CityRail was a passenger railway brand operated by the State Rail Authority from 1989 to 2003 and by RailCorp from 2004 to 2013 with services in and around Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, the three largest cities in New South Wales, Australia. It was established in January 1989 and abolished in June 2013 when it was superseded by Sydney Trains and NSW TrainLink.
In June 2013, it operated 307 stations and over 2,060 kilometres of track, extending north to the upper Hunter Valley, south to the Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands regions and west to Bathurst. In the year ended 30 June 2012, 306 million journeys were made on the network.Annual Report 30 June 2012 RailCorp
History Structure
CityRail was established pursuant to the , and was first mentioned as an entity distinct from the State Rail Authority in the Parliament of New South Wales by then governor James Rowland on 21 February 1990. CityRail adopted a blue and yellow version of the State Rail Authority L7 logo, to fit into its new blue and yellow colour scheme. This logo continued to be in use until 2010, when it was replaced by the Waratah logo of the NSW Government.
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. This resulted in CityRail becoming a subsidiary of RailCorp, along with CountryLink. CityRail became defunct on 1 July 2013, with Sydney Trains taking over suburban services and NSW TrainLink taking over Intercity and regional services.
Operational history
When the CityRail brand was introduced the State Rail Authority was part way through taking delivery of 450 Tangara carriages. With these new carriages in service, the last single deck suburban sets were withdrawn in 1992, and the last U set interurban sets were withdrawn in 1996."U-Boats...A Tribute" Railway Digest November 1996 page 43"The Demise of the U Sets" Railway Digest March 1997 page 38
In February 1994, the first of 15 two-carriage Endeavour railcars was delivered."CityRail to have Explorers too" Railway Digest May 1992"Endeavours Enter Service Only Days After Launch" Railway Digest May 1994 These replaced Class 620/720 railcars, Class 900 railcars and locomotive-hauled stock.
In May 2000, the Airport railway line opened to CityRail services. In July 2002, the first of 141 M set carriages entered service.Performance Audit – The Millennium Train Project Audit Office of New South Wales June 2003 In November 2006, the first of seven two-carriage Hunter railcar trains entered service.
In December 2006, the first of 221 Oscar carriages entered service on the South Coast Line. In February 2009, the Epping to Chatswood railway line opened with shuttle services and was integrated into the Northern Line service later that year.
In July 2011, the first Waratah trains entered service to replace the S sets, although it was announced in 2013 that some S sets would stay. In October 2012, a new service from Bathurst to Sydney commenced.Bathurst to Sydney rail service to benefit Lithgow Lithgow Mercury 4 June 2012
Operations
Fleet
At the time of its cessation in June 2013, CityRail operated eight electric multiple unit classes for suburban and interurban working and two diesel multiple unit classes. All CityRail electric trains used 1500 V DC overhead electrification and travel on 1,435mm standard gauge tracks. Double deck rollingstock was first introduced in 1964 and after 1996, all electric multiple units were double deck.
ClassImageTypeTop speedCarriagesEntered ServiceFormationkm/hmphV setsElectric multiple unit115712041970–19894 carsS sets5091972–1980K sets160C sets561986–1987T sets 447Endeavour railcarsDiesel multiple unit16099281994–19962 carsM setsElectric multiple unit130811404 carsHunter railcarsDiesel multiple unit16099142006–20072 carsH setsElectric multiple unit130812204 carsA setsElectric multiple unit130816268 cars
Former fleet The following table consists of trains that were in the CityRail fleet which were withdrawn prior to CityRail's demise: TypeImageIn serviceNotesStandard suburban carriage stock1925–1992Also known as Red Rattlers. Several preserved.Tulloch suburban carriage stock1940–1992Also known as Red Rattlers. Several preserved.W sets1957–1993Also known as Red Rattlers or Sputniks. Several preserved.900/800 class railcar1951–1994Several preserved.U set1958–1996Also known as U-Boats. Several preserved.Tulloch double deck carriage stock1964–2004Operated with single and double-deck power cars. Several preserved.620/720 class railcar1961–2007Several preserved.422 Class1969/70–1994 (passenger service)Several in freight operation, several scrapped.44 Class1957–1994 (passenger service)Several in operation, several scrapped, several preservedRUB type carriage stock1949–1994 (CityRail service)Several scrapped, several preserved
The CityRail network was divided into three sectors, based around three maintenance depots. EMU trainsets were identified by target plates, which are exhibited on the front lower nearside of driving carriages.Department of Railways, New South Wales: Working of Electric Trains, 1965 Target designations and set numbers were used in identifying EMU trainsets. The composition and formations of trainsets, and the target designations were subject to alteration.
+ CityRail maintenance sectors Sector # Depot Serviced lines Target plate 1 Mortdale Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra and South CoastRed 2 Flemington Airport & East Hills, Bankstown, Carlingford, Cumberland, Inner West, Olympic Park and SouthBlue 3 Hornsby North Shore, Northern, Western, Central Coast and Blue MountainsBlack
All V sets which operated on the Newcastle and Blue Mountains lines, were serviced at Flemington Depot. All M and H sets, which had a green target plate, were serviced at Eveleigh Maintenance Centre.
Ticketing
For most of the brand's life CityRail's ticketing system was the Automated Fare Collection System (AFC). Dating from 1992, it was based on magnetic stripe technology and was interoperable with the Sydney Buses and Sydney Ferries systems. In later years the network was incorporated into the MyZone ticketing system, which retained the AFC technology but extended the validity of multi-modal tickets to private buses and light rail.
Unlike the ticketing systems of other cities in Australia, most of CityRail's ticket prices were calculated on the distance travelled, and were proven to be the most expensive tickets of any major city public transport system.
Performance
According to the 2003 Parry Report, "The interaction of metropolitan, suburban, intercity and freight lines and services has resulted in an overly complex system.Ministerial Inquiry into Sustainable Transport in New South Wales Transport NSW December 2003 This complexity has contributed in part to the organisation being widely criticised for poor reliability and safety. CityRail was also enormously expensive".
On-time running improved after new timetables were introduced in 2005 and 2006. The newly introduced timetable increased station dwell and journey times.
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 while being proven to have the most expensive tickets of any major city public transport system.
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. Expansions and contractions of the network and major events that affected the number of journeys made are included as notes. +CityRail patronage by financial year from 1991 to 1992 rowspan=3 Year 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 Patronage(millions) 243.8 229.8 234.8 249.6 256.4 264.7 266.5 270.5 278.7 Reference rowspan=3 Year 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 Patronage(millions) 302.6 276.4 273.4 273.3 270.3 273.7 281.5 296.1 292.2 289.1 Reference rowspan=3 Year 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 Patronage(millions) 294.5 304.2 306.2 Reference
Network CityRail operated eleven suburban lines, four intercity services, one regional service, and five connecting bus services, plus a late night bus service across metropolitan Sydney.
Suburban lines
Line colour and name Between Train Types Airport & East Hills LineCity Circle and Macarthur and Kingsgrove(peak) via either Sydenham (peak) or AirportS, K, C, M & T sets Bankstown LineCity Circle and Liverpool or Lidcombe, via BankstownS, K, C, M & T sets Carlingford LineClyde and Carlingford, with limited services to Lidcombe and Central (i)S, K, C, M & T sets Cumberland LineBlacktown and CampbelltownS, K, C, M & T sets Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra LineBondi Junction and Waterfall or CronullaT, S, K & C set Inner West LineCity Circle and Bankstown or Liverpool (peak), via Regents ParkS, K, C, M & T sets Northern LineEpping and Hornsby via Strathfield, Central and Macquarie ParkS, K, C & T set North Shore LineCentral and Berowra via GordonS, K, C & T set Olympic Park LineLidcombe and Olympic Park. Some services operated between Central (i) and Olympic Park, particularly during special eventsS, K, C, M & T sets South Line City Circle and Campbelltown, via GranvilleS, K, C, M & T sets Western LineCentral and Emu Plains or Richmond via ParramattaS, K, C & T set
:*In peak hour on the North Shore Line, some outer-suburban services run to Gosford and Wyong, and some Western Line services extended to Springwood. :*Inbound Inner West and South services generally travelled around the City Circle in the clockwise direction. Inbound Airport & East Hills and Bankstown services generally travelled around the City Circle in the anti-clockwise direction.
*Central (i) is a standard abbreviation used on timetables and station screens. It signifies Central's country and intercity platforms [formerly platforms 1–15, now 1–12].
Intercity lines
Line colour and name Between Train Types Blue Mountains LineCentral and Lithgow, with limited services to BathurstV set and Endeavour Newcastle & Central Coast LineCentral and NewcastleG, H and V set South Coast LineCentral and Bomaderry or Port KemblaT, G, H and V set Southern Highlands LineCampbelltown and Moss Vale, with limited services to GoulburnEndeavour
Some peak services on the Blue Mountains Line ran to and from Hornsby Some peak services and most weekend services on the South Coast Line ran to and from Bondi Junction Some peak services on the Southern Highlands Line to/from Central. At other times, a change of train was required at Campbelltown or Macarthur
Regional line Line colour and name Between Train Types Hunter LineNewcastle and Telarah, with limited services to Dungog or Scone620/720 railcars and J set
Bus services
CityRail operated several bus routes along corridors where the railway line has been closed to passengers or as a supplement to rail services. These bus services appeared in CityRail timetables and accepted CityRail tickets, but were operated by private sector bus companies contracted by CityRail. Two were CountryLink services that carried CityRail passengers.
Colour Connecting line Between Blue Mountains LineLithgow to Bathurst via Mount Lambie Newcastle & Central Coast LineFassifern to Toronto via Blackalls Park South Coast LineWollongong to Moss Vale/Bundanoon via Robertson Southern Highlands LineMoss Vale to Goulburn via Marulan Southern Highlands LinePicton to Bowral via Thirlmere on weekdays only (replaces the closed Picton-Mittagong loop line)
CountryLink services, seat reservations required
NightRide