, the introduction of powerful electric locomotives in the 1950s, followed by the Millenium train in 2002, 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. Plans to electrify the Hunter Valley at 25 kV alternating current were abandoned in the 1990s. With private freight operation favouring diesel haulage, it is unlikely that the electrification will extend beyond its present outer-metropolitan limits in the foreseeable future.

Electrification came to Sydney's suburbs in 1926 with the first suburban electric service running between Central station and Oatley on the Illawarra line. In the same year, the first underground railway was constructed north from Central station to St James in Sydney's central business district. Electric trains that had previously terminated at Central station continued north, diving underground at the Goulburn Street tunnel portal, stopping at Museum station and then terminating at St James.^[17] Other lines were soon electrified. Also, in conjunction with the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge which opened in 1932, an additional underground line was constructed, connecting the North Shore line with Central station via two stations, Wynyard and Town Hall.

When CityRail took over operating the network from the State Rail Authority it was part way through taking delivery of 450 Tangara carriages. These would see the last single deck suburban sets withdrawn in 1992 and the last U set interurban sets in 1996.^[18][19]

In February 1994 the first of 15 two-carriage CityRail Endeavour railcar sets was delivered.^[20][21] These replaced Class 620/720 railcars, Class 900 railcars and locomotive hauled stock.

In May 2000 the Airport & East Hills line opened.^[22] In July 2002 the first of 141 CityRail M set carriages entered service.^[23] In November 2006 the first of seven two-carriage CityRail Hunter railcars entered service.^[24]

In December 2006 the first of 221 Oscar carriages entered service on the South Coast Line.^[25] In February 2009 the Epping to Chatswood railway line opened with shuttle services.^[26] being integrated into the Northern line service in October 2009.

In July 2011 the first Waratah trains entered service to replace the S sets^[27] In October 2012 a new service from Bathurst to Sydney commenced.^[28]

Structure[edit]

CityRail was established pursuant to the Transport Administration Act, 1988 (NSW); and was first mentioned as an entity distinct from the State Rail Authority in the Parliament of New South Wales in the opening address of the third session of the 49th parliament by the Governor of New South Wales, James Rowland on 21 February 1990.^[29] On 1 January 2004 Railcorp assumed all functions of the State Rail Authority, and later the functions of the Rail Infrastructure Corporation and Rail Access Corporation.

Network branding[edit]

CityRail will cease operating on 30 June 2013 with Sydney Trains to take over responsibility for suburban services and NSW TrainLink Intercity services.^[30]

Challenges[edit]

The quality of the rail system is a matter of considerable political sensitivity. The performance of State Rail Authority and RailCorp were questioned in regards to safety, training, a politically motivated focus on punctuality, management and workplace culture, with strong criticism from Justice Peter McInerny in his inquiries into the accidents at Glenbrook and Waterfall.^[31][32] 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 "campaign for Sydney" kept transport at the top of the agenda ahead of the 2007 state election. In his 2003 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.^[33]

Safety[edit]

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

The safety of the CityRail network was called into question by two fatal accidents. The second Glenbrook train disaster in 1999 killed seven people. In 2003, the Waterfall train disaster killed six. 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 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.^[34]

Crime and terrorism[edit]

An emergency help point

Crime committed on railway property has decreased by 32.9% since 2002, which RailCorp attributes to the deployment of some 600 Transit Officers across the network.^[35] 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. 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.^[36]

Overloading[edit]

In 2008 overloading of trains was found by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal^[37] to be a significant cause of delays. A survey undertaken by RailCorp in September 2011 revealed that 6 of the 13 lines had a maximum load that exceeded 135% (of the seated capacity) during the peak morning commute.^[38]

Public perception[edit]

One result of CityRail's increasing problems has been a sharp rise in public complaints and attacks against staff,^[39] 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.^[40]

Future development[edit]

Numerous new lines are proposed each year with several in various stages of planning and construction. CityRail and Transport for New South Wales are currently engaged in a process of "sectorisation", a project called "Rail Clearways", in an effort to reduce its operational complexity.

The CityRail network is undergoing a process of expansion in response to concerns that rail services are inadequate in Western Sydney. At present, Transport for New South Wales is undertaking or planning several construction projects for CityRail. Currently under construction is the South West Rail Link which will extend the network to Leppington.

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 & Eastern Suburbs line, the Bankstown line, the Campbelltown Express Line, the Airport & South Line and the North-West Lines.

See also[edit]

• List of Sydney railway stations
• Railways in Sydney
• Commuter rail in Australia
• Sydney underground railways

References[edit]

Other references[edit]

• RailCorp 2009–2010 Annual Report
• Interim Report of the Ministerial Inquiry into Sustainable Transport in New South Wales
• 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.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: CityRail Sydney

Official

• CityRail – CityRail Website
• CityRail's Fleet – CityRail webpage of its rolling stock.
• RailCorp Homepage
• Transport for NSW

Enthusiast

• 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

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