# SYDNEY | Public Transport



## BobDaBuilder

Used the Sydney system all last week and have to say I was impressed by it.

Stayed just near King's Cross tube stop, so had access on the Bondi line. Loved it how the airport was on the underground unlike the stich up town of Melbourne where consecutive governments have refused to put in a line to thus ensure the profitability of taxi and specialist bus operators.

My query on the system was the underground out to the airports seemed to have very few actual stops for the distance covered. They should have a stop every kilometre or so to make better use of the line. That goes the same for the other lines I got about on also. They need more stops between current stations.

Saw the old tram map down at the Powerhouse museum. Basically what a shame and fortunately for Melbourne they did rip 'em out because Melbourne would have absolutely nothing to hang her hat on then.

Gotta say, I am pretty tempted to move up to Sydney. Love the Darlo, Kings X and Paddo area. Magic. Those Walsh piers next to the bridge look interesting. Would mind one of those little dinghys the locals keep there.

p.s. what the hell is the point of Fox Studios, and what a shame they put this in instead of leaving it as a showground. That for mine, was the biggest disapointment in Sydney. That was a crime to let that happen.


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## Chavito

Olympic Park Station... Is it underground or above ground station????


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## MILIUX

underground


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## Randwicked

BobDaBuilder said:


> p.s. what the hell is the point of Fox Studios, and what a shame they put this in instead of leaving it as a showground. That for mine, was the biggest disapointment in Sydney. That was a crime to let that happen.


Tell me about it...they should have built the studios out at Homebush and left the showgrounds where they are. All that history erased for a stupid theme park that closed after a year.


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## Chavito

MILIUX said:


> underground


Thanks


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## Justme

Randwicked said:


> Tell me about it...they should have built the studios out at Homebush and left the showgrounds where they are. All that history erased for a stupid theme park that closed after a year.


Wow, I really am out of touch with many things in Sydney. When did this close? I presume the studio's themselves are still there?


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## Randwicked

Studios are still there, however there's no 'rides' anymore and there's nothing past the cinemas. Bent St has been renamed "The Entertainment Quarter" and now there's no mention of Fox Studios in their advertising. I guess they are trying to dissasociate themselves from the overpowering lameness of Fox.


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## smeghead

As follows is my usual rehash of old reports/essays/assignments I've done:

*The current system, track and rolling stock*

_The New South Wales rail network is one of the world's most complex. It involves the operation of approximately 2,600 services to carry over 900,000 passengers to and from 306 stations daily. The radial nature of the network itself makes the task of moving this number of people to and from work a real challenge.
Every day CityRail operates a fleet of more than 1,500 carriages over 2,060kms of track controlled by over 2,500 signals. With an operation this size, isolated problems are inevitable but we try to minimise them through regular maintenance and performance management._
Source: CityRail 2005

•	Note that the above statistics reflect the entire CityRail Network, including the Interurban Network to Newcastle, Wollongong, Blue Mountains and Goulburn.
•	Compared to other urban rail systems around the world, the Sydney CityRail Network is not necessarily as frequent as a metro rail network, nor does it operate only during peak periods as a commuter rail network. It’s most suitable classification is the British term suburban rail which has the similarities of either type of network. Even when compared to German cities, Sydney’s Rail network is a cross between S-Bahns and R-Bahns.

*Other facts:*

There are 261 morning peak trains and 188 afternoon peak trains. (CityRail, 2004)
Average speed on the network is 42km/h. (Newman and Kenworthy, 1999) 

*Punctuality*



Some critics believe that the obsession with on time running has led to decay in the safety of CityRail and ignorance in CityRail’s other problems. In the wake of the CityRail crisis, Stateline on the 13th February 2004 aired a quote from NSW Premier Bob Carr in 1997 report where he said:
_And again, I say that people using public transport have got a right to a system that operates on time.
To see that the system is put in place that will enable people to get to work on time and to get home for dinner on time._


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## Justme

smeghead said:


> As follows is my usual rehash of old reports/essays/assignments I've done:
> 
> *The current system, track and rolling stock*
> 
> _The New South Wales rail network is one of the world's most complex. It involves the operation of approximately 2,600 services to carry over 900,000 passengers to and from 306 stations daily. The radial nature of the network itself makes the task of moving this number of people to and from work a real challenge.
> Every day CityRail operates a fleet of more than 1,500 carriages over 2,060kms of track controlled by over 2,500 signals. With an operation this size, isolated problems are inevitable but we try to minimise them through regular maintenance and performance management._
> Source: CityRail 2005
> 
> •	Note that the above statistics reflect the entire CityRail Network, including the Interurban Network to Newcastle, Wollongong, Blue Mountains and Goulburn.
> •	Compared to other urban rail systems around the world, the Sydney CityRail Network is not necessarily as frequent as a metro rail network, nor does it operate only during peak periods as a commuter rail network. It’s most suitable classification is the British term suburban rail which has the similarities of either type of network. Even when compared to German cities, Sydney’s Rail network is a cross between S-Bahns and R-Bahns.
> 
> *Other facts:*
> 
> There are 261 morning peak trains and 188 afternoon peak trains. (CityRail, 2004)
> Average speed on the network is 42km/h. (Newman and Kenworthy, 1999)
> 
> *Punctuality*
> 
> 
> 
> Some critics believe that the obsession with on time running has led to decay in the safety of CityRail and ignorance in CityRail’s other problems. In the wake of the CityRail crisis, Stateline on the 13th February 2004 aired a quote from NSW Premier Bob Carr in 1997 report where he said:
> _And again, I say that people using public transport have got a right to a system that operates on time.
> To see that the system is put in place that will enable people to get to work on time and to get home for dinner on time._


Interesting, thanks for the post.

Although, I have always been amazed by the line 


> The New South Wales rail network is one of the world's most complex


As quoted by both the CityRail website, and NSW's website. It is possibly one of the most misleading and inaccurate publicity claims any transport corporation has on the web today.

They base this point on the 2060km of track but neglect to inform the reader that generally rail transport is measured in route km, not track km. Natually, an average rail network is comprised of at least double track for the majority of their lines. This alone would drop the route km length to 1000km~. Of cause, there are also plenty of 4, 6 or even higher lines of track in many sections, not to mention the number of marshalling yards and spurs.

This is why route length is the most common reference, as it is the most accurate way for people to judge how large a network really is. CityRail in NSW has approx 570km of route railway. 

This is of cause pretty damn good. But the 2nd point they forget to mention, is that it extends far past the metropolitan area of Sydney, and includes both the metropolitan cities of Newcastle to the North, and Wollongong to the South. (an area covering 22,000km~)

Now, 570km of route length is good, although in such a large expanse, it is hardly as they claim "one of the world's most complex". The extend of the railway in Sydney's metropolitan area (12,000km~+) is about 360km (route).

Just from the top of my mind, this compares to:

(all route length and in metropolitan area's)
London (metropolitan area): 4642km
Moscow: 3458km
Berlin: 3107km (although this includes an area larger than the standard metro, but is the only definition given outside the city proper)
Vienna: 1579km
Frankfurt: 1500km~
Paris: 1401km
Zurich: 660km
Prague: 639km
Rome: 470km
Barcelona 595km

And keep in mind, none of the above lengths include the metro/undergound networks of those cities, only the suburban/commuter rail. Also, and a very big *also*, many of these metropolitan area's are a different definition to what Australia's are. Sydney's 4.2million people live spread over 12,000km², and this is where the 360km of their rail network covers. Barcelona's 4.6million live within 3600km² and that is where the 595km of rail length covers, if the Barcelona Provence of 7200km² was included (that has 5.2million people) the length would be far larger.

There are also many more I have not included. The Rhein Ruhr metropolitan area has an incredible network that would probably sit somewhere between London and Moscow's, but I don't have the exact length yet. And these are just the European figures I know. Many cities in North America (yes, even NA) have far larger networks, as do many cities in South America and Asia.

You don't have to be a mathmatical magician to look at the London, New York, Tokyo, Osaka, Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris or Barcelona maps to see that they are far more complex and larger than Sydney's.

So, to end my rant. The website's claim that it is one of the most complex rail networks in the world is a bit like Berlin claiming to have one of the greatest highrise skylines in the world - It just doesn't add up.

All that said, and to assure people I am not knocking Sydney's otherwise lovely network, all I am saying, is that it is a very nice network, but nowhere near as large as so many others around the world, and certainly not one of the most complex.


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## spsmiler

Nick said:


> The Monorail
> 
> Its ugly.A toy train more than anything else.
> 
> Tear it down



They used the wrong type of monorail.

This *is* a dinky low capacity toytown system - they should have put in an Alweg system, as in Seattle. Now that has fully walk-through trains and can carry far more people. 

I suppose its too late now.

Simon


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## spsmiler

Its a shame that this thread does not have any pics, anway, here are a few of my own from a visit in 1991.

Sydney monorail



















The next few are video-stills. They show how that because it is elevated monorail is great for by-passing traffic signals and traffic congestsion. OK these were mostly taken on a Sunday morning when traffic is lighter, hopefully but you will know what I mean.





































Seattle monorail. Note how much larger it is inside. (visited 1993)



















------------

Pics come from the _Monorails, Maglevs and 'Cabin' Transports_ page on my website, where there are also images of some Japanese and German systems - plus others..

http://www.garden.force9.co.uk/Framemono.htm

Simon


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## Justme

^ I agree with what you say.

However, the problem with the Alweg system is that due to the wider trains, and double track needed for proper bi-directional transport, it would have covered entirely some of those narrow two lane streets in central Sydney. Unfortunately, it would have totally destroyed the streetscape of Sydney.

The toytown version is pretty much useless, but was the best compromise. I'm glad it's there though. It may have as much use as a fish on a bicycle, but it looks pretty cool.


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## SM247

Justme said:


> Interesting, thanks for the post.
> 
> Although, I have always been amazed by the line
> 
> As quoted by both the CityRail website, and NSW's website. It is possibly one of the most misleading and inaccurate publicity claims any transport corporation has on the web today.
> 
> They base this point on the 2060km of track but neglect to inform the reader that generally rail transport is measured in route km, not track km. Natually, an average rail network is comprised of at least double track for the majority of their lines. This alone would drop the route km length to 1000km~. Of cause, there are also plenty of 4, 6 or even higher lines of track in many sections, not to mention the number of marshalling yards and spurs.
> 
> This is why route length is the most common reference, as it is the most accurate way for people to judge how large a network really is. CityRail in NSW has approx 570km of route railway.
> 
> This is of cause pretty damn good. But the 2nd point they forget to mention, is that it extends far past the metropolitan area of Sydney, and includes both the metropolitan cities of Newcastle to the North, and Wollongong to the South. (an area covering 22,000km~)
> 
> Now, 570km of route length is good, although in such a large expanse, it is hardly as they claim "one of the world's most complex". The extend of the railway in Sydney's metropolitan area (12,000km~+) is about 360km (route).
> 
> Just from the top of my mind, this compares to:
> 
> (all route length and in metropolitan area's)
> London (metropolitan area): 4642km
> Moscow: 3458km
> Berlin: 3107km (although this includes an area larger than the standard metro, but is the only definition given outside the city proper)
> Vienna: 1579km
> Frankfurt: 1500km~
> Paris: 1401km
> Zurich: 660km
> Prague: 639km
> Rome: 470km
> Barcelona 595km
> 
> And keep in mind, none of the above lengths include the metro/undergound networks of those cities, only the suburban/commuter rail. Also, and a very big *also*, many of these metropolitan area's are a different definition to what Australia's are. Sydney's 4.2million people live spread over 12,000km², and this is where the 360km of their rail network covers. Barcelona's 4.6million live within 3600km² and that is where the 595km of rail length covers, if the Barcelona Provence of 7200km² was included (that has 5.2million people) the length would be far larger.
> 
> There are also many more I have not included. The Rhein Ruhr metropolitan area has an incredible network that would probably sit somewhere between London and Moscow's, but I don't have the exact length yet. And these are just the European figures I know. Many cities in North America (yes, even NA) have far larger networks, as do many cities in South America and Asia.
> 
> You don't have to be a mathmatical magician to look at the London, New York, Tokyo, Osaka, Frankfurt, Berlin, Paris or Barcelona maps to see that they are far more complex and larger than Sydney's.
> 
> So, to end my rant. The website's claim that it is one of the most complex rail networks in the world is a bit like Berlin claiming to have one of the greatest highrise skylines in the world - It just doesn't add up.
> 
> All that said, and to assure people I am not knocking Sydney's otherwise lovely network, all I am saying, is that it is a very nice network, but nowhere near as large as so many others around the world, and certainly not one of the most complex.



The complexity stems from the interlocking of all the lines at key chokepoints and the fact that delays on one line at one end of the system influence trains more than 80km away at another terminus. It has little if anything to do with the statistics you have dredged up, illustrative though they are. The railways are spaghettified, not lengthy or comprehensive.


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## ssiguy2

The Monorail sounds EXACTLY like Detroit's Peoplemover. Same tech as Vancouver SkyTrain but all it doers is go around the office area in one direction. Not really transit at all more just for show. Sounds like Sydney's system is OK but because it does not go under any major arteries for any distance I don't think you would have any long streets of high density population/commercial/office like Toronto or Montreal.


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## SM247

ssiguy2 said:


> The Monorail sounds EXACTLY like Detroit's Peoplemover. Same tech as Vancouver SkyTrain but all it doers is go around the office area in one direction. Not really transit at all more just for show. Sounds like Sydney's system is OK but because it does not go under any major arteries for any distance I don't think you would have any long streets of high density population/commercial/office like Toronto or Montreal.


The closest would be George Street (which is only the bit on the rail system between Central and Wynard in the CBD or 'downtown' area). The Western line mirrors to an extent Parramatta Rd, a main artery, but not as you probably imagine and certainly not like Toronto. 

Railways have been in place in Sydney for a long time and the urban densities even now probably don't support metros, except for a line along what is called the Global Corridor between the Airport, City and Chatswood/Macquarie Area, and also between the City and Parramatta. In these cases it would mainly be for speed and extra capacity on the existing network rather than a revolutionary new network.


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## Justme

SM247 said:


> The complexity stems from the interlocking of all the lines at key chokepoints and the fact that delays on one line at one end of the system influence trains more than 80km away at another terminus. It has little if anything to do with the statistics you have dredged up, illustrative though they are. The railways are spaghettified, not lengthy or comprehensive.


An interesting point. However, the terminology they used does provoke other interpretations than what you suggested. It may be true that their original intention was to describe the negative aspects of running their network, but it is worded in such a way, that it eludes a _complexity of enormous size_.

This can be seen by how often it is quoted by those when describing how big the network is.

It is even misquoted in Wikipedia where they write
_"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."_


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## elkram

James said:


> Sydney Doesnt exactly have a subway system, rather a suburban system similar to Toronto's GO system


I've never ridden 'Shittyrail', but it's gotta be better than the GO, of which virtually three quarters of its network is peak-hour service only.


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## hkskyline

*Sydney Bus Spotting*


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## jarbury

A lot of old Mercedes buses still traveling around there. We used to have tonnes of them in Auckland, but these days they're pretty much relegated to school buses.


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## trainrover

That's a lot of busses pictured at once in many of the photos. Do they have bus-only streets there?


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## Falubaz

Show us some busways in Sydney! please


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## hkskyline

Most of my picture-taking was around Circular Quay, where many buses are parked. I don't think I have pictures of the busways (I believe one of them is along Anzac Parade).


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## jarbury

Yes there is a busway along the side of Anzac Parade. Circular Quay and Elizabeth Street are extremely busy areas when it comes to the number of buses, and it seems like you've taken a fair number of pictures around there.


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## city_thing

Buses in Sydney are terrible hno:

Lots and lots of old models driving around that other cities would have relegated to school trips and low-patronage outer suburban routes years ago. 

The city's public transport network is struggling to cope.


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## DJZG

on that one bus says Prepay Only 333
what does that mean?


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## hkskyline

DJZG said:


> on that one bus says Prepay Only 333
> what does that mean?


You have a to buy a ticket in advance before boarding. For the other routes, you can purchase on-board and drivers will provide change.


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## Svartmetall

city_thing said:


> Buses in Sydney are terrible hno:
> 
> Lots and lots of old models driving around that other cities would have relegated to school trips and low-patronage outer suburban routes years ago.
> 
> The city's public transport network is struggling to cope.


Perhaps as a resident in Melbourne you can tell me why the buses in Sydney and Melbourne are rather terrible compared to Brisbane for example?

I know that Melbourne in particular focuses more on rail based transit, but buses are still necessary!

Oh, and great photos HKSkyline!


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## city_thing

^^ I'm not entirely sure Svart - perhaps because smaller cities (like Perth and Brisbane, which have much more modern fleets) aren't quite as rail focused. They have smaller networks, so therefore they rely on buses more?

That could be the reason, but I think the real factor is that both cities privatised their bus services to a certain extent. Melbourne seems to have hundreds of different companies running at-loss services, with nice Government subsidies providing a profit. 

I know Sydney does have a number of private operators, but I'm not sure of the extent. It's supposedly the reason why SYD is having so much problems implementing their smart ticketing system (the T-Card) - everyone wants a say in how it will run. However, the bus networks of Perth and Brisbane are still Government owned.

There should be a thread in the Ozscrapers transport thread - they guys in there will probably be able to help you more than I can


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## jarbury

I imagine that's definitely it. The arguments for privatisation kind of fall over when the subsidising government carries all the risk anyway. It must be pretty cruisy running a bus service knowing that if you mess it up to the point that you can't make money out of anymore, you can always just go crying to the local government and they'll bail you out. A guaranteed money-spinner surely.


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## trainrover

Falubaz said:


> Show us some busways in Sydney


No, please don't, coz that'd just be showing _de-cultured ways_ -- limit the shots to bus-only streets, if ya must...





hkskyline said:


> I don't think I have pictures of the busways


Good.


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## city_thing

jarbury said:


> I imagine that's definitely it. The arguments for privatisation kind of fall over when the subsidising government carries all the risk anyway. It must be pretty cruisy running a bus service knowing that if you mess it up to the point that you can't make money out of anymore, you can always just go crying to the local government and they'll bail you out. A guaranteed money-spinner surely.


Am glad to see my incoherent points made sense to someone!

As far as I know, Sydney and Melbourne are kinda in the same boat in regards to bus networks. Melbourne seems to have about 20 different companies, all focused on small areas so there's no 'city wide integration' with them aside from a few cross-city routes. I just briefly glanced at Wiki and apparently Melbourne's never had any Government bus authorities at all, so I guess it's always been like this (whereas Perth for example, has its buses coming under Transperth which also runs the trains and ferries, so timetables are all working in conjunction with each other).

Anyway, here's the link to Melb's buses...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buses_in_Melbourne

A quick look at the Sydney buses page on wiki reveals they have 13 companies running their buses. So it looks like it's the exact same problem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buses_in_Sydney

Sydney isn't a city that's exactly famous for investing in public transport either (and whenever they do, they usually f*ck it up or let a private company do it which ten results in all sorts of problems) so I'm not entirely surprised that such ancient buses are still running around on the streets of Central Syd.


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## hkskyline




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## ajw373

Quite a few misconceptions in this post.

Firstly with Melbourne it used to have a government bus operation which was part of the MET. It was sold as part of the privitisation of the train and tram networks 10 or so years ago.

With both Sydney and Melbourne government bus operations were done in the inner city area's, the outter suburban runs were always private operators. Other cities such as Brisbane and Adelaide do the same, except because the cities are smaller it is not quite as noticable.

In Sydney all operators (including the government owned STA) must now tender for regions which are under the control of the state government. The state government is also providing funding for private operators to buy and operate buses on their behalf. So in effect the whole of Sydney is now under full government control.


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## nmuzz

hkskyline said:


>


These buses are awesome! They remind me so much of my childhood and have developed over the years into the new cittaros that are operating now. I love the sound of them and travelling on them. The articulated versions were brilliant. Especially travelling from Wynyard to Palm Beach over the harbour bridge.They are slowly being phased out but will always be a part of Sydney's city scape.


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## jarbury

Auckland doesn't have quite so many bus companies. However, all their ticketing systems are incompatible. How stupid do you get?


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## Chusanch

In Zaragoza, (SPAIN) buses are served by TUZSA, the major operator, who launched an inteligent card, TarjetaBus, very attractive because of the price reduction (90cts Euro for a standard ticket, 50cts Euro for TarjetaBus trips) and allowing 60 minutes allowance for transfer to other routes within the city, without any additional charge.

There are 4 other companies (Ágreda Automóvil, Alosa, Automóviles Zaragoza and Samar Buil) who operate a few services to the suburbs that also joined the system HOWEVER, if you are heading out of the city, you can get on the selected stops, BUT you cannot get off within the TUZSA area. Also, if you are heading in, you are allowed to get off at any selected stops within the TUZSA area, but not get on.

Sometimes you are waiting for your bus, that seems to have disappeared, and you see the one from the other companies passing by, with plenty of room, but that doesn't stop because it is within the city limits. At the end of the day, why should it matter who operates the line if the service is subsidised as the other one is, by the Council?

That is what I call, GOOD SERVICE. I will keep on complaining... 

Now... match that! hno:hno:hno:


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## Yardmaster

ajw373 said:


> Quite a few misconceptions in this post.
> 
> Firstly with Melbourne it used to have a government bus operation which was part of the MET. It was sold as part of the privitisation of the train and tram networks 10 or so years ago.
> 
> With both Sydney and Melbourne government bus operations were done in the inner city area's, the outter suburban runs were always private operators. Other cities such as Brisbane and Adelaide do the same, except because the cities are smaller it is not quite as noticable.
> 
> In Sydney all operators (including the government owned STA) must now tender for regions which are under the control of the state government. The state government is also providing funding for private operators to buy and operate buses on their behalf. So in effect the whole of Sydney is now under full government control.


Another misconception (or, to put it another way, a correction overlooked) is that Melbourne still has a large tram network, so the operation of buses within the inner suburban areas is confined to a fairly small number of routes. I'd be surprised if more than 5% of PT passengers out of inner Melbourne were carried by bus: probably rather less.

By my count (I used Melways & Sydways Street Directories and stand to be corrected) there are 41 railway stations within a 10 km radius of the centre of Sydney: whereas there are 80 in Melbourne. Melbourne of course doesn't have a ferry network, but while 11 suburban railway lines cross that 10 km circle in Melbourne (the inner 300 sq. km & a bit) only 6 lines cross that perimeter in Sydney. I haven't counted the Epping-Chatswood line in here.

By my reckoning, Melbourne also has an additional 8 tram-lines crossing that 10km circle (it would be much more for the next inner circle drawn on the map at 7km). Hence, a lot of buses (and ferries, which are a lovely way to travel) in Sydney.

What I'd like from Sydney is a decent bus-map. Like this:










or this:










or this:


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## Svartmetall

Yardmaster said:


> Another misconception (or, to put it another way, a correction overlooked) is that Melbourne still has a large tram network, so the operation of buses within the inner suburban areas is confined to a fairly small number of routes. I'd be surprised if more than 5% of PT passengers out of inner Melbourne were carried by bus: probably rather less.
> 
> By my count (I used Melways & Sydways Street Directories and stand to be corrected) there are 41 railway stations within a 10 km radius of the centre of Sydney: whereas there are 80 in Melbourne. Melbourne of course doesn't have a ferry network, but while 11 suburban railway lines cross that 10 km circle in Melbourne (the inner 300 sq. km & a bit) only 6 lines cross that perimeter in Sydney. I haven't counted the Epping-Chatswood line in here.
> 
> By my reckoning, Melbourne also has an additional 8 tram-lines crossing that 10km circle (it would be much more for the next inner circle drawn on the map at 7km). Hence, a lot of buses (and ferries, which are a lovely way to travel) in Sydney.
> 
> What I'd like from Sydney is a decent bus-map.


At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many stations are within a certain area if no one uses them. The patronage difference between Cityrail and Connex Melbourne is actually quite shocking.

*Melbourne*
Connex Melbourne: ~187.4 million journeys

*Sydney*
Cityrail: ~328.5 million journeys.

Couple this with the fact that Melbournes trams and buses togther just manage over the patronage of the STA buses in Sydney (which aren't all of the buses in Sydney) and it paints quite a different picture again.

*Melbourne:*
Yarra Trams: ~150 million trips
Buses: ~86.7 million trips

*Sydney:*
STA Buses: ~202.2 million trips
Private Buses: ~133.9 million trips
Metro Light Rail: ~3.5 million trips

What Melbourne does do better is integrated ticketing. The ticketing system that exists in Melbourne is so obviously superior to Sydney that it hurts! 

Anyway, this thread was about Sydney buses, not "what does Melbourne have compared to Sydney".


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## city_thing

Chusanch said:


> In Zaragoza, (SPAIN) buses are served by TUZSA, the major operator, who launched an inteligent card, TarjetaBus, very attractive because of the price reduction (90cts Euro for a standard ticket, 50cts Euro for TarjetaBus trips) and allowing 60 minutes allowance for transfer to other routes within the city, without any additional charge.
> 
> There are 4 other companies (Ágreda Automóvil, Alosa, Automóviles Zaragoza and Samar Buil) who operate a few services to the suburbs that also joined the system HOWEVER, if you are heading out of the city, you can get on the selected stops, BUT you cannot get off within the TUZSA area. Also, if you are heading in, you are allowed to get off at any selected stops within the TUZSA area, but not get on.
> 
> Sometimes you are waiting for your bus, that seems to have disappeared, and you see the one from the other companies passing by, with plenty of room, but that doesn't stop because it is within the city limits. At the end of the day, why should it matter who operates the line if the service is subsidised as the other one is, by the Council?
> 
> That is what I call, GOOD SERVICE. I will keep on complaining...
> 
> Now... match that! hno:hno:hno:


Talk about spam... what has this post got to do with anything??


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## L2

city_thing said:


> Buses in Sydney are terrible hno:


Wrong - better than your beloved Melbourne, home of 30-60 minute frequencies.



city_thing said:


> Lots and lots of old models driving around that other cities would have relegated to school trips and low-patronage outer suburban routes years ago.


Nothing wrong with the Merc O305s and O405s that are still in service now that the Mk2s are gone. I'd rather better services and less shiny vehicles than the other way around.

I take it you'd prefer to wait an hour for a shiny new low floor, as you do in Melbourne.

Don't worry, I'll make a new OzScrapers thread on this in due course.



Yardmaster said:


> I'd be surprised if more than 5% of PT passengers out of inner Melbourne were carried by bus: probably rather less.


Yes, because there is trams on most routes in those areas.

What's your point?



Yardmaster said:


> By my count (I used Melways & Sydways Street Directories and stand to be corrected) there are 41 railway stations within a 10 km radius of the centre of Sydney: whereas there are 80 in Melbourne.


w00t, we have more railway stations than youse!!!!!!!!!!!!!111



Yardmaster said:


> What I'd like from Sydney is a decent bus-map. Like this:


There are PDF bus maps, sorted by STA region on http://www.sydneybuses.info that are much better than those Metlink ones.

Funny that the Melbourne ones you quoted were for areas with crap services.



Svartmetall said:


> At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how many stations are within a certain area if no one uses them. The patronage difference between Cityrail and Connex Melbourne is actually quite shocking.


Thanks for the statistics Svart. :cheers:



city_thing said:


> Talk about spam... what has this post got to do with anything??


Nothing.


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## ajw373

TheKorean said:


> So what is CityRail? A rapid transit system?



It is both suburban and inter urban heavy rail. If you were to look at the map Manrush has put on one of his posts the suburban section is shown with thicker lines, whereas the Interurban part has thinner lines.

Unlike what others think the Cityrail network is nothing at all like the Paris RER, though I must admit after my first few trips to Paris I thought it a fair comparison. But really Cityrail is better compared to the Paris Transilien services. The key difference is the RER is a group of 5 suburban lines that have been extended into the city using high capacity high frequency trunk sectors (something Cityrail lacks, especially high frequency, the City circle or ESR don't really compare), whereas Transillien is true suburban to interurban rail, exactly like the Cityrail system.


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## historyworks

TheKorean said:


> So what is CityRail? A rapid transit system?


Rapid :lol: most certainly not, it's a very slow suburban and interurban rail system. The journey times are slower than they were 50 or so years ago. It has a lot of problems. Not helped by transport investment going to roads. The vast majority of journeys in Australia are by road.


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## ZMO211

Whats happening with this Parramatta to Epping Rail link? is it actually gonna happen or will the state opposition be able to axe it if they are elected.


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## manrush

ZMO211 said:


> Whats happening with this Parramatta to Epping Rail link? is it actually gonna happen or will the state opposition be able to axe it if they are elected.


From what I've been reading, Julia and the Federal government will be providing a good part of the funding for the Epping-Parramatta link.

A bit of an old news report:
http://northern-district-times.wher...y/epping-to-parramatta-rail-link-to-go-ahead/

The only thing from the Liberals so far has been that there should be more focus on the Northwest and Southwest rail links.


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## ZMO211

manrush said:


> From what I've been reading, Julia and the Federal government will be providing a good part of the funding for the Epping-Parramatta link.
> 
> A bit of an old news report:
> http://northern-district-times.wher...y/epping-to-parramatta-rail-link-to-go-ahead/
> 
> The only thing from the Liberals so far has been that there should be more focus on the Northwest and Southwest rail links.


True and I know that the northwest needs a link, but Carlingford Station is really bad. Their arent alot of services and the station is dead. So it would be better to work on fixing missing links before starting new ones. Thanx


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## Ashis Mitra

Recently I’ve confused between the tram-light rail-metro-suburban train terms in Sydney.

www.subways.net says that Sydney’s airport line is a metro, but www.urbanrail.net says it is underground suburban train, just like other underground lines in Sydney. www.lrta.org & www.urbanrail.net says the white vehicle is modern tram, but www.subways.net says it is light rail. Also, many people say that white vehicles are metro. I totally get confused.
Which definition is true? Urban rail fans of Sydney please clear this.

My word is white vehicles are tram, & silver vehicles are suburban train. Am I right?

My opinion is – 
1)	MLR is a modern tram system. Sydney closed its previous tramway during sixties, and later returned in nineties. It is tram because partly it is street running and the rest is on reserved track, even underground. The system is using a former goods rail alignment. Perhaps it is the only underground tram network of Southern Hemisphere. There also many new routes projected and extensions – towards Dulwich hill, Rand wick racecourse, Ashfield and Circular quay.
2)	The CITYRAIL is the suburban train service of Sydney, which connects suburbs of Sydney. It has many underground sections in Sydney (the largest underground rail network in Southern Hemisphere), and uses double decker EMU trains. NOTE: - IT IS NOT METRO, BECAUSE IT USES SAME INFRASTRUCTURE & SAME ROLLING STOCK AS IT RUNS ON CURRENT SURFACE LINES.
3)	METRO was planned, but as far I know it is now cancelled, due to high cost. No doubt, it is a great matter of sorrow, because if it would build, it would be the first Oceanian metro. 
4)	There are two types of underground service, one is suburban train & another is tram.

I’ve some questions (arose after viewing some websites). Please answer one by one – 
1)	Will there be new tram routes to Ash field, Rand wick racecourse and Circular quay?
2)	Has the metro project closed permanently?
3)	When the construction of MODERN TRAMWAYS started, were the previous tram tracks (closed in sixties) discovered under the road surface in the time of digging?
4)	Is there any remaining of previous tram network in Sydney?
5)	Why Sydney closed its tram, and why again returned?

At last a latest news - 
The new Sydney Metropolitan Transport Plan announced by the New South Wales government at a special cabinet meeting on 21 January scraps the controversial CBD metro in favour of expanded light rail and an Epping to Rouse Hill 23-km heavy rail line. 
AUD 500 M is earmarked for expansion of the current light rail line by 10 km including a new 4.1-km link between Hay market and Circular Quay, and 5.6 km on the disused Rozelle rail corridor west from Lily field to Dulwich Hill. 
Premier Kristina Keneally said she wanted the light rail work to start immediately, marking the end of decades of argument between the City Council pressing for light rail expansion and the State government opposing it.

Some links, for plenty photos of Sydney tram. Either click or paste to the address bar of your browser.
http://www.sleeper.apana.org.au/railway/slr/images/Extension_Construction/08_August/
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Trams in Sydney


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## dwdwone

subways calls it a commuter underground railroad:
*http://www.subways.net/australia/sydney.htm
*

I would say the tram is more light rail since it has sections that run on it's own segregated right of way, including two underground stations.

Don't get too caught up in the definitions as there are blurs. Look at the underground commuter railways in Melbourne and Liverpool. They are often referred to as metros. The light rails in Birmingham and in Sheffield are also called metros. Also note that Sydney's commuter lines have large underground sections in peripheral areas.

In many cities in Asia, what they call light rail are referred to in the West as elevated metros. Maybe because passengers can see the light because there are no underground sections?

What many people do is look at the station spacing, but I'm sure there are variants there, too. In Sydeny's case, the line(s) would then be considered metro in the central city, where it is underground with stations spaced at "metro-like distances", and commuter rail in the suburbs.

I don't think you're going to find a strict definition. Classification is probably futile. Just enjoy.


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## SydneyCity

Ashis Mitra said:


> I’ve some questions (arose after viewing some websites). Please answer one by one –
> 1)	Will there be new tram routes to Ash field, Rand wick racecourse and Circular quay?
> 2)	Has the metro project closed permanently?
> 3)	When the construction of MODERN TRAMWAYS started, were the previous tram tracks (closed in sixties) discovered under the road surface in the time of digging?
> 4)	Is there any remaining of previous tram network in Sydney?
> 5)	Why Sydney closed its tram, and why again returned?


1. A tram route to Circular Quay is currently proposed, to be built along with the Barangaroo development.
2. No, the government says that the metro has been deferred until 2020.
3. I don't know the answer, but most of the light rail runs on a disused goods line.
4. There are still a few sections of track visible.
5. Because trams were seen as "old fashioned" and buses were thought to be more efficient at the time of the closure. The current light rail was built to give better access to the Casino and Inner West, which previously only had buses.


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## Ashis Mitra

*PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF SYDNEY TRAM*

*PAST* – Sydney tram started as horse tram, and then steam tram and cable tram. Finally it started as electric tram in 1898. Most of the system was converted by 1910- the privately owned Parramatta to Red bank Wharf (Duck River) steam tram remained until 1943. The tram network in Sydney was once the largest in Australia and the second largest in the Commonwealth (after London) and one of the largest in the world. Sydney system was one of the most extensive public-owned tramway networks in the world. In addition to the main city network, there were a number of isolated lines in more remote suburbs, generally feeding suburban railway stations or Sydney Harbor ferry services, and two private lines operated for many years prior to one being closed and the other taken over by the Government. At the peak of passenger movement in 1944/45, 404.6 million passenger journeys were made, averaging 1.1 million per day. Maximum street mileage occurred in January 1923, with 181 miles (291.3 kilometers) in operation and maximum staff numbers were approximately 8000. Maximum number of passengers’ vehicles in operation on the Sydney Main System reached 1535 in 1935.
For 80 years and more trams carried Sydney people to the races, to the beach, to the zoo, to the Show, the cricket and the football and to work. The trams themselves... were noisy, draughty and cumbrous, neither particularly attractive nor particularly comfortable. Yet they were homely and dependable and, in an age before the streets were being slowly strangled to death by private cars, reasonably punctual.
When the Sydney Harbor Bridge was opened, the North Shore tramlines were brought over the bridge to the city center. However, they terminated in the underground Wynyard railway station, and did not interconnect with the city lines at all.

The Sydney tram system was Australia's largest, at 290 km, in 1933. But because the system consisted of several isolated sections, it was relatively easy to close it down, piece by piece. This process started in 1939 with the Manly system. The last Pitt St. and Castlereigh St. tram ran in 1957 on a Saturday night at 1 am. Within minutes of the tram's run the overhead wires were pulled down, and the next morning (a Sunday) the tracks were paved over, to ensure there would be no return of the trams even if the buses should prove inadequate. This shows pretty clearly that there were forces at work other than just desire for efficiency here. 
By 1958 the North Shore system was closed, and in 1961, 100 years after the first tram had run, the last line closed. 

In many ways, the Sydney tram system was a victim of its own success. The overcrowded and heaving trams running at a high frequency, in competition with growing private motorcar and bus use, created congestion. Competition from the private car, private bus operators and the perception of traffic congestion led to the gradual closure of lines from the 1940s. Overseas transport experts were called upon to advise the city on its post-war transport issues and recommended closure of the system. Closure was supported by the NRMA, but generally went against public opinion. Nevertheless, closure became Labor government policy and the system was wound down in stages, with withdrawal of the last service, to La Perouse, in 1961.

The replacement buses were loss-making from the start, and within just a few years the City Council was starting to regret the loss of the trams, but it was too late. In 1975, a proposal was floating to re-instate a tram loop from Central Station to Circular Quay along Pitt and Castlereigh Streets. In 1995, this proposal has re-appeared, attached to the Darling Harbor LRV plan. 

There were many many routes. It covers service to Chats wood, Victoria Avenue Will by, French Road Willoughby, Lane cove, Broughton Road Artmarton, Gorehil, St. Leods, Northbridge, Suspension bridge, Crow’s Nest, Neutral Bay Jn., Neutral Bay Wharf, Narrabeen, Dee why, Brook vale, Harbord, Manly, The Spit, Bal moral Beach, King Max Street, Spit Jn., Taronga Zoo, Athol wharf, Mosman Wharf, Cremorne Jn., Cremorne Wharf, Ridge Street, Mount Street, Milson’s Point, Watson’s Bay, Vaucluse, Lighthouse, Dover Road, Rosebay, North Bondi, Bondi Beach, Denham Street, Bellevue Hill, Bronte Beach, Clovely, Coo gee Beach, Maroubra Beach, La Perouse, Little bay, Double bay, Grosvernor Street, Bondi Jn., Ocean Street, Stadium, King’s Cross, Sports ground, Cricket ground, Showground, City Road Jn., Railway Square, Clarence Street, Erskine Street, Elizabeth Street, Woolloomooloo, Circular quay, Randwick, Randwick Racecourse, Kensington, Daceyville Jn., Daceyville, West Kensington, Zetland, Rosebery, Alexandria, Erskineville, Cleveland Street, Maroubra Jn., Malabar, Long bay, Matraville, Botany, Ascot, Mort lake, Cabarita, Cabarita Jn., Well bank Street, Bur wood, Enfield, Plymouth Street, Brighton Avenue, Canterbury, Earl wood, Ryde, Gladsville, Drummoyne, Abbotsford, Birch grove, Darling Street Wharf, Five dock, Haberfield, Gladstone Park, Rozelle, Leichhardt, Lilyfield, Annandale, Glebe Point, Pyrmont, Miller’s Point, Fort Macquaire, Ash field, Summer hill, Hurl stone Park, Liechhardt Town hall, Peter sham, Dulwich Hill, City Road Jn., Newtown Bridge, Enmore, Erskineville, Under cliff, Marrickville, Cook’s River & Tempe. Just imagine how gigantic the network was, and served almost all places in Dublin, as far as Mort Lake, Canterbury, North Bondi, La Perouse & Narrabeen.!!!

Around the city it is still possible to see buildings associated with the system such as - 
•	On Glebe Point Road a small section of the original tram tacks were uncovered during road works in late 2009. The City of Sydney has left these exposed to serve as a historical reminder.
•	A section of uncovered tramway track is on O'Dea Avenue in Zetland. A single track is visible through the concrete road surface for a few hundred meters. Occasionally other buried sections of track are exposed when road works are carried out. For example, at the intersection of Victoria Avenue and Pens Hurst Street, Chats wood, extensive tram tracks are visible whenever road resurfacing is carried out.
•	There is a small section of tram track going in both directions on Lower Fort Street Road in Millers Point.
•	There is a small fragment of tram track exposed in the Moore Park grounds near the Sydney Cricket Ground.
•	There is a small fragment of tram track exposed on Old South Head Road, Watson’s Bay at the top of Heart Break Hill.
•	Several ornate tram shelters still stand, such as at the corner of Park and Elizabeth Streets, City.
•	At North Bondi and Bronte, bus shelters are built into small cuttings that were previously tram stops.
•	Ornamental rosettes located where overhead wiring span wires were attached can be seen on many older buildings and rock faces - there are seven on a rock wall near the Sydney Opera House at the site of Fort Macquarie Depot.
•	Many street corners where trams turned were 'cut-back' to allow space for trams to turn, and subsequently many buildings on such corners still have rounded fronts.
•	The abnormally wide median strip in Anzac Parade south of Kingsford once accommodated tram lines.
•	When walking up the steps to The Gap at Watson’s Bay, there is flat ground in between two sets of steps. This continues for a fair way in both directions, and is the old tram right of way.
•	The Ultimo Tram Sheds are now preserved by the Powerhouse Museum.
•	Tunnel Portals to Wynyard from the Sydney Harbour Bridge still exist and can be seen from the pedestrian walkway.
•	Former location of Wynyard tram platforms is now part of the Wynyard Lane Car Park at the station.
•	The Sydney government bus network generally reflects the area and routes covered by the tram network. Many suburbs with "Junction" in their name reflect their tramway heritage, such as Bondi Junction, Rand wick Junction, and Maroubra Junction.
•	The leftmost southbound traffic lanes on the Sydney Harbour Bridge were originally constructed to carry trams, and are still separated from and clearly distinguishable from the other six road lanes.
•	Wynyard Railway Station platforms are still numbered from 3 to 6. Platforms 1 and 2 were tram platforms and the railway platforms were never renumbered when the tram platforms were removed.
•	Shoot through like a Bondi tram is a phrase still used in Sydney, meaning to depart in haste.
•	The tram museum is in the suburb of Loftus, in Sydney's south.

*PRESENT – *After long 36 years, tram returned in Sydney, this time as a modern, high speed system. It is the first such system in the decades since the closure of the last of the Sydney tramways. This new network is almost 7 Km as for December 2010. The system has 7 trams.

There is only 1 route. It covers service from Central Station and Lily field. It is clear that this network is even not measurable in the term of density like the previous network.

*FUTURE – *

There are many extensions planned. 

Route 1 will be extended to Dulwich Hill (construction started).
Route 2 will go to Circular Quay.
Route 3 will go to Rand wick Racecourse.
Route 4 will go to Ashfield.

A route along George St and a loop along Pitt and Castlereagh Streets have been put forward as options.

In August 2006, the State Opposition leader, Peter Debnam, promised to build the CBD route and even the possibility of a more expansive network to suburbs such as Bondi, Mascot, Maroubra, Parramatta, and Bur wood if they won the New South Wales State election in March 2007. This did not eventuate as the Morris Iemma government was returned for another term.

In 2009, the Mayor of Rand wick Crnotley-Smith advocated the extension of the Sydney Tram to incorporate the Anzac Parade corridor.

I’m proposing to start a heritage tram service on Sydney; using pre sixties tram type, which once run in Sydney. That tram used trolley pole. Current overhead wire system will allow trolley pole. It will be ideal on Sundays and national holidays, especially attractive for tourists. Such trams are preserved in some museums in Australia.


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## historyworks

Good summary Ashis Mitra but you should give your source. Maybe this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney_Trams

A couple of points. Trams did not cause congestion, motor cars did. Trams actually improved their running times over the years but the strength of the political lobby against them was overwhelming.

And the new line you can hardly describe as high speed! It is very slow for some unknown reason. But one day maybe we'll get a proper tram system back to Sydney's streets.


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## Ashis Mitra

*FOOLISH TRANSPORT AUTHORITY OF SYDNEY*

Yes tramfan, I always support tram. But someone thinks negative.

Sydney’s great tram network was closed in 1961 for some blunt reasons – 

1)	The overcrowded and heaving trams running at a high frequency, in competition with growing private motor car and bus use, created congestion.
Buses are still present in Sydney, even much more than before. Aren’t they competing with tram now? If now tram can attract more people than bus, I think if Sydney Transport Authority should be patient, trams would sure survived, even defeat bus. It says that trams were overcrowded, it means were very popular among the citizens, and also ran on high frequency, means a reliable service. Actually they started following other cities for withdrawing tram during sixties.

2)	Competition from the private car, private bus operators and the perception of traffic congestion led to the gradual closure of lines from the 1940s.
Despite the competition with automobile, they were very popular among citizens due to high frequency. Almost half part of the former network was on reserved track, which ensures no clash with cars & buses. At least they can maintain those routes, if the question of congestion arrives. Actually they were lobbying the automobile industry, and the industry started marketing automobiles, like many cities around the world.

3)	Closure was supported by the NRMA, but generally went against public opinion. 
It is very natural that ordinary people can’t be against with tram. Tram is pollution free, gentle and a status symbol of a civilized city. Even I live in Kolkata. India is poorer than Australia, but my city has still a good tram network. When Sydney closed their tram in 1961, Kolkata’s tram was its top state, both with income & service.

When Melbourne can maintain its full network during sixties and even increasing it still now (it is the largest tram network outside Europe), what was the problem in Sydney? Sydney at least can maintain some long routes like Adelaide.

*Sydney’s previous tram survived from 1898 to 1961 and closed for those fake reasons. Tram reopened in 1997. So are we sure that around 2060, Sydney will not again close its tram fore some updated closure reasons?
*


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## Ashis Mitra

*COMBINATION OF OLD & NEW SYSTEM*

I’m suggesting, like Ashfield, new tramway should also run upto Mort lake, Canterbury, North Bondi, La Perouse & Narrabeen. 









Central Station terminus was also a very important terminus of old tram network. Trams then also climbed up the colonnade, but just on opposite direction. Lily field terminus was also used by former tram network.









There is a proposal to run tram again on George Street.









There is a proposal to run tram again to Rand wick Racecourse (route 3). Look the tram terminus was much like rail station layout with overbridge, platform etc!!









There is a proposal to run tram again to Circular Quay (route 2). It was the largest tram terminus of the former network. Just look how many trams are serving from the terminus!!









An R class tram is climbing like a cable tram on Bal main. 









The road under the tram bridge was previously served by tram.









Sydney Opera House is situated on the place of this former beautiful Fort Macquarie depot.


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## Ashis Mitra

Sydney was once the largest tram networkj in south hemisphere.


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## Ashis Mitra

There is really bad news that Sydney metro has cancelled. Many sid it would be unprofitable. But I doubt on it. A driverless metro was a very good choice for Sydney.

There are some maps








CBD & West Metro (cancelled?)









NW metro (cancelled?)









I heard that Anzac line has not cancelled. Is it true? Please write details here.

*At last I want both tram & metro in Sydney.
*


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## historyworks

This news is about one year old!

It will happen some time in the future perhaps but in a different way.


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## genelia

i like trains!!


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## SydneyCity

The Metro should have gone ahead. Sydney is the 3rd largest city in the developed world not to have one, behind Dallas and Houston.


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## historyworks

SydneyCity said:


> The Metro should have gone ahead. Sydney is the 3rd largest city in the developed world not to have one, behind Dallas and Houston.


It has to be planned right first before you put it in.


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## nemu

historyworks said:


> It has to be planned right first before you put it in.



They could build all three of the above cancelled/on-hold lines (NW, Anzac line, west metro) and it still won't be enough to fill the gaping holes in the Sydney rail network


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## nishikoriaus

I am very much gladful to see such valuable pictures of trains and bridges of sydney with some extremely old pictures during the times of 50s and 60s and the gradual evolution of sydney rail network. I am looking forward for some more pictures in the future.


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## Ashis Mitra

Sydney has both under ground train & underground tram, both in past & present.


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## Ashis Mitra

*COMBINATION OF OLD & NEW SYSTEM*

Current route uses former Railway Square route from Central Station & Capital Square, then touches former Pyrmont terminus near John Street Square, then crosses former Rozelle route at Fish market, crosses former Glebe Point route at Glebe, the former Rozelle route at Rozelle Bay and finally touches former Lily field route at Lily field. So both Central Station & Lily field has served by old & new network, although there is some distance between old & new Lily field terminus.

The proposed extension of route 1 (current route) to Dulwich Hill Station will cross former Leichhardt route near Leichhardt North, former Haberfield route at Marion, and former Earl stone Park route at Dulwich Grove.

The proposed new route 2 to Circular Quay will touch former Railway Square route at Capitol Square, will run via former Erskine Street terminus, will pass under Harbor Bridge which has previously tram tracks on right side same like left side rail tracks and a very small part of former Circular Quay Route near Circular Quay. So Circular Quay will be again an important tram terminus.

The proposed new route 3 to Rand wick Racecourse will use former Rand wick Route from Football Stadium & Rand wick Racecourse. So Rand wick Racecourse will also be again an important tram terminus.

The proposed new route 4 to Ash field will touch former Summer hill Station terminus and Ash filed Station terminus. Ash field tram terminus was formerly not touched with the main city tram network.

How history repeats!!!

1)	Current route crosses Victoria Road, Glebe Point Road and The Crescent of former network.
2)	Route 1 extension will cross Norton Street, Marion Street and New Canterbury Road of former network. All these streets mentioned here served by tram before 1961.
3)	New Route 2 to Circular Quay will use a very small part of Hick son Street and Alfred Street which carried formerly tram.
4)	New Route 3 to Rand wick Racecourse will use Anzac Parade following former Rand wick route.

So Leichhardt, Lewis ham, Anzac Parade, Town hall, etc. will be served again by tram around next few years!!! Ooooh, I just can’t imagine.










Rozelle depot is still present and holds some old vandalized R class trams. Is it truly impossible to repair these and start a heritage tram service?









Former tram track on Glebe Point Road.










Former tram alignment in Bal moral.










Central Station terminus was also a very important terminus of old tram network. Trams then also climbed up the colonnade, but just on opposite direction.
Here we look a sign 'To Pitt & George Street'. What this means? I think it is a sign of former tram network (closed in sixties). Am I right?


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## Ashis Mitra

Current Lily field tram terminus. Lily field was also served by tram previously, but the old terminus was almost 1 Km. Away from new.










Sydney tram map in 1947.


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## Ashis Mitra

Former tram at Sydenham rail station in 1954.









That area of Sydenham Station as today. Any time you travel along a road that has bitumen in the middle of the road and concrete at the sides, it's probably an old tram route, just like this photo. It's everywhere in Sydney's inner suburbs.









Here a single tram track runs up one side of a narrow suburban street. The tram went around the block in a loop. The track has been replaced by concrete but the curve is still quite clear. It's just off Crystal Street, Peter sham.









There used to be a large tram waiting shed at Railway Square, which is seen on the former photo, but nothing remains. It has been replaced by a weird structure that lets in the rain and the wind but looks extremely modern. The original tram shed has been lovingly re-erected at the Loft us Tram Museum.









This picture, with rails clearly showing was taken in Zetland near the Moore Park Supa Centre. There is just a single track right down the middle of the road. It was not a regular tram route, but linked two depots together, and allowed trams from the inner western suburbs to bring people over and back for the Rand wick Races, the Cricket and the Royal Easter Show.









Have lock Avenue at South Coo gee passes under Brook Street.
This dates from 1901 and was originally "trams only".









This bridge over peaceful Bar com Avenue in Darling hurst originally carried trams from 1916 to 1954. This tram route was called the Bellevue Hill line, and it ran through Padding ton to Bondi via Bellevue Hill. The footway on this side of the bridge is still known as the Cutler Footway. Today, the 389 bus follows much of the tram route including this bridge.









Trams ran down to Coo gee, Clovelly, Bronte and Bondi beaches. It was essential to select a gentle route that was not too steep for the packed trams to climb at the end of a day at the beach. Railway-style construction was often used in building the Sydney tram network, with cuttings through solid rock. The most famous of all is at Bronte where the tram descended to a terminus right at the beach and next to a large picnic park.









Here the bus makes a right turn, whilst the trams used to enter their own cutting for a gentle descent to Coo gee Beach. The location is at the corner of St Paul Street and Dudley Street, just down the hill from The Spot.









This is Eddy Avenue, just below Central rail station & tram terminus. Formerly trams run on this road, and another route was terminated on the above colonnade. New trams are now starting using this colonnade. Here you can see some rosettes.









Large waiting sheds were erected at many tram stops, especially where there might be a crowd of shoppers or a lot of people after a sporting event. These waiting sheds are now very rare and are items of major heritage value. They were built for trams not buses. This one is on Bondi Road near Waverley Park. 
Notice the little window, so people seated on the bench inside can see if their tram is coming. In modern bus shelters, this view is blocked by an advertisement.









Gurner Street at Cascade Street, Padding ton this short piece of road was once a pair of tram tracks reserved for trams. Now there is a bus stop for the 389 bus. Around 1914, several terrace houses were demolished to build the tram tracks round a tight corner and into Hargrave Street. The house in the background is a modern replacement. Originally the trams went straight across and veered right to reach Hargrave Street.









Previously, this was Waverley Tram Depot. Trams entered and left the depot by a pair of tracks which were close against the York Road fence. The office building and the Tramways Institute building (meal rooms, staff amenities etc), both near Oxford Street, have been demolished.

Really Sydney has done a great job to construct many underground suburban rail lines, which are still a dream for us Indians.


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## Ashis Mitra

Who will believe that this is the former place of Oceania's largest tram depot Dowling street tram depot?


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## Ashis Mitra

hno:


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## Ashis Mitra

Please try to answer these - 
1)	What is the target year of extending current line to Dulwich Hill opening new routes to Circular Quay, Ashfield & Rand wick Racecourse?
2)	Reserved or unreserved, - which type of track layout is common in Sydney tramway network?
3)	Which is the busiest tram terminus?
4)	Which termini have interchange facility with suburban rail network?
5) Where is/are the depot(s) of the tramway network?


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## SydneyCity

Ashis Mitra said:


> Please try to answer these -
> 1)	What is the target year of extending current line to Dulwich Hill opening new routes to Circular Quay, Ashfield & Rand wick Racecourse?
> 2)	Reserved or unreserved, - which type of track layout is common in Sydney tramway network?
> 3)	Which is the busiest tram terminus?
> 4)	Which termini have interchange facility with suburban rail network?
> 5) Where is/are the depot(s) of the tramway network?


1) The new line will be finished in 2012.
2) Reserved.
3) Most likely Central Station.
4) At the moment, only Central Station. But when the line is extended to Dulwich Hill, there will be interchanges with the suburban rail network at Lewisham and Dulwich Hill.
5) There is a depot in Pyrmont.


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## Ashis Mitra

Yes, I heartly support to returning tram in Sydney, and I have full support also to Sydney Metro. Such a big city should have a good network of tram, metro & train.


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## ArtNouveau

I wish you were our Premier then *sigh*


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## SydneyCity

Trains running a decade late Jacob Saulwick 
June 11, 2011
.A 10-year-old rail report still remains the benchmark, says Jacob Saulwick. 

Ten years ago, the NSW Co-ordinator General of Rail, Ron Christie, presented his transport minister with a long document explaining what needed to happen to Sydney's rail system. Its contents were explicit.

The report was for the eyes of Carl Scully and the Bob Carr cabinet, and not meant to be released to the public. (In the way of these things, it ended up all over the Herald less than a year later.)

Fresh from the successful operation of rail transport during the 2000 Olympics, Christie and his planning team warned against letting the longer-term neglect of the train system go unchecked.

Advertisement: Story continues below The report lamented a lack of maintenance spending which had degraded service quality. It said the old trick of introducing double-decked trains to cram more passengers onto the tracks had been exhausted. ''The system is rapidly approaching gridlock,'' Christie asserted in 2001. ''This is already manifest in the extreme day-to-day sensitivity of CityRail services to even the most minor of disruptive incidents.''

Without substantial investment, the report argued, rail lines would start to choke by 2011. Even with that investment program, 2011 marked the date a state government needed to begin building another line across Sydney Harbour and through the central business district.

While the report was heavy on warnings, its flipside was ambition. The future of Sydney's rail network could be secured, if its constraints were tackled systematically.

Ten years on, and in the wake of a second Christie report, prepared last year for the Herald, what has been done to improve CityRail, or at least ensure services have not gone backwards? What has been neglected? And how will new Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian tackle the situation?

Where are we now?

When Christie talked about gridlock on Sydney's train system, he was not talking about the morning crush familiar to commuters. Rather, Sydney's tracks themselves were becoming overcrowded.

Unlike the bumper-to-bumper snarls on the roads, track congestion was not visible. But trains need to keep a safe distance from each other and it was fast becoming impossible to accommodate more services. ''This problem reflects the fact that, in the last 50 years, there have been almost no track amplifications - the equivalent of road widenings to provide extra traffic lanes - on the metropolitan network,'' the report said.

The remedy was to start immediately on several small but important improvements to pinchpoints in the existing network. These should take precedence over larger, and more politically impressive, rail extensions to new areas.

The improvements would provide more tracks to serve as overtaking lanes, allowing express services to pass all-stations services, and allow more space for trains to turn round without disrupting other services. Train maintenance and cleaning would be nearer to the city.

The measures were not formally adopted as policy in 2001. But three years later, under Michael Costa as transport minister, they were picked up and given a new name - Clearways - to cement the road analogy.

Whatever reliability the system displays in 2011 owes much to the fact that about half the projects recommended by Christie have been completed. 

There are now more tracks to Cronulla. At Bondi Junction, Revesby, Hornsby, Lidcombe and Homebush, trains have more room to turn round. At Macdonaldtown, there is a new stabling yard. And a whole train line - from Epping to Chatswood - has been built.

But much of Christie's agenda is unfulfilled. 

One crucial project - more tracks between Sydenham and Erskineville - has been quietly put to one side. A project to add tracks between Chatswood and St Leonards has also been mothballed.

There has been no duplication of the Illawarra Line at Mortdale, no turnback at Macarthur, no upgrade to Erskineville Junction, no flyover at Wolli Creek, no upgrade at Town Hall, no new stations at the University of Western Sydney, or Georges River.

The Christie report depicted these projects as necessary adjustments to help the city tread water just until 2011, by which time a growing population would demand major new rail capacity.

''Between about 2011 and about 2015, the relief provided by these corridor-based enhancements will be effectively exhausted and a new rail route through the inner city and the CBD, between Eveleigh and St Leonards, will be essential,'' Christie wrote. The new transport minister has promised extra train lines extending to the city's southwest and northwest. But she has not explained how she will fit the new services onto the crowded network.

Where will trains fit?

This week, one of the consultants who helped Christie prepare his 2001 report, Sandy Thomas, wrote an appraisal of the new government's progress for the industry journal Rail Express. 

''If there's one single factor, above all others, that's blighted attempts to extend and improve Sydney's passenger rail network over the last 10 to 15 years, it's been the repeated tendency to rush in and 'do the engineering' before properly thinking through what's required,'' Thomas wrote.

His concern is with the government's plan for the North West Rail Link, the 23-kilometre line from Epping to Rouse Hill. 

Tender documents show the government has locked in behind a route that would force all trains from the North West into the City via Epping and Chatswood, rather than allowing some trains to travel to the CBD via Epping and Strathfield.

On RailCorp's own numbers, it will struggle to accommodate new services from the north west onto the north shore and through the city. 

Thomas foresees this scenario for north-west trains: ''Along with any new Epping-Chatswood train services catering for the forecast rapid growth in demand from the Central Coast, they will have to stop and turn back once they reach Chatswood, disgorging their passengers well short of North Sydney and the CBD and leaving them to squeeze onto a probably reduced number of already crowded trains from the North Shore suburbs.

''The design will now quite likely dictate the services - and without a second harbour crossing, they could well be very much poorer than the politicians and the public have been led to believe,'' he wrote.

Berejiklian has not explained why this won't be the case.

What about the CBD?

A good part of the reason the previous Labor government lost its way on rail planning was its infatuation with metros. The twin appeals of the North West Metro and then the more modest CBD Metro was that they could be built independently of RailCorp, and that they obviated the need for a second harbour crossing.

But the new government has staked its transport credentials on improving the CityRail system. According to the Christie report, the biggest bottleneck to improving CityRail is the lack of another route through the city. 

''This project is regarded as being of the highest priority. Without it, the metropolitan rail system will face strangulation and progressive operational collapse - and the solutions … will all have very long lead times,'' the report said.

That was the prognosis a decade ago. It has become more pronounced. O'Farrell and Berejiklian have not explained how they will deal with it.

The Christie report has never been adopted wholesale by any government. But in putting forward a clear path for improving Sydney's rail system, it remains compelling reading. 

''Ten years on it is not meant to be taken literally, because things have changed, but it is an excellent place to formulate the right plans and process to building the correct long-term transport plan for Sydney which is much needed,'' says John Lee, a former director general of Transport in NSW and current head of the industry group Tourism and Transport Forum. 

In the absence of any alternative plan for Sydney's rail system, the report is a sharp reminder of what might have been and what may yet be.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/trains-running-a-decade-late-20110610-1fx18.html#ixzz1Ovhoijb9


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## SydneyCity

Drilling along the route of the North West Rail Link began today in Castle Hill

Rhys Haynes
From: The Daily Telegraph
September 07, 2011 10:01AM
3 comments

GEOTECHNICAL drilling along the route of the North West Rail Link began today in Castle Hil,l a day after more than $300 million was allocated to the project this year.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell, Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian and Treasurer Mike Baird were on site today as drilling work began at Old Northern Road above what will be the new Castle Hill train station.

The work will help determine the exact underground conditions for construction for Australia's longest rail tunnels.

The 2011-12 budget yesterday allocated $314 million to the project with a provisional allocation of $2.5 billion over four years.

"The budget delivers on our commitment to the people of the north west and greater Sydney to build this long overdue rail link,'' Mr O'Farrell said.

Ms Berejiklian said the start of drilling along the 23-kilometre route was a significant milestone. 

"This is an important part of the design work currently underway for the project and will help produce a very detailed picture of what the tunnelling contractors will encounter as they build the tunnels,'' Ms Berjiklian said.

There will be 150 boreholes with a diameter of 15 centimetres drilled at various locations along the proposed route between Rouse Hill and Epping. They will be drilled of up to depths of 75 metres.


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## city_thing

^^ Some propaganda to go with that...


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## city_thing




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## SydneyCity

Paris-style train plan for city
Jacob Saulwick
October 6, 2011

RAIL services on the north shore, inner west, Bankstown, Hurstville and north west lines would operate as single-deck, high-frequency metros under a plan being drawn up by Transport NSW.

The plan would convert about a third of the CityRail network to metro-style trains such as in Paris or London. They would have far fewer seats than they have now but offer greater frequency.

An assessment by Transport NSW of Sydney's long-term rail strategy, obtained by the Herald, reveals that seven options are being prepared as part of the state's next transport masterplan, due next year.

But planners are pushing a so-called three-tier strategy, which would replace large tracts of the rail network with high-frequency metro trains.

The proposal argues that more modern rolling stock and signalling equipment would allow up to 28 trains an hour to cross the Harbour Bridge, avoiding the need for an expensive second crossing on what is the rail network's main choking point.

At present, 20 trains an hour can cross the bridge. Eighteen trains an hour already cross it during the morning peak, meaning it is approaching capacity.

The document, Long Term Rail Strategy Phase 5 Assessment, marked ''cabinet in confidence'' and dated August 2011, also reveals that:

rail planners expect that so much money and expertise will be tied up building the north-west rail link until about 2019 that another big project is not considered possible until then;

the Epping to Parramatta line is being planned as a shuttle between the two stations but is not expected to operate until 2036;

if the government does not build extra capacity through the city, or deliver a significant upgrade to rail technology, it would ensure the perverse result that services would need to be cut because passengers would take so long to disembark from carriages.

Shifting to a metro-style network would be expensive - and intensely controversial. On the plans obtained by the Herald, commuters travelling to the city from Rouse Hill and Cabramatta would most likely need to stand.

The assessment does not specify how much extra capacity would be added on the bridge if 20 double-decked trains were replaced by 18 single-decked trains. And it does not reveal how much it would cost to upgrade the signalling and rolling stock needed for the conversion to metros.

But the report suggests the government faces a choice between two ''service philosophies'' - suburban and three-tier or some sort of hybrid - in deciding on a future for the network.

The present suburban system offers double-decked trains with lots of seats, which means they are preferred for longer trips. But the heavier and faster suburban trains need to run with at least three-minute gaps between them, limiting them to 20 services an hour.

The ''three-tier'' philosophy would add metro trains to the present ''two-tier'' mix of suburban trains and express services from outer areas such as Newcastle, the south coast and the Blue Mountains.

The metro trains would run over the bridge. But to facilitate the shift, the report says a ''relief'' line would be needed between Redfern and Wynyard to allow non-metro trains from the west into the city.

The Keneally government promised to build this line but never explained that the reason for it was in part to enable the ''three-tier'' network.

The main alternative to shifting to metros is to build another harbour crossing for the existing network, as promised by Labor in 2005.

Through a spokesman, the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, said the government would consult industry and the community to develop a masterplan.

The report says that the consultant MTR, which operates the train network in Melbourne, will review work by other consultants on Sydney's future rail needs.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/parisstyle...#ixzz1ZuhieQ24


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## SydneyCity

Commuters kept in the dark for too long
Jacob Saulwick
October 6, 2011

FOR commuters, the attraction of metros is that they come frequently. For governments the attraction of metros is that they are easy to run. And because they are typically built as stand-alone lines, governments are also attracted to the idea of bypassing RailCorp and the unions and maybe even privatising the lines or contracting them out.

Plans for the conversion of part of the CityRail network from suburban to metro-style operations began well before Barry O'Farrell and his Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, came to office. But if O'Farrell and Berejiklian approve the concepts being drawn up inside Transport NSW, and they have given no indication yet they even agree with them, they will be signing off on something more radical and risky than their bumbling predecessors ever managed.

The then premier, Morris Iemma, signalled his enthusiasm for metros in 2006, only a year after Bob Carr announced the expansion of the heavy rail network to the north-west and south-west, connected by another harbour crossing.

By March 2008, Iemma was scrapping plans for the north-west link and the second harbour crossing, replacing them (as concepts at least) with the vision of a new ''euro-style'' metro to the north-west.

By the end of that year the north-west concept had been winnowed back to a CBD metro and by 2010, the CBD metro was dead as well.

But inside the bureaucracy, and within consultancies, some transport planners remained as keen as ever to shift Sydney transport away from its focus on RailCorp-controlled heavy rail and on to what is seen as a more modern form of transport.

In December 2008 the transport consultant MTR, which runs Hong Kong's metro system, told the state it should think about moving to a single-deck, high-frequency operation.

In 2009 a former chief executive of State Rail, Simon Lane, signed off on a report to the government advocating the conversion of inner-city parts of the rail network to metro-style operations by 2040.

And from then on, work continued inside Transport NSW on how to make this happen. The key difference with earlier proposals, however, is rather than build new metro lines to complement Sydney's network, metro trains would take the place of parts of it. Those plans have continued apace under the Coalition.

There are some people who will love the idea of converting part of the CityRail network to metros. And there are people who will say it just will not work.

Among those are the planners who prepared the Herald's Independent Transport Inquiry, who argued in favour of expanding the heavy rail network and in the long term complementing it with independent metro lines.

But this debate should be aired in public, and fostered by the government. Sydney residents would be better off if they were treated like adults, and allowed to consider the various options for improving the city's transport system, instead of being fed another plan.

One lesson the O'Farrell government might draw from the transport failures of Labor is to avoid scratching up ideas behind closed doors, announcing them with a flourish, and then getting forced into defending their flaws.

That didn't work so well.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politi...#ixzz1Zui1bYiy


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## SydneyCity

Bus operators fail to hit targets but say it's not their fault
Jacob Saulwick
October 24, 2011

Clogged up ... the busy afternoon traffic of Sydney's streets and freeways. Photo: Quentin Jones

THE majority of bus operators across Sydney are failing to meet targets for on-time running, according to new analysis from the state government.

Bus services in the Hills District, north shore, and Fairfield and Cabramatta regions are most likely to be running late, the analysis shows. Operators in only three out of the city's 15 contract regions have met the 95 per cent target for on-time running since February last year. Private bus operators, which are more likely to offer late running services than the government-owned State Transit, attribute the problem to congestion on the road network that is not their fault.

The issue has also not been helped by only patchy implementation of a multimillion-dollar technology system that is designed to give buses priority if they are running late and also to help government transport planners track the best way to move buses through the roads. The Department of Transport, which is scheduled to start renegotiating contracts worth more than $600 million a year with private bus companies, was the subject of a damning audit office report last year into how well it monitored the previous contract round.
Advertisement: Story continues below

The office found the department largely relied on bus companies self-reporting financial information and performance figures. Subsequent inquiries by the Herald revealed the department had never penalised a contractor for poor performance since the previous contracts were signed in 2005.

To lift the level of performance reporting when new contracts are entered into, for the past 20 months Transport NSW has been employing people to monitor on-time-running at selected points on the road network.

The figures show that on average 92.5 per cent of buses were running on time between February and August 2010. This is below the government's 95 per cent target. Previously the government had recorded on-time running from when buses left the depots.

The four inner-city regions that are operated by State Transit all recorded below 95 per cent on-time running, though they rated higher than private operators running bus services in south-west Sydney, the Hills, and around Chatswood and Terrey Hills.

But the inner-city regions have been the beneficiaries of the government's Public Transport Information and Priority System, which tracks buses using GPS technology and, in theory, should allow bus planners to more efficiently move them through clogged roads.

But the system has not been fully extended to private bus operators, despite those operators moving buses through some of the most congested arteries in Sydney, such as along the M2 to the city.

''The recent on-time running figures released highlighted the need for electronic ticketing and GPS as supported by the Auditor-General,'' said Darryl Mellish, the executive director of BusNSW, which represents private bus companies.

''I expect the areas where OTR figures are lower will be because of the congestion the buses encounter in those regions,'' Mr Mellish said.

The Department of Transport has been extending private bus operator contracts by a year to give it more time to finalise its negotiating stance. It is yet to make a decision on whether to negotiate with existing operators or throw contracts open to tender.

It is also yet to make a decision on how to treat the depots owned by bus companies. Under the previous government the department had wanted to include a provision that would enable them to compulsorily acquire depots, as this would have made it easier for new entrants to compete in the market.

However the industry has resisted this. The Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, has not signalled her stance on the issue.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/bus-opera...their-fault-20111023-1mein.html#ixzz1bgbBL587


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## SydneyCity

Some pictures from around the network. Taken 6 November 2011.


Rush Hour by Icy Chev, on Flickr

Docking by Icy Chev, on Flickr

CityRail train by Icy Chev, on Flickr

Wharf 4 Crowds by Icy Chev, on Flickr

SDC12818 by Icy Chev, on Flickr

Watsons Bay Bus Stop by Icy Chev, on Flickr

On The 380 by Icy Chev, on Flickr

Martin Place Station by Icy Chev, on Flickr

X81 by Icy Chev, on Flickr

Crowded Bus, Sydney by Icy Chev, on Flickr

Bondi from the bus by Icy Chev, on Flickr


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## NotTarts

*SYDNEY | Heavy Rail*

Sydney has the largest rail network in Australia, with over 1600km of track and 307 stations. Around 360 million trips are made each year, coming to an average patronage of about 1 million per day for rail alone. However, there is no dedicated metro system, with suburban trains instead operating within metro-style underground stations in some areas of the city.

Services are operated and provided by CityRail, a brand of RailCorp, the government corporation tasked with managing rail services throughout New South Wales. The CityRail network also extends to the neighbouring cities of Newcastle and Wollongong.

*CityRail Network Map* (click to expand)



*Fleet*
Sydney's network is unique in that every electric multiple unit is bilevel/double-deck. This allows each train to carry around 900 seated passengers.

The fleet consists of 10 train classes - 8 EMUs and 2 DMUs. I've listed the major types here; you can see the rest on CityRail's website .

*Suburban*
*Waratah/A Set (constructed 2010-2014)*
Number of cars: _626 (replacing L, R & S sets)_
Capacity: _896 seated (8 car set)_
















*Tangara/T and G sets (constructed 1988-1994)*
Number of cars: _447_
Capacity: _840 seated (8 car set)_
















*L, R and S sets (constructed 1972-1980)*
Number of cars: _349 (being replaced by A set)_
Capacity: _968 seated (8 car set)_
















*Interurban/Intercity*
*OSCAR/H set (constructed 2006-present)*
Number of cars: _220_
Capacity: _432 seated (4 car set)_
















*"InterCity"/V set (constructed 1970-1989)*
Number of cars: _225_
Capacity: _416 seated (4 car set)_
















*Regional*
*Hunter railcar (constructed 2006-2007)*
Number of cars: _14_
Capacity: _146 seated (2 car set)_









*Endeavour railcar (constructed 1994-1996)*
Number of cars: _28_
Capacity: _190 seated (2 car set)_









:cheers:


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## historyworks

Who are those phantom passengers? According to the NSW Railcorp annual report 2010-2011 Cityrail moved 294.5 million passengers. On-time running has been achieved by slowing down the trains so that most services are slower than they were in the 1930s and it is now possibly one of the slowest electric train systems in the world. It barely copes with its task of serving a conurbation of 5 million people, a quarter of the population of Australia.

It is significant that it manages to do what it does but it's nowhere near enough. Underinvestment has been the main problem over the years. This is probably the best summary of the operation:

http://schwandl.blogspot.com/2011/03/tour-down-under-2011-sydney-cityrail.html


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## Minato ku

Thank you.
I see that the underground part is on the existing section. 
Are there any other underground part planned for the new section?


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## mw123

Minato ku said:


> Thank you.
> I see that the underground part is on the existing section.
> Are there any other underground part planned for the new section?


Yes the existing part is almost entirely underground and 15km of the new section is going to be underground up until Bella Vista with the rest on viaducts and at grade. So it's going to be a total of almost 28km of tunnel from Chatswood to Bella Vista.


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## mw123

Inner West Light Rail Extension - Currenty U/C

Construction of the Inner West Light Rail Extension is on track for services to begin in early 2014.

Since major construction started in November 2012 there has been significant progress. Work is currently underway on all nine of the new light rail stops.

The stops are already starting to take shape with platforms in place at Waratah Mills and Lewisham West. Over the coming months the project team will complete construction of platforms for the remaining seven stops.

*The project includes:*
* A 5.6 kilometre extension of the light rail from Lilyfield to Dulwich Hill
* Nine new light rail stops: Leichhardt North, Hawthorne, Marion, Taverners Hill, Lewisham West, Waratah Mills, Arlington, Dulwich Grove and Dulwich Hill Interchange
* Procurement of new light rail vehicles
* Installation of power, safety, communications and signalling systems
* Real-time passenger information at the new and existing stops
* New access paths and facilities for changing between transport modes
* Kiss and ride parking and dedicated accessible parking spaces
* Measures to protect wildlife habitat and native vegetation along the rail corridor
expansion of the existing light rail stabling facility in Pyrmont.









TfNSW






_Most of these photos are a few months old._


Tram bridge by highplains68, on Flickr


Dulwich Hill Light Rail Extension - Update 16 March 2013 by john cowper, on Flickr


Dulwich Hill Light Rail Extension - Instant update - 31 March 2013 by john cowper, on Flickr


Dulwich Hill Light Rail Extension - Instant update - 31 March 2013 by john cowper, on Flickr


Inner West Light Rail Extension, Dulwich Hill, Sydney, NSW by dunedoo, on Flickr


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## kontaveit2012

I visited this a few weeks ago and it is looking really nice 
Such a shame that the goods line doesn't go through an area like Manly 

Has the idea of metro transport in Sydney (aside from the haphazard North-West Rail Link) disappeared? If so that would really be a shame 

We need a sort of Premetro/Light Rail which is under ground in densely populated areas and coomes to the surface in suburban areas, IMO 

For example, the UNSW link should be under ground for more portions than it currently is, but I understand the costs that that would bring...


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## mw123

kontaveit2012 said:


> Has the idea of metro transport in Sydney (aside from the haphazard North-West Rail Link) disappeared? If so that would really be a shame


Not exactly. There are plans to extend the NWRL through a new tunnel beneath the CBD and then link it to and convert the Bankstown line and the Illawarra line to Hurstville into metro. This should allow for greatly increased frequencies across other lines.


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## city_thing

Having a private company run the NWRL is surely a recipe for disaster. Considering how bad transport integration is in Sydney, and the problems with bus companies and the airport line, you would think voters and even the Government wouldn't want to experiment with private operators again. 

I assume this is a way of tackling the powerful unions involved in CityRail?

If the NWRL is going to be an integral part of Sydney's rail network then it should come under the same Government agency responsible for every other line.


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## kontaveit2012

city_thing said:


> Having a private company run the NWRL is surely a recipe for disaster. Considering how bad transport integration is in Sydney, and the problems with bus companies and the airport line, you would think voters and even the Government wouldn't want to experiment with private operators again.
> 
> I assume this is a way of tackling the powerful unions involved in CityRail?
> 
> If the NWRL is going to be an integral part of Sydney's rail network then it should come under the same Government agency responsible for every other line.


I really think that the NWRL should go through Rhodes, Olympic park, Strathfield and down past Broadway 

I know that it would cost more and it may even be un-doable but it is not much greater a distance, connects people in the Hills District with the Olympic Stadium and the City without having to change trains and stops the North Shore Line becoming even more congested 

Any other suggestions for alternative routes?


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## lkstrknb

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox4EG4KGATA






I just posted a video to youtube of the Sydney Monorail which is set to cease operation on June 30, 2013. I spent most of January in Australia and spent countless hours riding and filming the monorail. I am very sad to see such a photogenic and iconic monorail torn down. I think Sydney will be lacking a very popular tourist draw.

I would be grateful if you could 'like' and/or comment on the video.

Thanks,

Luke


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## mw123

Sydney Monorail closes after 25 years of service


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## Svartmetall

lkstrknb said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox4EG4KGATA
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just posted a video to youtube of the Sydney Monorail which is set to cease operation on June 30, 2013. I spent most of January in Australia and spent countless hours riding and filming the monorail. I am very sad to see such a photogenic and iconic monorail torn down. I think Sydney will be lacking a very popular tourist draw.
> 
> I would be grateful if you could 'like' and/or comment on the video.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Luke


The monorail was always stupidly expensive though I felt. As a tourist I didn't actually use it at all because of the price and the fact that I could walk the route perfectly well (and yes I know that isn't the point of taking the monorail but still).

Plus the infrastructure associated with it always seemed bulky and ugly actually. I wasn't a fan.


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## Ashis Mitra

When will the extended tram route towards DULWICH HILL & RANWICK will be opened.

It clearly states that monorail is not and ideal public transport.


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## Svartmetall

Ashis Mitra said:


> When will the extended tram route towards DULWICH HILL & RANWICK will be opened.
> 
> It clearly states that monorail is not and ideal public transport.


Monorail works if it isn't a useless loop that costs more than Croceus's underpants. Monorail has proved to be very successful in Tokyo and Osaka for example (Chiba Monorail, Tokyo Monorail, Tama Monorail, Osaka Monorail).


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## mw123

New trams with the new livery.


mandonov said:


> credit:http://www.busaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=74853&start=75


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## mw123

With the demise of Cityrail, this is likely to be the new Sydney Trains Map, as posted at Transit Maps Tumblr page:
http://transitmaps.tumblr.com/


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## ssiguy2

Monorail has proven itself to be an efficient, safe, reliable, and cost effective mass/rapid transit technology and this is why there are more mass transit monorail systems under construction now than at any time in history. 

People complain about monorails and use stupid loop lines as examples. Tell me, if Sydney had built a elevated heavy rail system downtown in a loop would the ridership have been any higher? Of course not. The Chongquin monorail which is only 5 years old is already carrying 450,000 passengers a day. The new Sao Paulo system with have capacity of a staggering 49,000 pphpd..............higher than almost all heavy rail systems any where on the planet. 

Monorails are finally getting the respect they are due and Sydney's failure had everything to do with poor transit planning and absolutely nothing to do with monorail technology.


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## mw123

CBD & SE Light Rail will start construction next year and is expected to handle 31 million passengers a year.
There's also a new website up and running with more info and renders on the project. http://www.sydneylightrail.transport.nsw.gov.au/


upwards said:


>


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## ajw373

ssiguy2 said:


> Monorail has proven itself to be an efficient, safe, reliable, and cost effective mass/rapid transit technology and this is why there are more mass transit monorail systems under construction now than at any time in history.


Sydney's monorail was not built as mass transit, it was built to link the CBD to what was, in 1988 the newly built Darling Harbour area. A job it did very well.

Now whilst the light rail may well have taken over part of that function, it starts at the southern end of the CBD at Central station, so now there is now no link from the heart of the CBD to Darling Harbour. Whether such a link is still required is debatable of course as the area around Darling Harbour has grown considerably and most of the newer area (such as the Casino area) were not on the monorail.

Still it is a loss to Sydney IMO.


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## city_thing

I guess the next step for light rail in Sydney is to send a line down Liverpool street, then down Oxford street, all the way to Bondi Beach.


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## mw123

The first Urbos 3 arrived a few days ago.


laxor said:


>


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## nameless dude

Recent news clip about the North west rail link, the first stage of the planned 'rapid transit' network, with a focus on the elevated section.






Oh, and please ignore all that talk about the 'future' :lol:


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## mw123

Some renders of the North West Rail Link from the project website. All images taken from below link.
NWRL Multimedia


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## Hegemonic

I really like the idea of the high automation that this system will have.

Hopefully this will translate to efficiencies in reality.


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## nameless dude

Full automation and block signalling (IIRC) allows for headways of typically between 1 and 2 minutes ie. 30 trains per hour or over. In one case I've seen trains running less than a minute apart, dunno how they manage that :nuts: It'll be an improvement over the current rail system.

And a video from the link above giving an overview of the project. As explained the new line will be the first stage of what will eventually become Australia's first genuine metro network.


----------



## jim kharisma

Very nice vedio..tq..

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk


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## Svartmetall

It does seem to be an excessive frequency and quality of service for sprawlburbia compared to the service quality and frequency to far more dense portions of the city.


----------



## nameless dude

The rail line was a key election promise when this government came into power in 2010. Originally it was intended to be an extension of the existing Sydney Trains network but halfway through they decided to modernise and use it as an introduction of a completely new rail system to the city.

Though it's not that it doesn't make too much sense - the line will run through an area with a large concentration of some the city's largest employment and education hubs, such as the Norwest business park, Macquarie Park and Chatswood, which means there'll be major 'drop off' stations along the length the line rather than one where it's only pick ups to downtown. The faster loading and unloading times of a metro would make more sense. Initially it'll run with a frequency of every 5 minutes on peak and every 10 off peak and that will be increased as growth demands.

What's more is that with the introduction of the rail line it is planned for the density of the areas around it to be significantly increased (see here). Specifically the government has (or will) declared the areas around most of the stations as 'Urban activation precincts', which is their term for massively increasing densities in those areas (eg. this or this). 

The first high rises for the area have in fact already been proposed, despite the rail line still being 5 years away. (eg. here)

The important thing is that the rail line is being built to cater for future growth. It's acting as a catalyst for density increases along the line and in the future around the entire metro network.


----------



## mw123

*Dulwich Hill light rail extension to open in March, says Gladys Berejiklian*



> The tram extension to Dulwich Hill should open in March, Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian has said, as long as no problems emerge during track testing.
> 
> But commuters using the new service may have to wait for service frequencies to increase, as the government awaits the delivery of another 10 trams in the next 18 months.
> 
> Ms Berejiklian announced on Wednesday major construction of the nine new light rail stops between Lilyfield and Dulwich Hill was now completed, and the tracks and infrastructure were ready.
> 
> The only thing left to do is test the vehicles, on what will be the first major piece of public transport infrastructure opened under the O'Farrell government.
> Advertisement
> 
> The vehicles include the trams that run on the existing line between Central and Lilyfield, as well as two new trams the government has bought, and four it has leased. Another 10 vehicles purchased for the new line will be delivered in the next year and a half...


http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/dulwich-hill-light-rail-extension-to-open-in-march-says-gladys-berejiklian-20140226-33gxl.html


----------



## mw123




----------



## Ashis Mitra

mw123 said:


> Inner West Light Rail Extension - Currenty U/C
> 
> Construction of the Inner West Light Rail Extension is on track for services to begin in early 2014.
> 
> Since major construction started in November 2012 there has been significant progress. Work is currently underway on all nine of the new light rail stops.
> 
> The stops are already starting to take shape with platforms in place at Waratah Mills and Lewisham West. Over the coming months the project team will complete construction of platforms for the remaining seven stops.
> 
> *The project includes:*
> * A 5.6 kilometre extension of the light rail from Lilyfield to Dulwich Hill
> * Nine new light rail stops: Leichhardt North, Hawthorne, Marion, Taverners Hill, Lewisham West, Waratah Mills, Arlington, Dulwich Grove and Dulwich Hill Interchange
> * Procurement of new light rail vehicles
> * Installation of power, safety, communications and signalling systems
> * Real-time passenger information at the new and existing stops
> * New access paths and facilities for changing between transport modes
> * Kiss and ride parking and dedicated accessible parking spaces
> * Measures to protect wildlife habitat and native vegetation along the rail corridor
> expansion of the existing light rail stabling facility in Pyrmont.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> TfNSW
> 
> _Most of these photos are a few months old._
> 
> 
> Tram bridge by highplains68, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Dulwich Hill Light Rail Extension - Update 16 March 2013 by john cowper, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Dulwich Hill Light Rail Extension - Instant update - 31 March 2013 by john cowper, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Dulwich Hill Light Rail Extension - Instant update - 31 March 2013 by john cowper, on Flickr
> 
> 
> Inner West Light Rail Extension, Dulwich Hill, Sydney, NSW by dunedoo, on Flickr


Almost after 60 years, tram will run again towards Dulwich Hill. This timo on completely reserved track, converted from a goods train line!!!


----------



## Hegemonic

I would expect it to be much faster being a dedicated track.

However the video above doesn't show this.


----------



## koresh

*T1 Northern Line: Hornsby and Epping to City via Strathfield *

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdVSq1g1Z4M


----------



## Ashis Mitra

The map of former tram network. Just see how gigantic it was, and served Dulwich Hill on a different route.










Downtown network was dense. Thankfully they are correcting their mistake a part, by returning tram in downtown again.


----------



## mw123

*Parramatta light rail to Macquarie Park in the mix*

A LIGHT rail line from Parramatta up to Castle Hill and out to Macquarie Park is shaping as a likely 2015 Coalition *election promise.

The state government has included the concept in its strategy for lands it owns in Parramatta North.

The plans announced by government planning agency Urban Growth NSW includes a map containing light rail through Parramatta, raising hopes the light rail lines to Macquarie Park, Castle Hill and Bankstown could become a reality.

Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian confirmed yesterday that it was “in the mix”.


















http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/parramatta-light-rail-to-macquarie-park-in-the-mix/story-fni0cx12-1226849754260


----------



## dimlys1994

Today:



> http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2014/03/21/13/06/sydney-light-rail-extension-to-open-soon
> 
> *Sydney light rail extension to open soon*
> March 21, 2014, 1:02pm
> 
> _Light rail services between central Sydney and Dulwich Hill in the inner west will begin next week, with services running every 10 minutes during peak times._
> 
> Work on the $176 million track extension finished last month but about 250 hours of safety testing was needed before the project could be given the go ahead.
> 
> "Come March 27, next Thursday, customers will be able to go all the way from central to Dulwich Hill on the new inner west light rail extension," NSW transport minister Gladys Berejiklian said.
> 
> Journeys from the city to Dulwich Hill on the extension will take about 40 minutes.
> 
> But Ms Berejiklian said the benefit of the light rail service was its regular departures.
> 
> "In the peak, passengers can expect a turn-up-and-go service every 10 minutes and in the off-peak they'll get a regular 15 minutes service," she said.


----------



## mw123

Official map of the light rail network once the new extension opens.
http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/b2b/media/sydney-light-rail-network-2014.pdf


----------



## dimlys1994

Dulwich Grove stop, taken from TfNSW's website:


----------



## nameless dude

With the introduction of the line extension tomorrow, the Urbos 2s leased from Spain seems to be in service judging from this video:






The Urbos 3s will be progressively introduced.


----------



## dimlys1994

Updated light rail map on urbanrail.net. I would love to see Australia's first catenary-free tram line:


----------



## mw123

North West Rail Link TBM construction a few months ahead of schedule.


----------



## mw123

Opal starts today on entire Sydney Trains network



Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said customers could now use their Opal card to travel anywhere on the Sydney Trains network, as Opal goes live on an extra 70 stations today.

"This marks a significant milestone for commuters across Sydney, as Opal provides cheaper fares, modernises the way people use public transport and puts an end to the Monday morning queue for a ticket," Ms Berejiklian said.

"Around 150,000 Opal cards have now been registered - that’s around 15,000 new card orders this week alone.

"We are seeing more and more people sign up for an Opal card as readers are switched on at their local station and customers find out about the benefits of Opal - cheaper fares, daily caps, weekly rewards and discounts for off-peak train travel."

The latest rollout means customers from Green Square to Macarthur, Erskineville to Liverpool and Lidcombe, Sydenham to Waterfall and Cronulla can now use Opal...

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/opal-starts-today-entire-sydney-trains-network-150000-cards-registered









https://www.opal.com.au/asset/a23667fa-bfa7-431d-812c-88b6a81e6b66/Opal_train_rollout_Sequence_4.png


----------



## mw123

Expressions of interest called to upgrade iconic Museum Station
_Transport for NSW_
5 May 2014

Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian today announced expressions of interest are now open for a major upgrade of Sydney’s historic underground Museum Station.

The upgrade is being delivered as part of the NSW Government’s $770 million Transport Access Program, an initiative to deliver accessible, modern, secure and integrated transport infrastructure.

Ms Berejiklian said the Museum upgrade would include new lifts, public toilets, improved lighting and ventilation, communications and security upgrades, as well as wayfinding signage.

“As one of Australia’s first underground stations, it was important to recognise Museum Station’s heritage significance when developing designs for the upgrade,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“This upgrade will ensure Museum Station can continue to efficiently serve the people of Sydney well into the future, just as it has since it opened in 1926.

“When these improvements are completed, the station will be fully-accessible for the first time, making a real difference for customers.”

Read More


----------



## Ashis Mitra

Thankfully, tram has returned in dulwich hill, after long decades.










Here is a photo of the former tram terminus at Dulwich Hill, that network was largest in Oceania, which was completely closed in 1961.

*BETTER LATE THAN NEVER SYDNEY.*


----------



## mw123

Render of the new George Street entrance to Wynyard Station.

Screen Shot 2014-05-31 at 11.04.25 AM by Sky_Is_The_Limit1, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

Opal electronic ticketing on 100 more buses as some paper tickets retired
Transport for NSW
1 June 2014









Photo by Beau Giles

Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian today announced Opal would be rolled out to almost 100 more buses next week, including the first double decker buses to be activated for electronic ticketing.

The rollout of Opal on 96 buses on the Forest Coach Lines routes in Sydney’s north from June 10 comes as 280,000 Opal cards have now been issued, and more than 2.5 million free trips have been taken with Opal on trains, buses and ferries.

The NSW Government also announced the retirement of some paper tickets from September 1, 2014. Tickets being retired can be purchased up until this date and can continue to be used by customers until they expire.

“We now have nearly 280,000 Opal cards issued and those customers are already saving money with more than 2.5 million free trips taken across 40 ferry wharves, 308 train stations and 30 bus routes,” Ms Berejiklian said.

_Read more_


----------



## nameless dude

Updated and more detailed video on the city and SE light rail:








And as posted by Fabian in the ozscrapers section, further expansions of the light rail network in the future has been hinted by the government, including a possible restoration of the route to Bondi beach and more.



Fabian said:


> Seven News (5/6/2014): The State Government and local councils are looking at further expansions of light rail once the next phase is completed.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .


----------



## dimlys1994

From Global Rail News:



> http://www.globalrailnews.com/2014/06/09/planning-approval-for-sydney-light-rail-project/
> 
> *Planning approval for Sydney light rail project*
> 9 JUN, 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A $1.6 billion light rail system planned for the centre of Sydney has been given the thumbs up by the city’s planning authority.
> 
> The CBD and South East Light Rail system will stretch for 12 kilometres around the city centre connecting up Circular Quay and Central, the Moore Park sporting and entertainment precinct and Sydney Football Stadium, Randwick Racecourse, the University of NSW and Prince of Wales Hospital at Randwick.
> 
> Preparations for the the project are already well underway. Three consortia – SydneyConnect, iLinQ Sydney and Connecting Sydney – have already prequalified for the main design/build/operate/maintain contract, which is expected to be awarded by early 2015.
> 
> If all goes to schedule, the network could be open to passengers between 2019 and 2020.
> 
> “This is a priority project for the NSW Government that will transform Sydney, deliver over $4 billion worth of economic benefits and create 10,000 jobs for NSW,” said Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian.
> 
> “I am delighted the project has received formal planning approval. The NSW Government is getting on with the job of building new infrastructure that will improve services for transport customers, increase productivity and support economic growth.
> 
> Planning approval follows a long public consultation period. The route of the CBD and South East Light Rail project will cause major disruption to some of the city’s busiest quarters.
> 
> Berejiklian added: “We recognise that there are challenges ahead, and delivering a project of this scale in a busy urban environment will result in impacts to communities and businesses during construction.
> 
> “We have listened to the community and these conditions will ensure that during construction and operation of the CBD and South East Light Rail, potential environmental, noise and traffic impacts are managed well.”


----------



## dimlys1994

Press release from Network Rail:



> http://www.networkrailmediacentre.c...and-performance-in-Sydney-Australia-20ae.aspx
> 
> *Network Rail Consulting wins contract to help boost capacity and performance in Sydney, Australia*
> Monday 9 Jun 2014
> 
> Network Rail Consulting has been appointed by Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) to provide systems integration services as part of a major upgrade of Sydney’s rail network.
> 
> The Advanced Train Control (ATC) programme currently under development will see the rail network in Sydney fitted with new equipment to enable improved system performance and provide increased capacity for passenger and freight services. The program will play a key role in delivering the NSW Government’s Sydney’s Rail Future (SRF) objectives which include enhancing operational safety, delivering greater levels of customer service, reducing costs and producing faster and more reliable rail services.
> 
> Network Rail, Britain’s rail infrastructure owner and operator, has been at the forefront of implementing comparable systems on its infrastructure, including the European Train Control System (ETCS), which will increase capacity and performance and help cut costs on Britain’s railway. Network Rail’s approach to the roll-out of ETCS has been widely praised by rail infrastructure owners and operators across the globe, with a pilot scheme operational on the Cambrian line in Wales since 2011 and a state-of-the-art test facility now running on a section of the East Coast Main Line in Hertfordshire prior to deployment on main lines. The company can now share that experience with TfNSW in Australia.
> 
> Nigel Ash, managing director of Network Rail Consulting, said: “The need to deliver a safe, efficient, reliable railway while boosting capacity to cater for growing passenger and freight demand is something Network Rail shares with many rail operators. That Network Rail Consulting has been selected to provide advice to this strategically important project underlines the excellent work which has already been carried out on the railway in Britain.
> 
> “Transport for New South Wales will directly benefit from sharing the most up-to-date train control information and we look forward to working with them on this immensely important programme to deliver a better railway in and around Sydney.”
> 
> _*About Network Rail Consulting*_
> 
> Network Rail Consulting Ltd is a subsidiary of Network Rail.
> 
> Network Rail Consulting aims to harness the vast range of skills and experience available within Network Rail to demonstrate British expertise overseas and be an international ambassador for Britain’s rail industry. It will also help channel innovation back into our core business, helping deliver a better value railway for Britain.
> 
> Network Rail Consulting is selling the full range of rail expertise within Network Rail including:
> 
> Advisory: Re-structuring, privatisation, institutional, policy development and reviews, audits, procurement, bid support, rail operations including retail optimisation.
> Strategic Planning: Transport master plans, market assessments, demand forecasting, project appraisal and route utilisation strategies.
> Asset Management: Developing conceptual asset management frameworks, route asset management plans.
> Operations & Maintenance: Practical operating advice, timetabling and simulation modelling, maintenance regimes and outsourced operate and maintain contracts.
> Infrastructure Projects: Outputs definition, pre-feasibility, feasibility, project and programme management.
> More information can be found at http://www.networkrailconsulting.com


----------



## nameless dude

The state government has announced a plan to sell half of the state's electricity supply to fund large-scale infrastructure projects across Sydney and NSW. The centerpiece of the plan is a new metro line that includes the creation of a second harbour rail crossing and a new CBD line which has before been outlined in the government's transport masterplan. It has long been regarded a crucial link in improving Sydney's rail system because it alleviates a key bottleneck and will provide capacity increases of up to '60 percent' across the whole network. It will also link up with the north west rail link (now under construction) as well as the existing Bankstown line (which will be converted) and thereby creating Australia's first genuine metro system.

The plan would come into action and construction could start 'within 2 to 3 years' - if the government wins the election next year.


Links:
http://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/miscellaneous/sc000151_dpc_fact_sheet_03.pdf

http://www.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/miscellaneous/sydney_rapid_transit.pdf








The rest of the plan:

http://www.nsw.gov.au/rebuilding


News clips:


----------



## mw123

New map of the Rapid Transit Network.









And through the CBD.








http://transportsydney.wordpress.com/


----------



## mw123

A good summary map of U/C and planned transport projects in Sydney. 
Blue = Rail and rapid transit
Red = Light Rail
Orange = Roads








http://transportsydney.wordpress.com/


----------



## mw123

North West Rail Link | Kellyville Station


----------



## mw123

North West Rail Link | Elevated Section Construction


----------



## Nouvellecosse

With the new rail tunnel crossing the harbour and CBD it's almost like Sydney getting its very own Crossrail! :cheer:


----------



## mw123

South West Rail Link | Leppington Station


----------



## dimlys1994

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...sydney-automated-metro-operator-selected.html
> 
> *Sydney automated metro operator selected*
> 24 Jun 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AUSTRALIA: The Northwest Rapid Transit consortium has been selected as preferred bidder for the Operations, Trains & Systems contract for the North West Rail Link automated metro in Sydney, New South Wales Premier Mike Baird announced on June 24
> 
> The consortium comprises MTR Corp (Australia), John Holland, Leighton Contractors, UGL Rail Services and Plenary Group. A rival offer had been submitted by the TransForm consortium of Serco, Bombardier Transportation, SNC-Lavalin Capital, McConnell Dowell Constructors, John Laing Investments and Macquarie Capital Group.
> 
> ‘The NSW Government will now work with the Northwest Rapid Transit consortium to further negotiate and finalise this multi-billion-dollar contract, which is expected to be awarded later this year,’ said Baird. ‘This will be one of the biggest public-private partnerships ever awarded in the history of NSW’.
> 
> The 23 km NWRL will run from Chatswood to Epping on a converted heavy rail alignment, continuing through a new 15·5 km twin-bore tunnel to Bella Vista before emerging onto an 4 km elevated section to terminate at Cudgegong Road in Rouse Hill. Opening is planned for 2019.
> 
> The OTS contract covers trackwork, signalling, electrical and mechanical systems, conversion of the existing railway with its five stations, construction of the eight new stations and the depot and supplying the driverless trainsets. This will be followed by operation and maintenance of the line.
> 
> Financial details are still be finalised, but Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said the contract would make up a ‘large part’ of the A$8·3bn project cost. The state would set the fares, and make performance-based payments to the operator.
> 
> _The first of four NFM Technologies 6·99 m diameter hard rock TBMs for the project is currently being delivered to Australia, with the Thiess John Holland Dragados tunnelling joint venture scheduled to start boring in October_


----------



## mw123

Rather bizarre ads they are using for the Opal Card rollout.


----------



## mw123

North West Rail Link | Journey of a tunnel boring machine


----------



## dimlys1994

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...s-inter-city-emu-procurement.html?channel=542
> 
> *NSW launches inter-city EMU procurement*
> Thursday, August 14, 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _The delivery of new inter-city trains will allow Oscar EMUs to be redeployed on Sydney suburban services, photo by John Hoyle_
> 
> THE government of the Australian state of New South Wales has issued an international invitation for expressions of interest for a contract to supply 65 eight-car EMUs for inter-city routes.
> 
> The $A 2.8bn fleet will be employed on NSW TrainLink services from Sydney to the South Coast, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Newcastle.
> 
> The trains will be delivered between 2019 and 2024, allowing the withdrawal of V-Set trains and redeployment of the more modern Oscar EMUs on the Sydney Trains suburban network, replacing other life-expired rolling stock.
> 
> The contract will also include fitting out maintenance depot and ongoing servicing of the fleet, including cleaning.
> 
> The closing date for expressions of interest is September 15 and a formal invitation to tender will be issued later this year.
> 
> "We met with prospective manufacturers in May at an industry briefing and it was clear there was a lot of enthusiasm among manufacturers from Australia and overseas to be involved in this significant project," says NSW transport minister Mrs Gladys Berejiklian. "Buying proven technology from an established manufacturer ensures customers will be enjoying a more comfortable ride sooner than if brand new trains were commissioned from scratch, as the Waratah trains were."
> 
> The NSW government has not specified whether the new trains will be single or double-deck, although the preference for an off-the-shelf design suggests a single-deck train is the more likely option.


----------



## mw123

North West Rail Link | Tallawong Stabling Facility


----------



## mw123

The future Bella Vista Station is the site where the first TBM's will start work on the NWRL. Preparations are almost complete.


----------



## Hegemonic

Once the North West Rail Line is up and running Sydney will finally have a world class piece of public transport infrastructure.


----------



## city_thing

mw123 said:


> Rather bizarre ads they are using for the Opal Card rollout.


These are really fucking stupid...


----------



## ajw373

Hegemonic said:


> Once the North West Rail Line is up and running Sydney will finally have a world class piece of public transport infrastructure.


Really? One that ends at Chatswood where people will need to transfer to heavy rail to get to the City. (or transfer at Epping onto heavy rail).

World class would have been just keep it part of Cityrail and through run to the city and keep metro to the inner city areas where it belongs and is needed.


----------



## Svartmetall

^^ Indeed. I never quite understood the rationale for not converting highly trafficked CityRail lines to full metro operation and then having a unified system with the NWRL.


----------



## mw123

Svartmetall said:


> ^^ Indeed. I never quite understood the rationale for not converting highly trafficked CityRail lines to full metro operation and then having a unified system with the NWRL.


This project is about being able to do that. Once it is linked up across the harbour with the Bankstown and Hurstville lines they should be able to increase capacity on the rest of the network (ie. Inner West line to 20tph). The second harbour crossing needs to be built for this to work though - arguably it should have been done first.

Many in Ozscrapers say that this project is more of a political solution. Cityrail had become a rotten brand in the eyes of Sydneysiders so this is more about bypassing that legacy organisation with it's stagnant culture, ineptitude and strong union hold. By building a privately operated driverless metro and then further converting existing lines they can bypass all this. Make of it what you will.


----------



## dimlys1994

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...unnelling-starts-on-north-west-rail-link.html
> 
> *Tunnelling starts on Sydney's North West Rail Link*
> 08 Sep 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AUSTRALIA: Tunnelling for Sydney’s North West Rail Link started on September 8 with a ceremony in Bella Vista.
> 
> Elizabeth is the first of four hard rock tunnel boring machines delivered by NFM Technologies. The 120 m long, 6·99 m diameter TBM was assembled at Bella Vista over the past seven weeks, and will be joined by three more.
> 
> ‘The North West Rail Link has been a top priority for this Government and I am pleased to announce today that the next two tunnel boring machines are also expected to be in the ground before the end of this year, ahead of schedule’, said NSW Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian
> 
> ...


----------



## city_thing

mw123 said:


> This project is about being able to do that. Once it is linked up across the harbour with the Bankstown and Hurstville lines they should be able to increase capacity on the rest of the network (ie. Inner West line to 20tph). The second harbour crossing needs to be built for this to work though - arguably it should have been done first.
> 
> Many in Ozscrapers say that this project is more of a political solution. Cityrail had become a rotten brand in the eyes of Sydneysiders so this is more about bypassing that legacy organisation with it's stagnant culture, ineptitude and strong union hold. By building a privately operated driverless metro and then further converting existing lines they can bypass all this. Make of it what you will.


Isn't the second harbour crossing completely dependent on whether the Government can sell off public assets though? It could be decades before it happens, even though it was needed two decades ago.


----------



## mw123

city_thing said:


> Isn't the second harbour crossing completely dependent on whether the Government can sell off public assets though? It could be decades before it happens, even though it was needed two decades ago.


Yes. They are seeking a mandate for this at March 2015 state election and are aiming to start construction within 2 to 3 years from now. This infrastructure is all late but we have an ambitious transport minister who so far has a very good record.


----------



## mw123

CBD and South East Light Rail

The video I posted on the previous page that was deleted by the owner has resurfaced on Youtube. Pretty much a render of the entire line.


----------



## Hegemonic

ajw373 said:


> Really? One that ends at Chatswood where people will need to transfer to heavy rail to get to the City. (or transfer at Epping onto heavy rail).
> 
> World class would have been just keep it part of Cityrail and through run to the city and keep metro to the inner city areas where it belongs and is needed.



There's a plan here in Sydney to add a second harbour rail crossing under the harbour. 

This new second crossing will ultimately connect the the north west rail line taking commuter right into the heart of the city with out having to get off their asses.

Epping to Chatswood will be closed while the heavy line is converted to world class fully automated metro. 

In most global cities around the world people can expect to change train at least once.

This project is only stage one of a new rail system that will end in the south west of the city in decades to come.

Got to start somewhere.


----------



## ajw373

Hegemonic said:


> There's a plan here in Sydney to add a second harbour rail crossing under the harbour.
> 
> This new second crossing will ultimately connect the the north west rail line taking commuter right into the heart of the city with out having to get off their asses.
> 
> Epping to Chatswood will be closed while the heavy line is converted to world class fully automated metro.
> 
> In most global cities around the world people can expect to change train at least once.
> 
> This project is only stage one of a new rail system that will end in the south west of the city in decades to come.
> 
> Got to start somewhere.


Right gotta start somewhere, but this is not the route. This is the kind of route where heavy rail is what is needed. Be buggered being on a metro train for a 40km journey. Even in London the longer routes, such as the metropolitan line have trains that are more heavy rail than metro such as planned for this route.

There is plenty of Sydney that could do with a metro, the Eastern and inner western suburbs being prime examples, and maybe even out to the Northern Beaches. But this route, especially as 2/3rds of it are already build as heavy rail is really short sighted.


----------



## Hegemonic

ajw373 said:


> Right gotta start somewhere, but this is not the route. This is the kind of route where heavy rail is what is needed. Be buggered being on a metro train for a 40km journey. Even in London the longer routes, such as the metropolitan line have trains that are more heavy rail than metro such as planned for this route.
> 
> There is plenty of Sydney that could do with a metro, the Eastern and inner western suburbs being prime examples, and maybe even out to the Northern Beaches. But this route, especially as 2/3rds of it are already build as heavy rail is really short sighted.


Not really, it's a great vision for the PT future of Sydney has been lacking for a couple of decades now, this is only stage one of that vision.

By world standards 37km for the North West Rapid transit Stage 1 is rather modest.

London Underground have some of the longest lines in the world, Central line length 74km, 'Piccadilly line length 71km, District line length 64km.

Then there's Tokyo Japan with Japan Railway East, Takasaki line length 74km, Musashino line length 100km.

Why do these lines have to be built short and near the beach side suburbs or the inner west?

At the moment trams are proposed for the inner west and eastern suburbs in Sydney.


----------



## Svartmetall

JR East is a commuter rail service, not a "European styled metro". The Musashino line is definitely not used for long distance travel on the whole - it's a circular ring line around the outside of Tokyo, so end to end is not used despite its length. It's usually used for shorter journeys. The Takasaki line is actually more of an intercity line (or at least it would be regarded so in Europe) given that Takasaki is actually a stand-alone city in Gunma. The distance of Takasaki from Tokyo means that Shinkansen commuting is an option for time saving given it is on the Shinkansen lines (Joetsu and Nagano). Plus, you're comparing a metropolitan area of 35 million people to one of 5 million, so of course line lengths, even in a dense city like Tokyo, are going to be longer. If you had used the Chuo Rapid line as a more appropriate example (going from Takao to Tokyo Station) then that is 53.1km. However, that is also a bit misleading as again, these trains are not dimensioned like a standard metro train - the E233 series are actually incredibly comfortable. Plus, given it is a "rapid" service, it is a skip-stop service with the Commuter Special Rapid only making 9 stops on its entire length, thus making it less like an all stops metro. As you know many JR lines (and private lines) are skip-stop services so commuters don't have stop-start for 50+ km - the Takasaki line is like this too. This speeds things up for commuters immensely so the line length is only one metric to use in this comparison.

Those lines in London are "pass through" lines. So half of the Central Line length lies on one side of London, and the other half passes through the other side, so in reality the longest journey one should do to get to central London (and the end stations tend to have National Rail links too, like West Ruislip, so there are other options beyond the tube). No one is going to travel from West Ruislip to Epping. Same goes for the Picc line and District line too - they are "through" lines, so for your comparison to work, you'd have to take the North Western Metro and trace a line through Sydney and back out to Liverpool station and say "that's the line length". 

So no, unless the NW metro is going to be skip-stop services and complex service patterns to make up for its length, then actually 37km by a metro to the centre of the city is actually quite long.


----------



## mw123

ajw373 said:


> Right gotta start somewhere, but this is not the route. This is the kind of route where heavy rail is what is needed. Be buggered being on a metro train for a 40km journey. Even in London the longer routes, such as the metropolitan line have trains that are more heavy rail than metro such as planned for this route.
> 
> There is plenty of Sydney that could do with a metro, the Eastern and inner western suburbs being prime examples, and maybe even out to the Northern Beaches. But this route, especially as 2/3rds of it are already build as heavy rail is really short sighted.


From what I understand, the seating configuration is going to be more like the Munich U-bahn trains with quite an amount of standing space near the doors. I've been guilty of calling it a 'metro' but the government is using the term 'rapid transit' perhaps to differentiate it from an MTR or Underground style seating configuration. The seating configuration is going to be tailored for long distance services. This isn't your average suburban line either - many passengers are going to disembark before Chatswood. 

From the NWRL website:
_Rapid transit systems like the North West Rail Link are best suited for lines where customers get on and off at various locations – in this region, workers travel to Castle Hill, Norwest, Epping, Macquarie University and Macquarie Park. A third of people using the North West Rail Link will be getting off the train before Chatswood. With a train every five minutes during the peak, the North West Rail Link will triple the frequency of services on the rail line between Epping and Chatswood..._

Another issue is that if they were to extend the current double deck system, the tunnels and stations would be required to be twice as deep due to the need to cross the harbour. Having stations closer to the surface means it will be cheaper and less complex to build. For some stations, escalators wouldn't even be an option.

I'd definitely disagree with calling it short sighted, once this line passes through the CBD, we will be thankful that the ridiculous dwell times that plague the current CBD stations won't be seen here. Even more so when they convert some of the current inner city lines.


----------



## Svartmetall

^^ Be aware that the Munich U-bahn C wagons offer both longitudinal and transverse seating. That picture only shows part of the story. Really nice trains, though. I was there recently, and their U-bahn is the best in Europe that I've been on so far. But bear in mind that the Munich U-bahn is again a short line system (with the longest through line being U6 clocking in at under 30km for the entire through-city length). The system there is supplemented by the S-bahn which fulfils longer distance travel as a commuter rail system so that journeys by the U-bahn are not excessively long.


----------



## ajw373

Hegemonic said:


> Not really, it's a great vision for the PT future of Sydney has been lacking for a couple of decades now, this is only stage one of that vision.
> 
> By world standards 37km for the North West Rapid transit Stage 1 is rather modest.
> 
> London Underground have some of the longest lines in the world, Central line length 74km, 'Piccadilly line length 71km, District line length 64km.


Thought someone would say that. But of course irrelevant for a couple of reasons.

Firstly you seem to have just gone to Wiki and got the total line length, never mind of course all 3 lines you mention have at least one branch line, which increases the line mileage, but doesn't necessarily increase the distance one travels or the end to end distance of the lines. 

For example it would be rare for someone to travel regularly from Upminster to anywhere beyond about Victoria, a distance of about 25miles as the crow flies so about the same as the Sydney CBR to Kellyville. Though you do realise that the District line is closer to heavy rail than it is to metro? Same with the Metropolitan line in London too.

Secondly very few would, on a regular basis travel end to end on any of these lines. Whereas the NWRL is the kind of line where people will go point to point from the ends to the City. Well point to a 3rd party point (Chatswood) before then getting on another train to finish of the journey. 

All could be simply avoided by making this a full heavy rail line and extend existing Chatswood to Epping services westwards, and then adding a new metro line from Chatswood through to City and beyond. Basically keep metro to the area bounded by by the A3 road which is where it belongs in a place like Sydney.


----------



## exocet

People keep bringing up the fact that the sub-surface lines are closer to heavy rail than Metro - could you clarify what you mean? Ie, rolling stock, seating layout, frequency, etc?

The reason I ask is that in all of the 3D visualisations, the NWRL has used a vehicle that resembles the Siemens stock used in Melbourne, in both size and appearance. 

I guess what I'm asking, is what justifies the delineation between "metro" and "heavy rail"?


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## Svartmetall

^^ Well, the tube is quite a unique metro. The deep bore "tubes" are smaller, more cramped, run more frequently (overall) and don't generally interline (IE no branches). The London sub-surface lines are more capacious, built for longer journeys, the lines often have multiple branches (especially the district line) and as such they are quite distinct from the deep bore tubes. 

Now on to the next part... The NWRL is said to be run at massively high frequencies (over those provided currently by CityRail) into an area that is nothing but sprawl. If, instead of all-stop metro service, a slightly less frequent service using skip-stop/local mixture suburban rail had been used, then it would make a lot more sense as that would give better patterns for commuters (quicker journeys on skip-stop services and proper integration with the rest of the network). Servicing low-density sprawl with a very long metro-styled line with high frequency seems incredibly wasteful to outsiders, though really the whole Sydney network is a bit topsy-turvy. In reality, it should be more like Munich, Stockholm (and many others) where the suburban rail is less frequent, branched and travels a long way out of the city with the city and dense inner suburbs being served by a true metro network at high frequency and capacity.


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## mw123

I think it hasn't been brought up that the areas are all slated for high density development. It was almost a condition that if this was built, areas around all of the stations will be intensively developed. Chatswood, North Ryde, Macquarie Park, Macquarie Uni and Castle Hill in particular. Macquarie Park is also set to become the second biggest employment centre in Sydney. They've announced just today that the trains will run every 10mins outside peak and every 4mins during the peak - so it's certainly not an intense metro frequency.

Anyway speaking of the trains themselves.

Sydney's new train unveiled as $3.7 billion North West Rail Link operations contract signed

NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian today announced Sydney’s brand new rapid transit trains will run every four minutes during the peak on the North West Rail Link as part of a $3.7 billion contract just signed by the NSW Government.

Mr Baird said the North West Rail Link will take customer service and safety to a whole new level – bringing a world-class rapid transit rail service to Australia for the first time.

“Services on the North West Rail Link will start in the first half of 2019 with 15 trains an hour during the peak and 98 per cent on-time running – a much higher level of customer service than we first expected and an outstanding outcome for customers,” Mr Baird said.

“The NSW Government promised 12 trains an hour but we’ll be able to start with 15 trains an hour in the peak – with significant room to grow as the North West’s population increases over coming decades.”

The North West Rail Link will be Australia’s first fully-automated rapid transit rail network, delivering eight new railway stations, 4,000 commuter car parking spaces and five existing railway stations upgraded to rapid transit status.

The Public Private Partnership is the largest ever awarded in NSW and will see the Northwest Rapid Transit consortium deliver the North West Rail Link by the first half of 2019 and operate it for 15 years.

Ms Berejiklian said the contract just signed means Sydney’s new trains will be built by international train supplier Alstom who make rapid transit trains operating around the world in cities like Singapore, Hong Kong, Milan and Amsterdam.

“This project will transform and modernise public transport in Sydney forever. With tunnelling now underway and a contract signed to operate the rail network – the NSW Government is well and truly delivering,” she said.

“The country’s first new fully-automated rapid transit trains are being designed to meet the needs of Sydney.

“Our customers tell us that frequency of services is one of the most important factors when travelling on public transport – on the North West Rail Link, you won’t need a timetable, you’ll just turn up and go.

“At the start of operations, the North West Rail Link will use six-carriage trains, however more carriages and trains can be added as demand increases, with the platforms to be built long enough for eight-carriage trains.

“We’re working to fine-tune the seating configuration, but there will be plenty of seats as well as brand new innovations like multi-purpose areas for prams and luggage.

“There will also be customer service assistants at every station and they’ll also be moving through the network during the day and night.

“If we receive a mandate next March, the Rapid Transit network will be extended through the CBD and west to Bankstown, giving public transport customers right across Sydney access to fast, reliable and modern turn-up-and-go services.”

The Northwest Rapid Transit consortium is made up of MTR Corporation (Australia), John Holland, Leighton Contractors, UGL Rail Services and Plenary Group.


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## mw123

http://nwrail.transport.nsw.gov.au/









http://nwrail.transport.nsw.gov.au/

Interior pics

















http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/premier-mike-baird-reveals-north-west-rail-link-trains-will-run-every-four-minutes-in-peak-periods/story-fni0cx12-1227060177363


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## dimlys1994

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...parramatta-light-rail-routes-shortlisted.html
> 
> *Four Parramatta light rail routes shortlisted*
> 27 Oct 2014
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AUSTRALIA: New South Wales Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian and Parramatta MP Geoff Lee announced the shortlist for the Parramatta light rail route in western Sydney on October 27.
> 
> The NSW government announced 10 corridors in June, and has now shortlisted four of these for detailed engineering, transport planning and passenger analysis studies:
> 
> Parramatta – Carlingford – Macquarie Park;
> Parramatta – Old Northern Road – Castle Hill;
> Parramatta – Bankstown;
> Parramatta – Sydney Olympic Park and Strathfield/Burwood
> According to Berejiklian, A$400m has been set aside from the 2014-15 NSW budget to ‘accelerate the work’.


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## mw123

South West Rail Link to run as a shuttle service.








First test trains hit the tracks on South West Rail Link

Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian today announced the new South West Rail Link is one step closer to opening, with train testing and staff training now underway, ahead of Sydney Trains services starting early next year.

Ms Berejiklian said from day one the South West Rail Link will operate services to the Liverpool CBD, stopping at Leppington, Edmondson Park and Glenfield stations, with services to be fully integrated into the Sydney Trains timetable in the future.

Initially trains will run every 30 minutes, with the journey taking around 15 minutes in each direction between Leppington and Liverpool.

Trains will connect customers with the T5 Cumberland Line, T2 South Line and T2 Airport Line at Glenfield, and the T2 South Line, T3 Bankstown Line and T5 Cumberland Line at Liverpool.

The first service on the SWRL will depart Leppington Station at 5.06am each day, and the last service from Liverpool will depart at 11.58pm, so local residents will have trains available throughout the day and night.
_Transport for NSW_


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## mw123

Cherrybrook Station excavation timelapse.


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## nameless dude

Just found this youtube channel with some amazing drivelapse videos of all over the Sydney Trains network. Here's a few:


Starts at Berowra way out in Sydney's northern fringes and travels south eventually reaching the CBD:







Penrith in the western fringes to the CBD then makes its way north to Epping via the Epping-Chatswood link:







Epping to the CBD via Strathfield in the inner west







Bondi Junction in the eastern suburbs to Hurstville in the south:







And heaps more:
https://www.youtube.com/user/cuboz1/videos


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## Svartmetall

^^ One thing that I noticed are the number of signal delays (take a look at the last video there). There are a LOT of pauses for red signals after the Eastern Suburbs section. I guess that is one of the problems with such a complex system.


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## mw123

North West Rail Link | Cherrybrook Station










https://transportsydney.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/2014-11-09-cherrybrook.jpg


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## mw123

Sydney Museum Station by Shin.Shin, on Flickr


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## mw123

Italian PM visits NWRL construction site










NSW Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Mike Baird and Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian today joined Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to inspect major construction work on the North West Rail Link’s landmark skytrain and Kellyville Station.

Mr Baird and Ms Berejiklian also welcomed Italian Ambassador to Australia, Pier Francesco Zazo, to the Kellyville construction site where Italian-based consortium Salini Impregilo is building the $340 million skytrain. 

Mr Baird said it was great to see work well underway on the skytrain project, which is already supporting more than 170 local jobs, with another 75 workers to be recruited as construction ramps up over the coming months

_ Read more | Transport for NSW_


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## mw123

North West Rail Link: 35m of concrete-lined tunnel being built every day

JIM O’ROURKE 
The Daily Telegraph
November 19, 2014 11:41AM

On its journey east from the Bella Vista station construction site on the $8.3 billion North West Rail Link, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) has just passed deep under Woolworth’s national corporate headquarters.

The Daily Telegraph was given unprecedented access to the tunnelling project and able to photograph the French-made TBM named “Elizabeth”, and its crew, as it chewed through the rock 1.09km from the tunnel entrance at Bella Vista. 










































_The Daily Telegraph_


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## mw123

New Ferries for Sydney Harbour.


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## Suburbanist

Does Sydney have long-term plans for new monorail lines? It used to be part of a select club of very modern places with monorails, but no more.


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## dimlys1994

Suburbanist said:


> Does Sydney have long-term plans for new monorail lines? It used to be part of a select club of very modern places with monorails, but no more.


Because of monorail failure in Sydney, city will forget about this type of transport for a very long time


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## mw123

Suburbanist said:


> Does Sydney have long-term plans for new monorail lines? It used to be part of a select club of very modern places with monorails, but no more.


Definitely not. The old one was unfortunately useless for various reasons and thus left a bad impression on Sydneysiders. Light rail seems to be the new way in the inner city.


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## dimlys1994

Brand new Shellharbour Junction station, opened on 22 November and replaced Dunmore station. Photos from Wikipedia:
http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/med...harbour-junction-station-ready-open-customers


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## dimlys1994

Official from Transport for NSW:



> http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/opal-go-live-light-rail-months-ahead-schedule
> 
> *Opal to go live on light rail months ahead of schedule*
> 24 Nov 2014
> 
> Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian today announced customers will be able to use their Opal card to tap onto Sydney Light Rail services from next Monday 1 December – a number of months ahead of the planned start date of early 2015.
> 
> More than 1.4 million Opal cards have now been issued and thanks to Opal’s daily travel caps and free weekly travel rewards, customers have clocked up more than 20 million free trips on trains, buses and Sydney Ferries’ services.
> 
> Ms Berejiklian said Opal electronic ticketing is transforming public transport in NSW and now thousands more customers will be able to take advantage of modern and convenient travel when Opal rolls out to light rail.
> 
> “From next week light rail customers will be able to tap on and tap off services from 23 stops between Dulwich Hill and Central and interchange seamlessly with trains, ferries and buses,” Ms Berejiklian said
> 
> ...


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## ajw373

dimlys1994 said:


> Because of monorail failure in Sydney, city will forget about this type of transport for a very long time


The monorail was far from a failure. It did exactly what it was designed to do for 25 years. 

What killed it was it needed upgrading, and being so proprietary to do so would mean almost complete replacement. Secondly it was taking up land at the back of the convention centre that the government felt would provide a better return to the state if they sold it. Which they promptly did after tearing it down.


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## ajw373

mw123 said:


> Definitely not. The old one was unfortunately useless for various reasons and thus left a bad impression on Sydneysiders. Light rail seems to be the new way in the inner city.


As mentioned above the monorail did what it was designed to do for a good 25 years.

But do agree that as a form of public transport over distance it is far from a solution, that is where light rail, metro and heavy rail start to come into play.


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## mw123

ajw373 said:


> The monorail was far from a failure. It did exactly what it was designed to do for 25 years.
> 
> What killed it was it needed upgrading, and being so proprietary to do so would mean almost complete replacement. Secondly it was taking up land at the back of the convention centre that the government felt would provide a better return to the state if they sold it. Which they promptly did after tearing it down.


You seem to know a few things about the monorail. Do you know if it was profitable or had reasonable patronage figures? I was under the impression that it was mostly empty and used by only a couple of tourists. It sure was a nice ride and I would have recommended to most tourists visiting Sydney.


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## Svartmetall

ajw373 said:


> As mentioned above the monorail did what it was designed to do for a good 25 years.
> 
> But do agree that as a form of public transport over distance it is far from a solution, that is where light rail, metro and heavy rail start to come into play.


Here is where I disagree with you. Take a look at the Osaka monorail - operates as a "connector" line across northern "suburban" Osaka. It's 28km long. It carries 38.72 million people (when it first opened it carried only 4.69 million people in 1990). Ridership has grown nearly every year. There are other examples in Japan of very successful monorail systems. A monorail system has also been used as a metro in Chongqing in China, and the new line 3 for Daegu is a monorail line in South Korea. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with monorails at all, and they can operate as rapid transit or over long distances as their riderships in Asia attest. 

I still disagree with you that there was nothing wrong with the Sydney monorail.


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## ajw373

mw123 said:


> You seem to know a few things about the monorail. Do you know if it was profitable or had reasonable patronage figures? I was under the impression that it was mostly empty and used by only a couple of tourists. It sure was a nice ride and I would have recommended to most tourists visiting Sydney.


For most of it's life it was a privately owned system, so gather it did make a profit or it's private owners were happy with any loss. The only reason the government brought it was to shut it down for the redevelopment of the convention centre. No secret or conspiracy theories on the last point, a well publicised fact.

As for it being empty, most of the time the opposite was true, but it was mostly tourists, which is not a surprise as it linked the city to a tourist destination. So as I said it did what it was designed to do. As a form of public transport, well it was never really meant to be one, other than tourists the only other use would be linking the Darling Harbour carparks to the city.


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## dimlys1994

^^Congratulations Sydney on new rail extension:cheers:


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## mw123

South West Rail Link Opening


Leppington-Station_East-from-Dickson-Road_South-West-Rail-Link_08-06-2014_IMG_01034 by chrisadowns, on Flickr


South West Rail Link SWRL Leppington Station Pre Opening by boxythingy, on Flickr


South West Rail Link SWRL Leppington Station Pre Opening by boxythingy, on Flickr


South West Rail Link SWRL Leppington Station Pre Opening by boxythingy, on Flickr


South West Rail Link SWRL Leppington Station Pre Opening by boxythingy, on Flickr


Leppington Station 20150208_072305 by BeauGiles, on Flickr


South West Rail Link SWRL Leppington Station Pre Opening by boxythingy, on Flickr


South West Rail Link SWRL Leppington Station Pre Opening by boxythingy, on Flickr


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## mw123

South West Rail Link SWRL Leppington Station Pre Opening by boxythingy, on Flickr


Leppington Station 20150208_082059 by BeauGiles, on Flickr


Leppington Station 20150208_082116 by BeauGiles, on Flickr


South West Rail Link SWRL Leppington Station Pre Opening by boxythingy, on Flickr


----------



## mw123




----------



## mw123

New Ticket Barriers


----------



## mw123

New Opal Card top up machines.










Opal top-up machines will be progressively rolled out to train stations, ferry wharves and light rail stops from early 2015, as the number of Opal cards issued reaches 1.5 million.

Testing will begin this week before the first machines start appearing on stations early next year.

Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said that close to 350 machines will be rolled out over the next 12 months, providing coverage for around 99 per cent of customers.

"With 1.5 million Opal cards now issued and the system live on all trains, buses, light rail and Sydney Ferries, the NSW Government could focus on making Opal even more convenient for transport customers," Ms Berejiklian said.

"We have always said Opal top-machines would be available during the rollout, and I am pleased testing will now get underway and customers will be able to top-up at stations, wharves and light rail stops from next year," Ms Berejiklian said.

Three different types of top-up machines will be available for customers. The first 100 machines to roll out will allow customers to top-up on the spot with a debit or credit card, the second type will include disposable tickets and the third will also accept cash.

Transport for NSW


----------



## city_thing

The new SWRL stations look really great. Sydney always builds stations really well.

Are there any plans to increase frequency on the line, or maybe connect it up to another line rather than having it terminate at Liverpool?


----------



## PeFe

According to people "in the know" (on Bus Australia Forum) it will be run as a shuttle line for 6 months to iron out any problems/issues, then it may be integrated as the end of the Airport line (so instead of Glenfield via Airport it will be Leppington via Airport) Speculation repeated as rumour........


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## mw123

Yeah they did the same thing with the Epping-Chatswood link too. I think they said they're also going to see where most of the passengers are going and then use that to decide which line to link up to. The airport line would make most sense given they are probably going to extend this to the new Western Sydney airport anyway.


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## kontaveit2012

Make this woman PM :lol:


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## mw123

South West Rail Link


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## ssiguy2

With all the massive parking lots and the huge area they require {ie not being a parking garage} I don't think these stations have TOD in mind.


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## city_thing

They're a long way out in the outer 'burbs. Although car parks could be just land banking for future construction.


----------



## dimlys1994

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...ydney-is-first-citadis-x05-tram-customer.html
> 
> *Sydney is first Citadis X05 tram customer*
> 25 Feb 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AUSTRALIA: The ALTRAC Light Rail consortium announced on February 25 that it had achieved financial close on the A$2·1bn PPP contract to build, operate and maintain Sydney’s CBD & South East Light Rail line.
> 
> ALTRAC Light Rail, then called Connecting Sydney, was selected as preferred bidder in October and signed the contract in December. The consortium comprises Transdev Sydney, Alstom Transport Australia, Acciona Infrastructure Australia and Capella Capital, in addition to three equity investors: John Laing, First State Super and Acciona Concesiones.
> 
> The 12 km route will connect Circular Quay, Central and Moore Park, where it will split into two branches serving Kingsford and the Prince of Wales Hospital at Randwick
> 
> ...


----------



## mw123

Sydney Ferries


Circular Quay Sydney by volvob12b, on Flickr


Ferry wharf @ Circular Quay by goranhas, on Flickr


Ferry arriving at Circular Quay by goranhas, on Flickr


4356 Sydney Ferries Lady Herron 07 June 2014 by paddington62, on Flickr


untitled shoot-7405.jpg by mornnb, on Flickr


Freshwater, The Heads, Sydney, NSW by dunedoo, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

Another major tunnelling milestone reached | North West Rail Link

Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian today joined local MPs at the new Norwest Station as the second massive North West Rail Link tunnel boring machine broke through after tunnelling more than 2 kilometres from Bella Vista.

"The Baird Government is wasting no time delivering this massive infrastructure project for the people of the North West," Ms Berejiklian said.

"Tunnelling started about six months ago and already we’re making great progress. All four 900 tonne tunnel boring machines are in the ground – ahead of schedule and $300 million under budget – and have dug more than 6 kilometres in total.

The station at Norwest is being built underground, with platforms about 20 metres beneath the surface of the booming Norwest Business Park. Key features of the new Norwest Station include:

-Modern platform screen doors;

-The latest security, air-conditioning and customer communication systems;

-4 bus bays, on both sides of Norwest Boulevard;

-taxi spaces;

-kiss-and-ride spaces on Brookhollow Avenue; and

-Parking and storage for 30 bicycles and

-Public plaza and retail space.

_Artist's impression of Norwest Station entrance:_









_http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/another-major-tunnelling-milestone-reached_


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## dimlys1994

^^Video about that:


----------



## mw123

Some screencaps from that video:

Screen Shot 2015-03-06 at 11.55.36 pm by MDRX1, on Flickr

Screen Shot 2015-03-06 at 11.55.59 pm by MDRX1, on Flickr

Screen Shot 2015-03-06 at 11.54.03 pm by MDRX1, on Flickr

Screen Shot 2015-03-06 at 11.55.07 pm by MDRX1, on Flickr


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## mw123

Early work begins on Sydney Rapid Transit (Second Harbour Rail Crossing)

NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance announced over coming weeks, geotechnical drilling will occur up to 70 metres below Sydney Harbour to help determine the best location for the new Sydney Rapid Transit railway tunnels...

This new rail crossing of Sydney Harbour is the key to increasing capacity on our rail network by 60 per cent – allowing us to move an extra 100,000 people every hour right across Sydney.”

About 30 boreholes will be drilled as part of the Sydney Rapid Transit geotechnical program, with roughly half of them beneath Sydney Harbour and the rest on land either side along the route.

On the harbour, a barge will be towed into position before its four legs are lowered to the seabed as much as 25 metres below the water surface, then pushed to firm ground on the Harbour floor.

The barge will be raised up two metres clear of the water surface to provide a platform unaffected by tides, currents or other water movements. 

Boring then starts with a diamond-tipped drill which takes core samples from depths up to 70m below the bottom of the harbour.

To monitor the barge’s interaction with the harbour floor, divers will also be used as an extra visual check, with a preparation dive already completed on Sydney Harbour.

When the drilling work under the harbour is finished, the holes will be filled with cement to create a permanent seal.

_Transport for NSW_


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## dimlys1994

^^Oh my god, at last!:cheers:


----------



## mw123

Image taken by forum member Sky_Is_The_Limit of geotechnical works for Sydney Metro in the CBD.

Sydney Metro by Sky_Is_The_Limit1, on Flickr


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## dimlys1994

Future Barangaroo metro station video:


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## mw123

^^ Very sensible decision imo. Here's some screenshots from the video.


Screen Shot 2015-06-23 at 4.41.24 pm by MDRX1, on Flickr


Screen Shot 2015-06-23 at 4.41.57 pm by MDRX1, on Flickr


Screen Shot 2015-06-23 at 4.37.34 pm by MDRX1, on Flickr


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## dimlys1994

mw123 said:


> ^^ Very sensible decision imo. Here's some screenshots from the video.


You mean good or bad decision?


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## mw123

dimlys1994 said:


> You mean good or bad decision?


Good decision. Up until now the Barangaroo station was only an option on the new line.


----------



## dimlys1994

And what choice is the best out of two route options - University of Sydney or Waterloo station?


----------



## dimlys1994

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...-from-new-south-wales-budget.html?channel=522
> 
> *Rail benefits from New South Wales budget*
> Tuesday, June 23, 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _THE New South Wales (NSW) state government has allocated funding for rail projects in its 2015-16 budget as part of its plan to increase infrastructure spending, with $A 38bn ($US 29.3bn) allocated over the next four years to roads and transport_
> 
> For rail, the 2015-16 budget includes $A 977m towards delivering the Sydney Metro Northwest project, with the fully-automated line due to open in the first half of 2019.
> $A 120m has been allocated towards the continuing CBD and South East light rail projects in Sydney, plus $A 19m to advance planning for the Western Sydney light rail line radiating from Parramatta
> 
> ...


----------



## mw123

dimlys1994 said:


> And what choice is the best out of two route options - University of Sydney or Waterloo station?


Most people are saying University of Sydney and I agree too.


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro | North West

*Showground Station* - has reached full excavation depth.








https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/10363391_1584711795149790_3447048894304979529_n.jpg?oh=4cdb3988656f1514590a2e01c7e1a37d&oe=561BE506&__gda__=1446145132_bbf2e34b8d2160e09e87522e9800dfde

*Castle Hill Station*








https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/1982232_1596406207313682_2093492230316809627_n.jpg?oh=6dd6bc47d8065056b80dc7459d3bc48f&oe=56295848&__gda__=1441161762_47d8369092299f477ee547e3fd90f6b1


----------



## mw123

South West Rail Link


----------



## |Businessman|

:cheers:


----------



## nameless dude

The state government has also in the 2015-16 budget allocated funds for a bus rapid transit line to the northern beaches from Sydney CBD to Mona Vale:

*Budget 2015: $42 million allocated for the Bus Rapid Transit System*


> THE State Government has allocated $42 million in the Budget to preparing the northern beaches for the Bus Rapid Transit System.
> 
> And another $42 million of Budget money has been earmarked for road upgrades to support the new Northern Beaches Hospital.
> 
> The funds are part of the $633 million, five-year Northern Beaches Transport Action Plan, announced by the Baird Government last year.
> 
> The plan promises road upgrades around the planned Northern Beaches Hospital, bus rapid transit, five new public transport interchanges and commuter carparks.
> 
> The bus works would be on strategic corridors and increase timetable reliability, according to budget papers.
> 
> The Bus Rapid Transit System would be characterised by a bus every five minutes, and run between the Sydney CBD and Mona Vale.
> 
> The BRT will use indented bus bays, and the new interchanges and carparks.[
> 
> The $42 million for road upgrades to support the Northern Beaches Hospital will go towards widening the Wakehurst Parkway and Warringah Rd and providing an underpass at the busy intersection.
> 
> The works are due in 2018 when the hospital opens.
> 
> The $42 million could be supplemented by an additional $78 million from Restart NSW, pending business case approval, according to budget papers.
> 
> State Liberal MP for Davidson Jonathan O’Dea said the upgrading work would benefit everyone.
> 
> “The hospital is the catalyst for major new road works, which will bring far reaching benefits to northern Sydney motorists,” he said.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...d-transit-system/story-fngr8hax-1227411534112


----------



## mw123

Some photos of the current 'T-Way' bus rapid transit that operates in the Western Suburbs. It's operates in an area that is low density and has considerable sprawl.


Bus_Stop_01 by Ian B, on Flickr


North-West T-way Constitution Hill by Bren Barnes, on Flickr


North-West T-way Old Windsor Road by Bren Barnes, on Flickr


North-West T-way Constitution Hill Signage by Bren Barnes, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

New departure boards and information centre at Central Station.


----------



## mw123

Sydney Trains 











4 trains, 1 photo by Peter Reading, on Flickr


Central Station by Zhu, on Flickr


Untitled by VirtualWolf, on Flickr


Sydney Harbour Bridge by Atsushi Kase, on Flickr


2015_02_11_SydneyTrainsM25EdmondsonPark by Dean Jones, on Flickr


Museum Station, Sydney by enjosmith, on Flickr
​


----------



## koresh

*Campbelltown and Emu Plains Trains*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krQOvDVeLEw


----------



## dimlys1994

From Rail Journal:



> http://www.railjournal.com/index.ph...-nsw-inter-city-emu-contract.html?channel=541
> 
> *Four to bid for NSW inter-city EMU contract*
> Friday, July 10, 2015
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _NEW South Wales (NSW) state minister for transport and infrastructure Mr Andrew Constance confirmed on July 9 that four suppliers have been shortlisted to bid for a contract to supply 65 eight-car inter-city EMUs_
> 
> The trains will be delivered between 2019 and 2024 for use on NSW TrainLink services from Sydney to the South Coast, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Newcastle. The introduction of the new fleet will enable the withdrawal of V-Set trains and redeployment of the more modern Oscar EMUs on the Sydney Trains suburban network, replacing other life-expired rolling stock
> 
> ...


----------



## kontaveit2012

I hope they choose USyd for personal reasons, as I think it will open up Broadway a lot more. But Waterloo is probably better from a residents perspective. 

I am sorry if this has already been stated, but will they build entirely new track from Chatswood to Artarmon before it moves off to Victoria Square, or will it be on the existing tracks?


----------



## dimlys1994

Several Sydney metro videos:


----------



## SurfRail

kontaveit2012 said:


> I hope they choose USyd for personal reasons, as I think it will open up Broadway a lot more. But Waterloo is probably better from a residents perspective.
> 
> I am sorry if this has already been stated, but will they build entirely new track from Chatswood to Artarmon before it moves off to Victoria Square, or will it be on the existing tracks?


New track, new corridor.


----------



## koresh

*Suburban NSWTrain : Tangara *

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvnyDvjZajU


----------



## mw123

Light Rail | Western Sydney Olympic Park and Carlingford Lines announced

Western Sydney’s light rail network will connect Parramatta’s CBD to the key hubs of Sydney Olympic Park, Westmead Hospital, Western Sydney University and Strathfield.

NSW Premier Mike Baird, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance and Minister for Planning Rob Stokes today unveiled the preferred route for the Parramatta Light Rail project, which will kick-start revitalisation and jobs growth along a 22-kilometre corridor.

The spine of the preferred route runs from Westmead to Strathfield via Parramatta CBD, and incorporating Camellia and Sydney Olympic Park.

A light rail line will also branch to Carlingford, replacing the existing heavy rail shuttle.

_Transport for New South Wales_


----------



## mw123




----------



## mw123

Sydney Trains | Direct journeys to the city and peak services double on the South West Rail Link

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance has today announced the integration of the South West Rail Link with the Sydney Trains network, meaning there’ll be direct journeys to the city and twice as many services in the peak.

Customers can now catch a train every 15 minutes, instead of every 30 minutes in the peak, with the line becoming part of the T2 Inner West and South Line, travelling to the city via Granville.

It is anticipated the peak 15 minute frequency will remain in place for most of the day. Some low-demand services in the off-peak will continue to run every 30 minutes to Glenfield and Liverpool.

_Transport for NSW_


South West Rail Link SWRL Leppington Station Pre Opening by boxythingy, on Flickr


South West Rail Link opening. by Tim, on Flickr


Leppington Station, 9 Feb 15 by Adriano 440, on Flickr


----------



## linum

*A new train station for the Sydney metro line will be built at Waterloo in the city's south, dashing the ambitions of Sydney University and requiring thousands of public housing tenants to shift temporarily.*

Unveiling the site for the new station, Premier Mike Baird released concept plans on Wednesday for an extra 10,000 homes – many of which will be units in high-rise apartment buildings – to be built over the next two decades near the new train station at Waterloo. 
The entire area earmarked for redevelopment comprises 40 hectares, and includes the 13ha Waterloo housing estate where 4000 social housing tenants live in blocks between Wellington and Phillip streets. 
The housing estate comprises two 30-storey towers – named Turanga and Matavai – four 16-storey buildings, and a large number of two and three-storey blocks owned by the state's Land and Housing Corporation. All of these buildings that date back to the 1950s will eventually face the wrecking ball.


Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/waterloo-...in-station-20151215-gloiu2.html#ixzz3uSMC0e4g 
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook


----------



## linum




----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro | Waterloo Station




























_http://www.centraltoeveleigh.com.au/precincts/waterloo-estate_


----------



## mw123

Sydney Trains


Redfern (Underground) - Two by Matthew Crompton, on Flickr


Escalators by Nathan Murphy, on Flickr


Changing lines at night by Andrew Reilly, on Flickr


A34 by Bingley Hall, on Flickr


city bound by Ian Riley, on Flickr


Cheltenham by highplains68, on Flickr


North_Ryde_Double_Up_01B by Ian B, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro Northwest | Tunnels 97 per cent complete

A third Sydney Metro Northwest tunnel boring machine (TBM) has now finished work on Australia’s longest railway tunnels, which are now 97 per cent complete. 

TBM1 Elizabeth arrived at Cherrybrook in a rare night-time breakthrough on December 1, ending her role in building the twin 15 km metro tunnels from Bella Vista to Epping. 

More than 29 km of the 30 km tunnelling task is now complete. The only remaining mega machine, TBM2 Florence, has about 850 m left to dig and is also on its way to Cherrybrook.



















_Sydney Metro Northwest_


----------



## mw123

CBD & SE Light Rail

Renders of the new Alstom light rail vehicles that will be on this route.


----------



## Svartmetall

^^ Will be interesting to see what it's like in Sydney these days. First time I've been there in 10 years and I touch down in a few days.


----------



## mw123

Svartmetall said:


> ^^ Will be interesting to see what it's like in Sydney these days. First time I've been there in 10 years and I touch down in a few days.


Come back in 2019 when the metro and cbd light rail opens. :lol: Hope you enjoy your stay here and if you need any advice, feel free to ask.


----------



## mw123

IMG_9400-Sydenham by Jian Kuang, on Flickr


Kings Cross Station by Luke Reynolds, on Flickr


T6 by Clair D, on Flickr


Basement by Paul Huynh, on Flickr


Friday Night Lights by Luke Reynolds, on Flickr


Sydney Museum Station by Shin.Shin, on Flickr


Sydney Town Hall station at Busy time by Shirl, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

Mega borer Elizabeth resurfaces on Sydney Metro Northwest

The third Sydney Metro Northwest tunnel boring machine to finish tunnelling has been pulled out of the ground in a precision operation.

Tunnel Boring Machine 1 Elizabeth recently finished her journey at Cherrybrook after digging 9km of Australia’s longest railway tunnels.

Its massive 105-tonne cutter-head has been lifted 10m to the surface using a 600 tonne crane.

Tunnelling is now 99 per cent complete with only one mega tunnelling machine, TBM2 Florence, remaining underground with less than 500m of tunnelling to go.

_Transport for NSW_


----------



## Vaud

mw123 said:


> Kings Cross Station by Luke Reynolds, on Flickr


What's the "nightsafe area"?


----------



## rakcancer

Night safe area is in the middle of the train. As I remember the rest of the train is closed for passengers at night?


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## mw123

Vaud said:


> What's the "nightsafe area"?


I think it's just an area which tends to be more brightly lit, has more intense CCTV coverage and is also near where the train guard's compartment is located. 



rakcancer said:


> As I remember the rest of the train is closed for passengers at night?


Never seen that before. It may have been done a while ago.


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro Northwest | Tunneling now complete


----------



## nameless dude

*T1 Northern Line - Hornsby to Town Hall via Epping-Chatswood link*






Real time version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVxkyN4uSTE


----------



## mw123

NSW Trainlink Intercity | More seats, extra carriages for Central Coast and Newcastle train customers

The NSW Government will double capacity on a number of Central Coast and Newcastle train services, delivering 3,000 extra seats for customers during the week.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said select services between Hamilton, Gosford, Wyong and Central will be boosted from four to eight-carriage Oscars.

_Transport for NSW_


Dashing Spark by Nathan Murphy, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro | New metro station prototypes unveiled in North West

Here’s the first look at Sydney’s new state-of-the-art metro railway stations. Two life-size station models, an underground station and above-ground concourse, have been built for official testing in the North West.

Key customer features showcased by the prototypes include:

- Sample platform screen doors at the underground station, showing how this Australian-first safety feature keeps people and objects away from the tracks, also allowing trains to get in and out of stations much faster;

- Working Opal gates and machines;

- Escalators and lifts, station and platform security cameras, video help points, toilets, signage and wayfinding;

- Final finishes like paving, 100 per cent LED lighting and the distinctive energy efficient leaf-design of the above-ground station roofs.



























_
Sydney Metro North West_


----------



## mw123

Sydney's booming North West to get hundreds of extra bus services

Bus passengers in Sydney’s Hills District will soon benefit from a major boost to services, with more than 420 additional timetabled trips starting from Saturday 27 February.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said 428 additional weekly services aim to meet increased demand for customers travelling from Sydney’s west and northwest to key employment and education hubs.

_Transport for NSW_


Hillsbus CDi by James_Tan_, on Flickr


IMG_0443 by Jian Kuang, on Flickr


----------



## mw123




----------



## mw123

Sydney Trains | New Sydney Trains network control facility

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance today announced a new rail nerve centre will be built aimed at reducing train delays and provide faster information to customers.

The Sydney Trains Rail Operations Centre is a $276 million investment to be built at Green Square, ensuring all facets of the train network are controlled from a single location, with new technology to manage train movements and customer safety.

“This new centre will ultimately improve train reliability for customers and when there are delays, information will be communicated much more quickly,” Mr Constance said.

The Sydney Trains network control facility is set to open in 2018.



























_
Transport for NSW_


----------



## PeFe

Built at Green Square so that 90% of the employees can get the train to work?


----------



## mw123

CBD & South East Light Rail























































_My Sydney_


----------



## MrAronymous

Good design 👍


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro | Cudgegong Road Station Design Unveiled

The final design of the new Cudgegong Road Railway Station has been revealed. The station, to be built in a cutting, includes a distinctive leaf-shaped roof and has been sustainably designed including 100 per cent LED lighting.

Like all Sydney Metro stations, platform screen door technology will be used, keeping people and objects away from the tracks and allowing trains to get in and out of stations much faster.

The station includes:
- 1,000 commuter car parking spaces
- 6 bus spaces, 15 kiss-and-ride and 9 taxi spaces
- Parking and storage for 55 bicycles, and
- Two new streets between Tallawong and Cudgegong roads.



















_North West Rail | Sydney Metro_


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro | First section of skytrain over major road completed

The first section of the Sydney Metro Northwest skytrain to be built over a major road has been successfully completed.

In a precision operation carried out over five nights, 12 segments of the skytrain were lifted over Memorial Avenue at Kellyville. Each of the segments weighs about 84 tonnes and were lifted 11m into the air by the massive horizontal crane sitting above Memorial Avenue.

The segments were then attached and tensioned to form the deck of the skytrain, an elevated railway which will run 4km from Bella Vista to Rouse Hill.










_Sydney Metro Northwest_


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro | Future Options – Bankstown to Liverpool


----------



## mw123

Sydney Light Rail - 2114 by Capital SS, on Flickr


Light Rail | IMG_4610 by Xunliang Lin, on Flickr


CAF Light Rail Vehicle 2110 by my happy snapper, on Flickr


Sydney Light Rail - 2112 by Capital SS, on Flickr


CAF Light Rail Vehicle 2110 by my happy snapper, on Flickr


CAF Light Rail Vehicle 2109 by my happy snapper, on Flickr


Sydney Tram #2117 by damos photos, on Flickr


Through the sandstone cutting by Mark Evans, on Flickr


----------



## subbotazh

Sydney, CBD & South East Light Rail group on Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/groups/[email protected]/


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro Construction


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 7.2.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 13.3.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 13.3.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 13.3.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 13.3.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 13.3.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro | Interior


----------



## Svartmetall

Wow, they're really going full-on metro with this line. It looks good, but I can't help but feel it's a little misplaced given the kind of population density out there and all those longitudinal seats...


----------



## nameless dude

I believe it was always intended for the line to be 'future proof'. There's a lot of TOD being planned around the stations on the line (including here and here if you're interested, the first few apartments planned as part of those precincts are currently just beginning construction), so while the area is suburban now it'll change over the next 10-20 years. Also the trains will supposedly run faster than the typical metro (100-130km/h the last time I heard a few years ago), and the stations are further apart as well, even when the line eventually gets extended to the CBD, so I like to think of it as something more comparable to Hong Kong's Tung Chung and West Rail lines or San Francisco's BART.


----------



## city_thing

I think a lot of the patronage is going to come from feeder buses Svart. They're planning on running trains every 4 minutes, and the area surrounding the existing Chatswood to Epping line has a lot of density and is a very job rich area. Plus a private company is going to take control of an already existing line going through the south-west of the city eventually, so you'd want to hope the company is going to provide a decent service considering that they're taking it out of public hands. 

That area in the north-west apparently has terrible public transport and it takes residents hours to get into the city with the existing bus network. Not sure how accurate that is; one of the Sydney based forumers will have to fill us in.

This map is absolutely hideous too. It desperately needs to be re-done even though it's only a year or so old. 



>


----------



## Svartmetall

nameless dude said:


> I believe it was always intended for the line to be 'future proof'. There's a lot of TOD being planned around the stations on the line (including here and here if you're interested, the first apartments in a few of those precincts are currently just beginning construction), so while the area is sburuban now it'll change over the next 10-20 years. Also the trains will supposedly run faster than the typical 80km/h metro (100-130km/h the last time I heard a few years ago), and the stations are further apart as well, so generally I like to think of it as something more comparable to Hong Kong's Tung Chung and West Rail lines or San Francisco's BART.


Yeah, I remember there being a lot of work planned for the area, but it's just the length of the line and distance from the CBD that made me wonder about the choice of this kind of service. This line at 36km long from Cudgegong Rd to Chatswood (forgetting the the interchange to get to the city from Chatswood that adds on another 9.5km to Wynyard. That puts it at a length of a much larger city such as Tokyo where the longest line is only 30.8km long (Tozai line). Even the Chuo rapid is 43km to Shinjuku, and that's a very, very long line. Both of these lines see massive, massive transit utilisation to justify the longitudinal seating on lines that stretch into the suburbs. At 4min peak frequency on this line do you think this kind of rolling stock is justified even with the use of feeder buses to take people onto the trains?

I mean, the Stockholm tunnelbana gets a much higher utilisation than Cityrail at 328 million / year on a network only 100km long, yet there isn't longitudinal seating here. Munich U-bahn, again, much more used than Cityrail/Sydney Trains at 390 million on 103km of network, yet they are not totally longitudinal seating. Vienna U-bahn 439 million passengers on 78.5km of network yet they don't have total longitudinal seating on their metro stock... The level of utilisation on a tiny network, hinting at high passenger density, seems to suggest that total longitudinal seating isn't required.


----------



## mw123

If you're coming from an outer suburb, you're likely to get a seat even though longitudinal may not be ideal.

Also don't forget this line is going to continue through the CBD and serve North Sydney, Barangaroo, Wynyard, Pitt Street, Central and most importantly Waterloo (this station alone is planned to house 30,000 people). 

It will then take over the Bankstown line which is ripe for metro conversion and TOD. I'm guessing the majority of this line's patronage will come from these inner city trips.


----------



## Svartmetall

mw123 said:


> If you're coming from an outer suburb, you're likely to get a seat even though longitudinal may not be ideal.
> 
> Also don't forget this line is going to continue through the CBD and serve North Sydney, Barangaroo, Wynyard, Pitt Street, Central and most importantly Waterloo (this station alone is planned to house 30,000 people).
> 
> It will then take over the Bankstown line which is ripe for metro conversion and TOD. I'm guessing the majority of this line's patronage will come from these inner city trips.


Yeah, I read about the southern and CBD metro connecting up from Chatswood. But still, I don't quite see the demand being there for a 4 min service to have totally longitudinal when an incredibly busy transit system like the Vienna U-bahn doesn't have longitudinal seating, and actually has a lower frequency (and a much denser city). A mix of longitudinal and transverse seating would be good, but totally longitudinal seems overkill to me based on international experience. 

Still, the stock looks to be of good quality and I cannot wait to see the line open.


----------



## mw123

Also Epping, Chatswood, Macquarie Park and Macquarie University are significant trip generators themselves. Many people travelling from the hills work in this area and will alight before Chatswood. 

Similarly you are going to have a tonne of people interchanging at Epping coming from Hornsby, Strathfield and beyond. They already do this and the current trains can't keep up with the crowds entering and exiting during peak hour. I think a high capacity metro serves this purpose well.

This isn't going to be a simple commuter line with people piling on until it reaches the city in the morning. The train is going to be filling up and emptying out consistently as it moves along with multiple interchanges and cycles of passengers.



Svartmetall said:


> A mix of longitudinal and transverse seating would be good, but totally longitudinal seems overkill to me based on international experience.


You're probably right here to be honest. I suppose given the failures of past projects to provide enough capacity and efficiency, they've decided to err on the side of caution this time and provide an 'overcapacity' line for once. This will be the _main line_ through the CBD once it is extended and I'm sure that patronage will be at levels Sydney has never seen before thus the need to 'future proof'.


----------



## Svartmetall

mw123 said:


> Also Epping, Chatswood, Macquarie Park and Macquarie University are significant trip generators themselves. Many people travelling from the hills work in this area and will alight before Chatswood.
> 
> Similarly you are going to have a tonne of people interchanging at Epping coming from Hornsby, Strathfield and beyond. They already do this and the current trains can't keep up with the crowds entering and exiting during peak hour. I think a high capacity metro serves this purpose well.
> 
> This isn't going to be a simple commuter line with people piling on until it reaches the city in the morning. The train is going to be filling up and emptying out consistently as it moves along with multiple interchanges and cycles of passengers.


Yeah I know, which is why I compared it to three metro systems in Europe which are of course always used, not just for peak travel - especially Vienna. Heck, even Paris has transverse seating on its metro, and that is a very, very crowded system. They still manage to balance capacity and comfort for longer journeys. These cities all have multiple nodes that are trip generators and the travel is less centrally-focused in many cases compared to Sydney. 



mw123 said:


> You're probably right here to be honest. I suppose given the failures of past projects to provide enough capacity and efficiency, they've decided to err on the side of caution this time and provide an 'overcapacity' line for once.


Perhaps, but it does seem to be a bit of overkill. Not meaning to be too critical here as a foreigner.


----------



## nameless dude

Svartmetall said:


> Yeah, I remember there being a lot of work planned for the area, but it's just the length of the line and distance from the CBD that made me wonder about the choice of this kind of service. This line at 36km long from Cudgegong Rd to Chatswood (forgetting the the interchange to get to the city from Chatswood that adds on another 9.5km to Wynyard. That puts it at a length of a much larger city such as Tokyo where the longest line is only 30.8km long (Tozai line). Even the Chuo rapid is 43km to Shinjuku, and that's a very, very long line. Both of these lines see massive, massive transit utilisation to justify the longitudinal seating on lines that stretch into the suburbs. At 4min peak frequency on this line do you think this kind of rolling stock is justified even with the use of feeder buses to take people onto the trains?
> 
> I mean, the Stockholm tunnelbana gets a much higher utilisation than Cityrail at 328 million / year on a network only 100km long, yet there isn't longitudinal seating here. Munich U-bahn, again, much more used than Cityrail/Sydney Trains at 390 million on 103km of network, yet they are not totally longitudinal seating. Vienna U-bahn 439 million passengers on 78.5km of network yet they don't have total longitudinal seating on their metro stock... The level of utilisation on a tiny network, hinting at high passenger density, seems to suggest that total longitudinal seating isn't required.


Well when the line is eventually extended to the CBD there'll be 15 stations from Cudgegong Road to the first CBD station, and some metro lines already have more stations than that. San Francisco's BART has lines which are almost 90km. Again this line is geared more towards longer distances than the typical inner city metro, so I think the important thing is travel times. Currently a bus trip from the outer north west to the CBD can take almost 2 hours during the peaks with the traffic. This line will apparently take 55 minutes from Rouse Hill to Wynyard, but I'll guess about 10 mins will be shaved off that time once the CBD extension opens. If that's the case then I think it'll be fairly decent considering the distance. Keep in mind though this line runs through two major employment hubs, two large shopping centres and a university, and iirc it's expected that a third of all passengers will be getting off before Chatswood.

From personal experience the Epping-Chatswood link seems pretty well patronised for Sydney Trains standards as it currently is with 8 carriage double decks running every 6-9 mins in one direction during peak hours, so with the extra people coming from the north west and the continued growth in the area both before and after the line opening it'll be interesting to see how filled the trains are as 6 carriage single decks running every 4 mins.

I recall reading somewhere they figured out that they lose only a fairly small number of seats in a longitudinal arrangement vs transverse, but get extra standing capacity so obviously they decided to go with that. Though admittedly I too would have liked to see some transverse mixed in as the early renders suggested. I also would have liked it if the seats were more ergonomically designed and padded throughout (not just a pad on top of plastic) given the longer travel times on this line. It's not the final design though, it's just a mock up so perhaps a few small things can change.

I'm not the most familiar with the line though. If you head over to the ozscrapers transport section you'll find that the talk about all this has been _endless_.


----------



## Svartmetall

Okay, I'll take a look over there. I tend not to go there as often these days as a few characters are... Sometimes problematic. 

Would be good to see absolute numbers in terms of passenger utilisation on the Epping/Chatswood link, as then I really could do direct comparisons to the systems I named above with their transverse seating.


----------



## nameless dude

All patronage info with Sydney Trains:

http://www.bts.nsw.gov.au/Statistics/Rail/default.aspx?FolderID=223

The 'visualise data' tab might be handy.

I'm not sure about the systems you mentioned but keep in mind that Sydney Trains takes its patronage data primarily from ticket issues and station entries/exits, and not boardings/alightings from trains.


Also the government did this little demand by 2021 forecasting report back in 2014. See page 10 for the NWRL:

http://www.smh.com.au/cqstatic/13fgec/2019patronage.pdf


----------



## Svartmetall

^^ It's very similar in Stockholm and every metro station has barriers. Line interchanges do not involve passing through barriers. Vienna and Munich are actually honour systems and so many people don't even stamp or validate if they have passes. 

Like I said, I can only go by travel trends in Sydney at the moment and that is that Cityrail is not as utilised as those systems named, and that passenger density on those networks is much higher, yet they don't use this seating system. But I think this discussion could get very circular so I'll not harp on any more here. 

I will look through the data and reports though, so thanks for those! Will take me a while to get through it all. 

Anyway, sorry if I sounded too critical. I am just not a fan of longitudinal seating for the entire train as if demand is very "peak", then off-peak passengers will suffer simply because sitting sideways is not as comfortable as sitting in the direction of travel. Perhaps the solution seen in Japan with longitudinal seats that can be swung out to transverse seating to change the purpose of the train would be an even better solution.


----------



## nameless dude

Svartmetall said:


> Anyway, sorry if I sounded too critical. I am just not a fan of longitudinal seating for the entire train as if demand is very "peak", then off-peak passengers will suffer simply because sitting sideways is not as comfortable as sitting in the direction of travel.


Agreed, though the choice gets harder when it comes to sitting sideways or sitting backwards


----------



## Mr OC Benz

To put some spin into this discussion, over on the west side in Perth the majority of the urban rail fleet is made up of railcars with longitudinal seating with all new trains being fitted this way and existing railcars being modified. Primary reason is to fit more standing and increase overall capacity.

While the network very much looks suburban like Sydney, the trains do operate higher speeds (100-130km/h) and almost all stations have level access onto the trains. The government were going to procure a new generation fleet of trains which would have 4 doors per side per carriage and minimal seating to maximise capacity and allow short headways. Unfortunately due to the economic situation there, it is not happening (for now). In some ways it is ridiculous that in this metro style environment, they are expecting people travelling as far as 70kms (50 mins) on the train to stand. However I think Perth people consider it the norm now to stand anyway. So as long as they can manage the crowding, then they could get away with anything else. 

So it'll certainly be interesting to see what the situation will be in Sydney where I've noticed public transport users seem to be more disgruntled about change to the quality of service. Even though it will be dressed up as a metro system, whether the travel patterns will ressemble that of a metro system or not will be interesting. Geographically, the line certainly looks to ressemble more of a commuter line and unless significant developments pop up and are completed before the end of construction, it may still ressemble that for a few years yet. 

Australia certainly loves taking proven concepts from around the world and mix-mashing them to come up with something often completely odd. With the added touch that the idea often takes a couple of decades to arrive in Australia anyway.


----------



## nameless dude

Mr OC Benz said:


> Even though it will be dressed up as a metro system, whether the travel patterns will ressemble that of a metro system or not will be interesting. Geographically, the line certainly looks to ressemble more of a commuter line and unless significant developments pop up and are completed before the end of construction, it may still ressemble that for a few years yet.


This line has large employment, education and retail hubs along the entire length, so the travel pattern differs from a regular commuter line in that not all passengers are simply going to/from the CBD. You have large employment hubs at North Sydney, St Leonards, Chatswood and Macquarie Park and then there's Macquarie University and an interchange at Epping, and continuing along the north west once this metro opens you'll have Castle Hill and Norwest Business Park. Consequently, the line's actually pretty well patronised in both directions of travel during the peaks, not just the usual direction to/from the CBD.

Also I just noticed that a video I posted earlier shows this line during the afternoon peak so I'll post it here again (Epping-Chatswood link starts at 15:10): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVxkyN4uSTE

The video's going against the direction of travel of CBD commuters (ie going into the CBD rather than out of it during the evening), with trains coming every 6-9 mins from Epping to Chatswood, before the line merges with another line at Chatswood and becomes every 3 or so mins. I'm not sure when the video was taken but it was posted in January when some workers are still on holidays and the university semester hasn't yet started (but it would seem to be taken around that time given the apparent lack of the usual scores of uni students at Epping and Macquarie uni stations).

Other than that I agree with you. The station distancing seem to be comparable to the rest of the network so I think it'll be serving more or less the same purpose, only that it's redressed as a metro. Regarding development, notice my post #536 in this thread.


----------



## Svartmetall

To make up for my little rant about seating, here is one of my videos I took in Sydney back in January. This is Rhodes station on the Sydney Trains (former Cityrail) system. I have a lot more videos even covering the Epping-Chatswood rail link (which I took twice) and also Chatswood and Central Station. So more to come.


----------



## mw123

More Metro Northwest construction photos:


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 13.3.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 13.3.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 13.3.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 8.11.2015. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 13.3.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 13.3.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 13.3.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

Sydney -Mar2016 by QG Teo, on Flickr


The Manly Ferry by Alex Proimos, on Flickr


Bus Lane by Eric Fidler, on Flickr


Tram at Exhibition Centre stop Ultimo NSW 2016 (Aspect) by nicephotog, on Flickr


2016-02-05 Punchbowl 526 Mortdale by Dean Jones, on Flickr


IMG_0592 by Peter George, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

Wynyard Station Redevelopment





































_Transport for NSW Facebook_


----------



## Svartmetall

A couple more videos from my time in Sydney. 

First off we start at Martin Place. A major station on the Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line. 









Bondi Junction is well-known to tourists, normally because of the interchange to buses to Bondi Beach. Here is a tour of the bus station and the train station.


----------



## dimlys1994

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/...ey-harbour-metro-tunnel-tendering-begins.html
> 
> *Sydney Harbour metro tunnel tendering begins*
> 14 Apr 2016
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AUSTRALIA: The start of tendering for a contract to build a 15·5 km twin-bore metro tunnel from Chatswood to Sydenham running under Sydney Harbour and the city centre was announced by New South Wales Minister for Transport & Infrastructure Andrew Constance on April 13.
> 
> This is the most important civil works contracts for the 30 km Sydney Metro City & Southwest project. Constance told 450 representatives from 250 companies at an industry briefing that the government expects to award the contract in mid-2017, with five tunnel boring machines to begin work by the end of 2018. Opening is planned for 2024
> 
> ...


----------



## rakcancer

^^ What is a purpose and how it will be connected to the network? Is it intended to be replacement of tracks on Harbour Bridge?


----------



## nameless dude

^^







It's basically a new line which would divert some traffic to allow for capacity increases across the network. It'll be a standalone line so the existing tracks on the Harbour bridge are staying and will continue to be used.


----------



## rakcancer

Thanks for info. This is going to be very nice addition to railway network in Sydney. I am impressed how many tunnel projects have been finished or are in development since I left Sydney over 10 years ago. Both road - Sydney Harbour Tunnel with eastern distributor, Cross City Tunnel, West Link (M7) and rail - Airport link, Olympic Park link, Extension of light rail, Metro North West with Harbour tunnel... Very impressive!


----------



## mw123

Found this photo of Central Station on the Transport NSW facebook page.










_Transport NSW Facebook_


----------



## mw123

rakcancer said:


> Thanks for info. This is going to be very nice addition to railway network in Sydney. I am impressed how many tunnel projects have been finished or are in development since I left Sydney over 10 years ago. Both road - Sydney Harbour Tunnel with eastern distributor, Cross City Tunnel, West Link (M7) and rail - Airport link, Olympic Park link, Extension of light rail, Metro North West with Harbour tunnel... Very impressive!


Also Northconnex (M2 to M1 tunnel) and Westconnex (M4 to M5 tunnel) - which will be the second longest road tunnel in the world when completed. Finally Sydney is catching up on it's infrastructure backlog.


----------



## subbotazh

*High & mighty: double decker buses return to mainstream Sydney route service*

Double decker buses will soon become a common sight on Sydney’s streets once more after the New South Wales Government revealed it will commission a proper fleet of the high capacity vehicles to boost capacity on crowded runs as part of a $108 million service boost and refresh in the 2016-17 NSW Budget

Exact details on who will manufacture and how many of the new 80-seat beasts will be deployed are still to be finalised, but the firm commitment to reinstate double deckers into mainstream route service in Sydney cements major turnaround in public transport thinking 30-years after the last Leyland Atlantean made its from Wynyard to Avalon in May 1986.










Specifics for the 2016/17 Growth Bus Services Program

Western Sydney (including Hills District and South West)
More than 1,350 new weekly trips, including 5 new or extended routes.

New route 605 (North Kellyville to Rouse Hill Town Centre)
Extended route 751 (Marsden Park to Blacktown via Colebee)
Extended route T72 (Blacktown to Rouse Hill Town Centre via Alex Avenue)
Extended route T74 (Blacktown to Riverstone via Hambledon Road)
Extended route 783 (Penrith to Jordan Springs)

Enhanced services:

607X (Rouse Hill to City via M2)
610X/M61 (Rouse Hill and Castle Hill to City M2)
611 (Blacktown to Macquarie Park via M2)
615X (North Kellyville to City via M2)
619 (Rouse Hill to Macquarie Park via Kellyville and M2)
620X-621 (Castle Hill and Cherrybrook to Macquarie Park and City via M2)
700 (Blacktown to Parramatta via Prospect)
740 (Plumpton to Macquarie Park via M2)
841 (Narellan to Leppington)
T65 (Rouse Hill to Parramatta via Westmead)
T80 (Liverpool to Parramatta via Bonnyrigg)

Sydney Metropolitan
More than 1,950 new weekly trips, including 2 new routes.

New route 530 (Burwood to Chatswood via Five Dock, Hunters Hill and Lane Cove)
New route 985 (Miranda to Cronulla via Woolooware Shores)

Enhanced services on the following routes:

Various Northern Beaches routes between Mona Vale and the City
197 (Mona Vale to Macquarie Park via Terrey Hills)
270-274 (Frenchs Forest District to City)
343 (Kingsford to City)
370 (Leichhardt to Coogee)
433 (Balmain to Railway Square via Harold Park)
477 (Miranda to Rockdale via Sans Souci)
506 (Macquarie University and East Ryde to City via Hunters Hill)
518 (Macquarie University to City via Ryde)
M20 (Zetland to Wynyard via Central Station)
M41 (Burwood to Macquarie Park via Ryde)

New all-night services on the following routes:

301 (Zetland to City via Surry Hills) – seven days
438 (Abbotsford to City via Five Dock and Leichhardt) – Friday and Saturday only
607X (Rouse Hill to City via M2) – Friday and Saturday only

Lower Hunter – More than 170 new weekly trips, including 2 new or extended routes:

New route 178 (Anambah to Rutherford)
Extended routes 260 and 261 (Minmi and Fletcher to Jesmond and University)

Central Coast – 45 new weekly trips, including 1 extended route:

Extended route 40 (Gosford – Wyoming)
Enhanced services on routes 67 and 68 between Terrigal and Gosford
Enhanced services on route 33 between Gosford and Mangrove Mountain

Blue Mountains – More than 30 new weekly trips on route 686 between Katoomba, Echo Point and Scenic World

Illawarra – More than 240 new weekly trips, including 2 new or extended routes:

New route 75 (Tullimbar to Stockland Shellharbour)
Extended route 32 (Dapto to Brooks Reach)
Enhanced services on route 1 between Austinmer and Wollongong
Enhanced services on routes 31-33 between Wollongong and Dapto District
Enhanced services on route 34 between Warrawong and Wollongong


http://www.governmentnews.com.au/20...es-return-to-mainstream-sydney-route-service/


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro Northwest

The tunnelled section was finished 10 months early and is now ready to hand over for track laying and outfitting of stations.


----------



## subbotazh

*NSW State Budget 2016: $1b for new suburban trains for Sydney rail network*

More than $1 billion will be spent on new suburban trains for Sydney's overstretched rail network over the next four years, the first major purchase for Sydney Trains since the troubled Waratah project almost a decade ago.

The funding that the Baird government has earmarked for the new trains in Tuesday's state budget is aimed at helping the network cope with surging demand from commuters for services.

Patronage on Sydney Trains' network is growing at about 8 per cent a year.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-state...il-network-20160620-gpn80u.html#ixzz4CD89XV8l


----------



## subbotazh

*NSW Budget: Light rail budget boost as state steps up privatisation plans *



> ......And the Newcastle Herald can reveal the government has placed an order for six light rail trains from the same Spanish manufacturer that supplied the vehicles for Sydney’s Inner West light rail system....


http://www.theherald.com.au/story/3...-boost-as-state-steps-up-privatisation-plans/


----------



## Svartmetall

A quick tour of Sydney Central Railway Station. The station is the hub for all major lines of the Sydney Trains network (minus the Cumberland and Carlingford Lines).


----------



## boxe

Bike Cage access with Opal


----------



## mw123




----------



## mrsmartman

subbotazh said:


> *High & mighty: double decker buses return to mainstream Sydney route service*
> 
> Double decker buses will soon become a common sight on Sydney’s streets once more after the New South Wales Government revealed it will commission a proper fleet of the high capacity vehicles to boost capacity on crowded runs as part of a $108 million service boost and refresh in the 2016-17 NSW Budget
> 
> Exact details on who will manufacture and how many of the new 80-seat beasts will be deployed are still to be finalised, but the firm commitment to reinstate double deckers into mainstream route service in Sydney cements major turnaround in public transport thinking 30-years after the last Leyland Atlantean made its from Wynyard to Avalon in May 1986.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Specifics for the 2016/17 Growth Bus Services Program
> 
> Western Sydney (including Hills District and South West)
> More than 1,350 new weekly trips, including 5 new or extended routes.
> 
> New route 605 (North Kellyville to Rouse Hill Town Centre)
> Extended route 751 (Marsden Park to Blacktown via Colebee)
> Extended route T72 (Blacktown to Rouse Hill Town Centre via Alex Avenue)
> Extended route T74 (Blacktown to Riverstone via Hambledon Road)
> Extended route 783 (Penrith to Jordan Springs)
> 
> Enhanced services:
> 
> 607X (Rouse Hill to City via M2)
> 610X/M61 (Rouse Hill and Castle Hill to City M2)
> 611 (Blacktown to Macquarie Park via M2)
> 615X (North Kellyville to City via M2)
> 619 (Rouse Hill to Macquarie Park via Kellyville and M2)
> 620X-621 (Castle Hill and Cherrybrook to Macquarie Park and City via M2)
> 700 (Blacktown to Parramatta via Prospect)
> 740 (Plumpton to Macquarie Park via M2)
> 841 (Narellan to Leppington)
> T65 (Rouse Hill to Parramatta via Westmead)
> T80 (Liverpool to Parramatta via Bonnyrigg)
> 
> Sydney Metropolitan
> More than 1,950 new weekly trips, including 2 new routes.
> 
> New route 530 (Burwood to Chatswood via Five Dock, Hunters Hill and Lane Cove)
> New route 985 (Miranda to Cronulla via Woolooware Shores)
> 
> Enhanced services on the following routes:
> 
> Various Northern Beaches routes between Mona Vale and the City
> 197 (Mona Vale to Macquarie Park via Terrey Hills)
> 270-274 (Frenchs Forest District to City)
> 343 (Kingsford to City)
> 370 (Leichhardt to Coogee)
> 433 (Balmain to Railway Square via Harold Park)
> 477 (Miranda to Rockdale via Sans Souci)
> 506 (Macquarie University and East Ryde to City via Hunters Hill)
> 518 (Macquarie University to City via Ryde)
> M20 (Zetland to Wynyard via Central Station)
> M41 (Burwood to Macquarie Park via Ryde)
> 
> New all-night services on the following routes:
> 
> 301 (Zetland to City via Surry Hills) – seven days
> 438 (Abbotsford to City via Five Dock and Leichhardt) – Friday and Saturday only
> 607X (Rouse Hill to City via M2) – Friday and Saturday only
> 
> Lower Hunter – More than 170 new weekly trips, including 2 new or extended routes:
> 
> New route 178 (Anambah to Rutherford)
> Extended routes 260 and 261 (Minmi and Fletcher to Jesmond and University)
> 
> Central Coast – 45 new weekly trips, including 1 extended route:
> 
> Extended route 40 (Gosford – Wyoming)
> Enhanced services on routes 67 and 68 between Terrigal and Gosford
> Enhanced services on route 33 between Gosford and Mangrove Mountain
> 
> Blue Mountains – More than 30 new weekly trips on route 686 between Katoomba, Echo Point and Scenic World
> 
> Illawarra – More than 240 new weekly trips, including 2 new or extended routes:
> 
> New route 75 (Tullimbar to Stockland Shellharbour)
> Extended route 32 (Dapto to Brooks Reach)
> Enhanced services on route 1 between Austinmer and Wollongong
> Enhanced services on routes 31-33 between Wollongong and Dapto District
> Enhanced services on route 34 between Warrawong and Wollongong
> 
> 
> http://www.governmentnews.com.au/20...es-return-to-mainstream-sydney-route-service/


It is rare to see such axle configuration. The rear of the bus is supposed to be heavier.


----------



## dimlys1994

From Railway Gazette:



> http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/urban/single-view/view/caf-to-supply-newcastle-trams.html
> 
> *CAF to supply Newcastle trams*
> 28 Jun 2016
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _The planned 2·6 km tram line linking Wickham and Pacific Park is intended to replace the final section of the main line from Sydney to Newcastle_
> 
> AUSTRALIA: Transport for New South Wales has reached an agreement for CAF to supply six Urbos trams for the light rail line to be built in Newcastle. Delivery is planned for 2018. This builds on a previous order under which CAF supplied 12 trams to Sydney.
> 
> Announcing the agreement on June 28, CAF said the Urbos trams would ‘combine modern aesthetics with cutting-edge equipment and maximum accessibility without compromising comfort, performance and ease of operation, as well as maintenance’
> 
> ...


----------



## mw123

Central Station Sydney by TCL 1961, on Flickr


Burwood Station by Adriano 440, on Flickr


City Train by Cody Schwartz, on Flickr


2016 - Sydney - Central via Parramatta by Ted McGrath, on Flickr


Circular Quay_IMG_1873 by Bingley Hall, on Flickr


----------



## nameless dude

In addition to the current set of projects funded by the government, it looks some big plans from the private sector might also be looming on the horizon. They include:


A high speed rail line linking Sydney and Wollongong, with plans to eventually extend to Newcastle and Canberra.


A metro-style line from Central Station to Westmead via Olympic Park and Parramatta, eventually linking to the planned Western Sydney Airport.


North-south rail line linking Sydney's north-west to Western Line at St Marys, Bringelly, the South West Rail Link at Leppington and Campbelltown.


Full article:
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/fasttrain...new-sydney-rail-projects-20160624-gpqua1.html



> *Fast-train bonanza: big investors in race to build major new Sydney rail projects*


----------



## Svartmetall

I took a big tour of the Sydney Olympic Park on my last day in Sydney. The park still looks good even in 2016, and I was very impressed. It's probably the most used and useful Olympic park I've seen so far. The weather was also perfect as well.

Here is my tour of the Olympic park itself - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW6SdD8d1eQ 

Here is the Olympic Park station. 









The Olympic Park Line (T7) runs as a shuttle service most of the time, except on game days or event days, so you have to change at Lidcombe station. Here is a very quick tour of Lidcombe station.


----------



## ed24

Svartmetall said:


> I took a big tour of the Sydney Olympic Park on my last day in Sydney. The park still looks good even in 2016, and I was very impressed. It's probably the most used and useful Olympic park I've seen so far. The weather was also perfect as well.


Interesting you say that as the park is often criticised for being a white elephant here.


----------



## mw123

ed24 said:


> Interesting you say that as the park is often criticised for being a white elephant here.


I think at one point it was. The amount of development and utilisation has really taken off in the past 5 or so years.


----------



## Svartmetall

Exactly. Look at the nee developments in the area and I would say it's usefulness is really starting to show.


----------



## dimlys1994

New videos on Sydney metro:


----------



## Tågälskaren

*Timelapse footage shows Sydney’s Light Rail construction underway*

Construction workers have shown just how much work goes on behind the scenes in the construction of the new light rail from Sydney’s eastern suburbs to Circular Quay[...]


----------



## mw123




----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro Northwest 


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 6.6.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 26.6.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 26.6.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 26.6.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 26.6.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 26.6.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 6.6.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 26.6.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Metro North West Skytrain update. 26.6.2016. by Tim, on Flickr


----------



## Tågälskaren

^^
Whow! Brilliant update! Smashing pictures. They've made quite a progress, indeed.


----------



## prp002

Wynyard Station upgrade today


020 by prp002, on Flickr

New PIDS going in

019 by prp002, on Flickr


017 by prp002, on Flickr


016 by prp002, on Flickr


015 by prp002, on Flickr


013 by prp002, on Flickr


014 by prp002, on Flickr


----------



## prp002

And finally we bid an imminent goodbye to the old escalators that will be removed after the new Wynyard Walk tunnel is opened this month

story here: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/after-80-...escalators-face-the-chop-20160708-gq19io.html


018 by prp002, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

Wow, it's almost unrecognisable. Really sad to see the old escalators going though


----------



## prp002

The wynyard ramps are going and it will all be levelled with small escalators at the George Street end. The Menzies Hotel is being demolished and replaced


----------



## AtD

mw123 said:


> Wow, it's almost unrecognisable. Really sad to see the old escalators going though


I agree it's unfortunate but sadly the old wooden escalators don't meet modern standards. Apparently they'res semi-regular incidents with high heels and guide dogs.


----------



## AtD

prp002 said:


> small escalators at the George Street end


Six escalators across, with stairs in the middle! Short maybe, but not small. :cheers:


----------



## prp002

AtD said:


> Six escalators across, with stairs in the middle! Short maybe, but not small. :cheers:


well yes. small short escalators but lots of them 

Not much in the way of artiste's impressions.


----------



## Tågälskaren

*Harry Triguboff sees light rail extension in his $3 billion vision from above at Pagewood
*

AS SYDNEY’S apartment king’s biggest site acquisition begins to take shape at Pagewood, Meriton founder Harry Triguboff has joined the call for a light rail extension for the southeast’s booming southern suburbs[...]


----------



## CementC

*Central Station will be overhauled to fix our rotting Sydney rail hub*
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH SEPTEMBER 15



> SYDNEY’S Central Station is set for a massive overhaul to bring our run-down terminus into line with the world’s top stations, including Kings Cross in London and Grand Central Station in New York.
> 
> From today, Transport Minister Andrew Constance will approach the private sector and the general public, asking for proposals to turn the near-derelict station into a “world-class transport hub”.
> 
> “Today, we are kicking off consultation to revitalise Central and we want the public to come forward with ideas and to think big,” he said. Over the next 20 years, the number of people using the precinct every day is forecast to soar from 270,000 to 450,000.
> 
> Mr Constance said he wanted to “breathe new life” into the station, which has stood for 110 years.
> 
> The government says the overhaul will be a chance for the private sector to build their own retail and business space, taking advantage of the extra customers.
> 
> “Central is the key gateway to Sydney and we want to unlock its potential,” Mr Constance said.


http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/central-station-will-be-overhauled-to-fix-our-rotting-sydney-rail-hub/news-story/42754ef72d31d0a023763c6608727994


----------



## Short

A discussion paper on 11 potential routes from the CBD to Western Syndey and on to the new second airport for Sydney at Badgerys Creek. 6 routes from the airport site to Western Sydney centres such as Campbelltown, Parramatta and Liverpool. Another 5 routes cover from the those regional centres to the Sydney CBD.

The most expensive but desired route is costed at $26 Billion for a 160Kph high speed express route, allowing travel times of 23-30 minutes from the new airport to Sydney CBD and 15 minutes for Parramatta-CBD. It was proposed that a new property tax be raised to fund this, as a $20+ rail ticket to cover construction would discourage usage.

The least expensive route would be about $2 Billion for an extension of the South West Rail to the airport site, but this would see travel times of 90 minutes to 2 hours to the CBD. That is longer than most inter-capital domestic flight times, reducing the appeal of the second airport compared to the current Kingsford Smith Airport.

An earlier report from a regional chamber of commerce championed two rail links to the new airport, a high speed link east to the Sydney CBD with a north-south link from Campbelltown to interchange with the North West Metro.

http://www.westernsydneyrail.transport.nsw.gov.au/


----------



## mw123

Short said:


> The least expensive route would be about $2 Billion for an extension of the South West Rail to the airport site, but this would see travel times of 90 minutes to 2 hours to the CBD. That is longer than most inter-capital domestic flight times, reducing the appeal of the second airport compared to the current Kingsford Smith Airport.


It currently takes 60 minutes from Central to Leppington including a 6 minute transfer at Glenfield. 

So, if according to their proposals they hand over the existing airport line to Sydney Metro, this should allow an express service from Western Sydney Airport to Central via East Hills that would be much faster than 90minutes?


----------



## Short

mw123 said:


> It currently takes 60 minutes from Central to Leppington including a 6 minute transfer at Glenfield.
> 
> So, if according to their proposals they hand over the existing airport line to Sydney Metro, this should allow an express service from Western Sydney Airport to Central via East Hills that would be much faster than 90minutes?


There are difficulties in having express trains by any existing suburban rail line due to capacity issues, either by the East Hills line, North West Metro or via Parramatta. Thus the two separated sections of the report, from the airport to the current network and from there to the Sydney CBD.

I am sure that express services via the East Hills line would face issues with freight trains using that line, while remaining attractive because of the airport to airport potential service.

Unlike the express high speed line option on a whole new route, which is naturally the most expensive option.


----------



## prp002




----------



## mw123

Finally the new Barangaroo entrance to Wynyard Station is open - known as Wynyard Walk.


















By Barangaroo Delivery Authority









By John O'Callaghan









By Chris Roberts


----------



## prp002

*Walk on the Wynyard side:Sydney's new pedestrian tunnel opens to commuters*

Commuters lined up in droves in anticipation of the opening of Sydney's new Wynyard Walk on Tuesday, hoping to catch a glimpse of history as they snapped pictures on their phones.

And as soon as Premier Mike Baird and Transport Minister Andrew Constance had cut the ribbon, the crowd poured through the entrance of the 180-metre pedestrian tunnel linking Wynyard Station to Barangaroo.

About 23,000 workers are eventually expected to be based at the fast-growing precinct on the western edge of Sydney's CBD, while a further 30,000 people are forecast to visit each day.

For them, the new tunnel will halve the time it takes to walk from the train station to Barangaroo - it will take about six minutes. Four years in the making, the nine-metre wide tunnel can handle about 20,000 people an hour, and features escalators, stairs and lifts.










Mr Constance said the pedestrian tunnel would be the main artery between Barangaroo and the city's transport network.

"We are now looking at a modern-day retrofit of a station coupled with a beautiful tunnel," he said. "You don't have to cross roads or navigate steep inclines."










The tunnel opening comes as the first stage of a $160 million upgrade of Wynyard Station is completed. The station features extra ticket gates, a wider concourse and the removal of some shops to create more room for commuters.

Transport for NSW's program director for precincts and infrastructure, Pete Church, said the extra gates and more room enabled commuters to pass through the station quicker and had a calming effect during rush hour.










"This spreads the load and we can take the capacity quite easy now," he said. "It has a much more open feel about it."

Wynyard is the third busiest station in Sydney, and is expected to grow from about 75,000 commuters a day to up to 110,000 over the next seven years.










*Wynyard Walk will initially be opened from 5am to 9pm each day.* However, it will be extended to 24 hours a day once an entrance to Clarence Street from the walkway is completed later this year.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/walk-on-t...unnel-opens-to-commuters-20160920-grk8tr.html


----------



## prp002




----------



## prp002

today


009 by prp002, on Flickr


011 by prp002, on Flickr


----------



## subbotazh

Transport for NSW has released new artists impressions of the Eastern Distributor bridge between Moore Park West and Surry Hills.
Source: sydneylightrail.transport.nsw.gov.au/


CBD & South East Light Rail - Artist impression of the light rail Eastern Distributor bridge and Moore Park tunnel by John Cowper, on Flickr


CBD & South East Light Rail - Artist impression light rail Eastern Distributor bridge by John Cowper, on Flickr


----------



## MrAronymous

That's right, fence everything up. Who cares about sight lines anyway .


----------



## prp002

MrAronymous said:


> That's right, fence everything up. Who cares about sight lines anyway .


It's coming out of a tunnel and over Anzac parade. hno:hno:hno:


----------



## mw123

Untitled by Jeffrey Grenfell, on Flickr


Untitled by Jeffrey Grenfell, on Flickr


Untitled by Jeffrey Grenfell, on Flickr


DSC00022 by Damir Govorcin, on Flickr


Untitled by Jeffrey Grenfell, on Flickr


Sydney Trains "Waratah" A70 waits for time at Berowra station before departing for a service to Sydney via the Shore by Matthew Browne, on Flickr


Wynyard Station | Sydney Trains by Arni M, on Flickr


Wynyard Train Station by TKBonz, on Flickr


IMG_20161125_131410 by Neal Jennings, on Flickr


Central at dusk by Dominic Freeman, on Flickr


Wynyard walk by petar belobrajdic, on Flickr


Penrith station in the early evening. by Andrew Phelps, on Flickr


----------



## prp002

Better post this here myself before somebody steals it



_Here's a birds-eye view of the work we're undertaking along Alison Road at Kensington.

Along with constructing light rail track foundations, we've also been working to increase the height of the Kensington Ponds dam wall to reduce instances of overflowing.

Strengthening the embankment will improve drainage on Alison Road & help to protect local properties during floods._


----------



## mw123

prp002 said:


> Better post this here myself before somebody steals it


Oh those are your unsourced photos are they? Looks like you stole them from a certain facebook page without any link or reference.


----------



## prp002

mw123 said:


> Oh those are your unsourced photos are they? Looks like you stole them from a certain facebook page without any link or reference.


You made no such complaint about my earlier pictorial post that you copy/pasted.

Mister Pot.


----------



## prp002

Transport for NSW today unveiled the potential names for the 19 stops which span from Circular Quay all the way to Kingsford and Randwick.

While intuitive names matching train station locations, such as Central, Town Hall and Wynyard, are on the list, newer ones are on the cards.

Metropolitan is the potential name for the second stop on the city route, with Grand Concourse for the stop outside Central station, Wansey Cottage on the Randwick line and Nine Ways at the end of the Kingsford line also being considered.

The names will be taken to councils, businesses and other key stakeholders for consultation next week before Transport for NSW presents the preferred stop name list to the Geographical Names Board.


































































































































































































































































http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...k=e55e264b7dc1122af40374a8fd83dcad-1489481515


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## AtD

The battle has begun for the air rights above the new metro stations. One of the big financial firms is drooling at one of the sites. The sales pitch sucking-up is cringe-worthy, but the plan is STUNNING
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1919652&page=7


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## prp002

Good pr staff are hard to find. Notice no opal barriers and people standing in the middle of the escalators and women without handbags


----------



## prp002

Multilevel Town Hall Station


006 by prp002, on Flickr


----------



## mw123




----------



## Brunarino

Hegemonic said:


> Not one Asian or Arab in those renders, whoever made them clearly hasn't been to Sydney or their render package hasn't been updated since the 1980s.


let us dreaming there were no asians and muslims in Sydney, at least in renders....


----------



## dimlys1994

From Metro Report

http://www.metro-report.com/news/light-rail/single-view/view/first-citadis-x05-tram-rolled-out.html

*First Citadis X05 tram rolled out*
24 May 2017




























AUSTRALIA: The first of 60 Citadis X05 trams that Alstom is supplying to operate on the CBD & South East Light Rail line in Sydney has been rolled out, and is due to arrive in Sydney later this year.

A consortium including Alstom signed a A$2·1bn PPP contract to build, operate and maintain the light rail line in late 2014, with financial close taking place early the following year. The ALTRAC Light Rail consortium also includes Transdev Sydney, Acciona Infrastructure Australia and Capella Capital, in addition to three equity investors: John Laing, First State Super and Acciona Concesiones. The line is due to open in 2019

...


----------



## dimlys1994

From Daily Telegraph

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...g/news-story/11ffa4242b1cb34731507c81f202c8ab

*Sydney Metro: Underground work to start on twin Harbour tunnels within 18 months*
June 22, 2017 9:48am



















TUNNELLING work on twin train tracks under Sydney Harbour will begin within 18 months, after the state government announced it has signed the $2.81b contract for Sydney Metro Stage 2.

However the final cost of the tunnelling to provide Sydney with it’s second Harbour rail crossing and overall Metro rail line may increase because there are so many moving parts to the massive project

...


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## prp002

yes thats been covered in the metro thread.


----------



## Ashis Mitra

Track and sleeper removal Anzac Pde near Carlton St for new tram system shows the remains of the former great tram system in Sydney.


----------



## Ashis Mitra

Once they have removed tram tracks at this place, now they are relaying tram tracks at the same place after 50 years. How foolish!!!!


----------



## prp002

Not many in Sydney agree with you saying "foolish".

There was a good reason to tear them up 55 years ago. And most cities around the World did exactly the same.


----------



## ed24

prp002 said:


> Not many in Sydney agree with you saying "foolish".
> 
> There was a good reason to tear them up 55 years ago. And most cities around the World did exactly the same.


I would disagree, most people I have talked to or discussed with online saw it as a great mistake to take down an extensive and effective tram network.

Not to mention the cost of building new lines, they will not do as good a job as the old line for example at transporting spectators to Moore Park. I can only imagine what sort of transport network Sydney would have if the existing network had been maintained and expanded.


----------



## FabriFlorence

prp002 said:


> Not many in Sydney agree with you saying "foolish".
> 
> There was a good reason to tear them up 55 years ago. And most cities around the World did exactly the same.


In fact many cities around the world made a big mistake. I don't know the "good reason" to tear the trams. But I know that the cities which have preserved its trams network have a better public transport than the cities which didn't. Melbourne, for example, has preserved the trams and its public transport network is better than Sydney.


----------



## towerpower123

prp002 said:


> Not many in Sydney agree with you saying "foolish".
> 
> There was a good reason to tear them up 55 years ago. And most cities around the World did exactly the same.


Cities around the world removed the tram systems to replace them with buses and cars. Buses did not need fixed routes and cars needed lots more space to take over. In the United States, there was a conscious effort by a combination of General Motors, Standard Oil (today's Exxon Mobil), and Goodyear Tire to purchase and tear down every streetcar system in the country, which were usually originally private companies, a porcess referred to as "the Great American Streetcar Scandal." The goal was to replace them buses, which were primarily made by GM, had Goodyear tires, and were fueled by Standard Oil. It meant a huge income with little competition. In other countries where America had a major influence, the same thing happened. It did not take long for people to realize it was a really stupid decision, but it was too late for many, as many networks were destroyed in a few short years.

Today, just about every major city is trying to put their streetcars back. The vehicles have a higher capacity, look better than any bus, run on a fixed network with designated stops that are far easier to find for newcomers, don't skip stops, and are the best possible electric vehicle as there isn't any lost efficiency from carrying heavy batteries or delays from charging them. They are also very quiet on straight or minimally curved tracks, are easy to place in an existing urban context, and have all of the joy of riding a train, which a bus will rarely ever succeed at doing.


----------



## prp002

FabriFlorence said:


> In fact many cities around the world made a big mistake. I don't know the "good reason" to tear the trams. But I know that the cities which have preserved its trams network have a better public transport than the cities which didn't. Melbourne, for example, has preserved the trams and its public transport network is better than Sydney.


Their bus and train network is inferior.


----------



## dimlys1994

From Sydney Morning Herald

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/why-sydne...ngers-on-inner-west-line-20170725-gxida4.html

*Why Sydney's new light rail trams won't carry passengers on inner west line*
JULY 26 2017 - 2:57PM










Different standards for Sydney's inner west light rail line and a new $2.1 billion line from the central city to the south east mean trams carrying passengers won't be able to switch between the two.

The standards differ on a range of measures including gaps between platforms and carriages, height and width of the actual track, clearances between the track corridor and its surrounds, and distance between the back wheels of the trams

...


----------



## Ashis Mitra

Another incompatibility, reminds me Sofia and Rio De Janeiro.


----------



## lechevallierpatrick

They are making the same mistake as in Paris!Tramway lines in Paris cannot interconnect because of many differencies between lines...What a mistake!


----------



## MrAronymous

Do they at least have a reason why? Other than train width I see no legitimate reasons why you should make it different.


----------



## Tramwayman

MrAronymous said:


> Do they at least have a reason why? Other than train width I see no legitimate reasons why you should make it different.


The reason is Alstom and Systra. You don't go and order something from Alstom.


----------



## dimlys1994

First new tram secretly arrived to Sydney:
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydneys-light-rail-secret-wrapped-in-white-plastic-20170726-gxja7a.html


----------



## mrmoopt

MrAronymous said:


> Do they at least have a reason why? Other than train width I see no legitimate reasons why you should make it different.


Gaps and height would be minimal difference, it's prob car width.


----------



## historyworks

Tramwayman said:


> The reason is Alstom and Systra. You don't go and order something from Alstom.


So you're basically saying that these French companies use the trick of setting their own standards in order to make it difficult for future competitors - where they can get away with it because the client is too uninformed to set standards in advance?

In Sydney, the government agency is only just starting to compile tramway standards now. Too late to prevent this.


----------



## Tramwayman

historyworks said:


> So you're basically saying that these French companies use the trick of setting their own standards in order to make it difficult for future competitors - where they can get away with it because the client is too uninformed to set standards in advance?
> 
> In Sydney, the government agency is only just starting to compile tramway standards now. Too late to prevent this.


Systra and Alstom are offering good money for obtaining monopoly  Go figure.

Systra has complete monopoly in Africa for example, Systra makes tram project or Alstom itself and they deliver everything including rolling stock.

Citadis trams for systems that are being built specially for Citadis trams.

Catenary free operation with third rail is also french special patented technology and no other trams then citadis can work on it so yes they obtained monopoly  thanks to Australian government.




Systra made Gold Coast tram project and all the measurments were meant specially for Citadis trams, then independent consultants got involved and they changed line profile and dimensions gaps and everything, embettered lots of stuff so in final case Bombardier won the tender and not Alstom.

Alstom wanted to deliver rolling stock without tender as always they want.


----------



## lechevallierpatrick

In Paris (France) many tramway lines cannot connect with one another (which is so stupid!),but these Tram lines where all built for Citadis operation.Why is That then? (I think it ia a problem of width)....


----------



## historyworks

Tramwayman said:


> Systra made Gold Coast tram project and all the measurments were meant specially for Citadis trams, then independent consultants got involved and they changed line profile and dimensions gaps and everything, embettered lots of stuff so in final case Bombardier won the tender and not Alstom.


The Sydney project is run by the New South Wales State Government. Gold Coast Light Rail was commissioned by a smarter Queensland State Government!

The only information I can find about Systra's involvement in the Gold Coast project is that they designed the depot layout. Do you know of any other involvement by Systra in this project?


----------



## mrsmartman

FabriFlorence said:


> In fact many cities around the world made a big mistake. I don't know the "good reason" to tear the trams. But I know that the cities which have preserved its trams network have a better public transport than the cities which didn't. Melbourne, for example, has preserved the trams and its public transport network is better than Sydney.


That's why Melbourne still relies on its old street car network with slow trams. To run heavier modern rolling stock, the network needs to be rebuilt anyway.


----------



## Tramwayman

historyworks said:


> The Sydney project is run by the New South Wales State Government. Gold Coast Light Rail was commissioned by a smarter Queensland State Government!
> 
> The only information I can find about Systra's involvement in the Gold Coast project is that they designed the depot layout. Do you know of any other involvement by Systra in this project?


They designed the whole line but then it was remade by German specialists. :lol:


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## MrAronymous




----------



## nameless dude

*Opal figures show skyrocketing passenger demand on Sydney train lines*
AUGUST 17 2017

Passenger demand for trains in Sydney has risen by almost 20 per cent on some lines in just a year, new figures show, underscoring the strain on the city's rail network.

The number of trips taken on the T7 Olympic Park Line surged by 19.6 per cent to almost 180,000 in July, compared with the same month a year earlier, reflecting the pace of growth in residential development in and around the former Olympic precinct.

Patronage on the city's busiest line the T1, which includes western, north shore and northern services, rose by 10 per cent over the year, government figures based on Opal card usage shows.

Across the rail network, trips increased by more than 11 per cent, or 3.1 million, to 30.7 million in July, compared with the prior period.

More: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/opal-figu...nd-on-sydney-train-lines-20170811-gxubre.html


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## nameless dude

*New Sydney Trains Timetable*



> From *26 November 2017* customers can look forward to:
> 
> 
> 
> More than 1,500 extra weekly services, including more than 750 on weekends
> 
> 
> 71 per cent of stations will now receive a minimum 15-minute service frequency across most of the day - a 43 per cent increase.
> 
> 
> More than 40 per cent increase in the number of services stopping at Parramatta, to support Sydney’s second CBD as well as a 22 per cent increase at Penrith
> 
> 
> Big improvements for South West Sydney with 92 per cent more services stopping at Leppington and Edmondson Park, and 20 per cent more services stopping at Glenfield Station.
> 
> 
> More than 200 extra services each week on the T8 South and Airport line in non-peak times, as well as an extra 20 express trains per week in peak hour for Campbelltown and Macarthur customers to the CBD via the T8 Airport Line
> 
> 
> Faster weekday services to and from Liverpool on the T3 Line via Bankstown
> 
> 
> More than 250 express trains every week between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, including 20 express trains during peak hours
> 
> 
> 24 new express services between the Sydney CBD and the Blue Mountains on weekends
> 
> 
> More than 160 new weekend T5 Richmond and Leppington Line services connecting South Western Sydney, Western Sydney and North West Sydney to expand services that currently run on weekdays only
> 
> 
> Direct access to Parramatta for Inner West customers which removes the need to change trains at Strathfield and greater frequency from popular stations like Stanmore with a 15 per cent increase in services across the week.


More: https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/more-trains-more-services










Additionally, the network map has been reworked to reflect the changes in travel patterns brought about by the new timetable:










Map changes: http://i.imgur.com/iaZN4I1.png


----------



## AtD

Sydenham to Bankstown upgrade - new station designs released

https://www.sydneymetro.info/articl...ney-metro-transforms-travel-south-west-sydney

Hurlstone Park









Bankstown









Punchbowl









Lakemba









Belmore









Campsie









Marrickville









Canterbury









Sydenham


----------



## dimlys1994

From Metro Report

http://www.metro-report.com/news/metro/single-view/view/sydney-metros-first-trainset-arrives.html

*Sydney Metro’s first trainset arrives*
26 Sep 2017










AUSTRALIA: Sydney Metro announced the delivery of its first trainset to the Rouse Hill depot on September 26.

Alstom is supplying 22 six-car Metropolis driverless trainsets, together with Urbalis 400 communications-based train control, Iconis control systems and Smartlock 400 computer-based interlocking under a €280m contract awarded in September 2014

...


----------



## AtD




----------



## hkskyline

Sydney Double Decker by Simon Clancy, on Flickr


----------



## nameless dude

You just called my name


----------



## nameless dude

Train testing @ Tallawong station on the Sydney Metro Northwest project



















Castle Hill station will have an underground pedestrian link to the adjacent Castle Towers Shopping Centre


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## mw123

Sydney Metro | Cherrybrook Station






And a few screenshots from the video:

Screen Shot 2018-07-01 at 3.39.00 pm by MDRX1, on Flickr


Screen Shot 2018-07-01 at 3.38.04 pm by MDRX1, on Flickr


Screen Shot 2018-07-01 at 3.37.00 pm by MDRX1, on Flickr


----------



## FabriFlorence

How would you rank Sydney's public transport system on a 0-10 scale?


----------



## mrmoopt

FabriFlorence said:


> How would you rank Sydney's public transport system on a 0-10 scale?


Rail 7/10 - 3 points lost for using DD with 2 pairs of doors. Coverage is excellent, frequencies good. Not better than Melbourne in terms of crush load capacity. As with all Australian trains bar Perth and Brisbane, not enough longtidunal seating to maximise standing space.

Bus 7/10 - 3 points lost for not using all-door boarding, coverage is good. Frequencies good.

Ferry 6/10 - slow, doesn't cover many areas, different fare structure to other modes, bonus pts for being able to use Opay on private ferries

LR 4/10 - lack of coverage throughout the city, only one line and another under construction


----------



## nameless dude

At it's current state I'd give it a 6.5/10. Decent for a city the size and density of Sydney, but a lot of improvements can be made. The rail system while it covers most parts of the city still leaves some large areas unserved - the north west (which will be addressed next year when the Northwest metro opens), Victoria Road (will be _partially_ addressed with the West metro), south east (will have a light rail instead), and the Northern beaches. Speed of both buses and trains can be improved. Frequencies have improved over recent years, but some railway stations could still do with better frequencies off peak and on weekends, and buses can sometimes be a bit unreliable. We'll see what happens over the next 5-10 years when the new projects are completed and comes online.


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## nameless dude

https://outline.com/XyB7XP



> *Commuters rack up record 400 million train journeys as MP vows to manage the growth*
> 21 JUN 18
> 
> COMMUTERS have racked up a record 400 million journeys on Sydney’s packed trains in less than a year, prompting Transport Minister Andrew Constance to vow that the government is trying to manage the growth spurt.
> 
> With some train services crammed at 170 per cent capacity, Mr Constance told The Daily Telegraph the government was “playing catch-up”.
> 
> “The key thing I want everyone to understand is we are catering for a growth spurt in the number of people catching trains that we have never seen before,” he said.
> 
> “No one expected growth at this pace, it has been phenomenal.”
> 
> Last financial year, there were 385 million journeys on the network. By the start of this month there had already been 400 million for the financial year.
> 
> NSW commuters are now making more than 100 million trips a year more than their counterparts in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia combined.
> 
> Mr Constance said the growth explained why the government had “no option” to switch to its controversial new timetable that dramatically ramped up service frequency and, in some instances, put pressure on the network.
> 
> “We are obviously playing catch-up on an old network,” he said.
> 
> “We are trying to build a new network. And we are trying to get the most out of our existing arrangements.”
> 
> The new North West Metro is due to open early next year.
> 
> The government has also commissioned another 24 Waratah trains for the existing network to relieve pressure.
> 
> “If we hadn’t introduced the new timetable and increased the frequency of trains, the network would break,” Mr Constance said.
> 
> “This timetable was designed to ease those growth pains by having more frequency.”


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro

Some photos of the construction around Rouse Hill and Tallawong Stations. 

Bonus video of one of the trains at the stabling yard (apologies for the sound - it was a very windy day).







DSC00487 byMDRX1, on Flickr


DSC00483 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC00480 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC00466 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC00463 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC00451 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC00440 by MDRX1, on Flickr


20180708_153936 by MDRX1, on Flickr



20180708_154834 by MDRX1, on Flickr


20180708_154146 by MDRX1, on Flickr


20180708_154314 by MDRX1, on Flickr


20180708_154309 by MDRX1, on Flickr


20180708_155652 by MDRX1, on Flickr


20180708_155847 by MDRX1, on Flickr


20180708_155559 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC00488 by MDRX1, on Flickr


----------



## Svartmetall

FabriFlorence said:


> How would you rank Sydney's public transport system on a 0-10 scale?


By European and Asian standards - a 5. Frequency on trains is sub-par in a few areas, the network is incredibly slow with timetable padding to try to keep "on time running" and the double-decker stock is not appropriate for this kind of network.

The buses are good in places, but achingly slow and infrequent in outer areas. For a city of >5 million it is a fairly poor show. 

In general I would just say Sydney is a slow city to get around. It sprawls a long way and there are few options to deal with that sprawl efficiently with PT.


----------



## prp002

Svartmetall said:


> By European and Asian standards - a 5. Frequency on trains is sub-par in a few areas, the network is incredibly slow with timetable padding to try to keep "on time running" and the double-decker stock is not appropriate for this kind of network.
> 
> The buses are good in places, but achingly slow and infrequent in outer areas. For a city of >5 million it is a fairly poor show.
> 
> In general I would just say Sydney is a slow city to get around. It sprawls a long way and there are few options to deal with that sprawl efficiently with PT.


wow you haven't been here is a while, ay.

https://www.sydneymetro.info/


----------



## Svartmetall

^^ 2016 last. I am aware of the Sydney metro - but that doesn't address the problems with the rest of the network.


----------



## prp002

they reduced the buffer times, added thousands of extra services, restructured every line and pretty much overhauled the network.

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the double deckers. The trains introduced in the last 18 years are easier to load and unload with more space and more comfortable ride.

Tell me how they are inferior to London or NY trains

The wildly popular Waratah Series 1


----------



## Svartmetall

And the network still has issues. No matter how jerky, noisy or hot the tube is, a train every 100 seconds with a turnround time of 20-30 seconds at a station will be far easier and more user-friendly than DDs running every 15 minutes in a city of 5+ million. The new metropolitan line trains, Vic line trains or the Elizabeth line trains are pretty amazing (since you compared to London). 

Look, even my tiny city of Stockholm has a minimum service frequency of every 10 minutes on its metro and manages around 330 million journeys in a city of less than 2 million. Sydney is not a best-in-class of PT. It is a good network but not a stellar one on the international stage.


----------



## PeFe

Can we please, please, compare apples with apples, not apples with oranges...

Sydney is a (relatively) low density city (yes I know there are a lot of new apartments being built....I live in one of them) but you should compare Sydney to Toronto or Los Angeles.

Australian cities are part of the "new world" (a house and a car for every family) not part of Europe, so the transport comparisons should be adjusted.

Having said that, especially if you live in inner-city Sydney, it is getting better using public transport (ie the inner-West rail line for example)


----------



## Astenaar

Svartmetall said:


> By European and Asian standards - a 5. Frequency on trains is sub-par in a few areas, the network is incredibly slow with timetable padding to try to keep "on time running" and the double-decker stock is not appropriate for this kind of network.
> 
> The buses are good in places, but achingly slow and infrequent in outer areas. For a city of >5 million it is a fairly poor show.
> 
> In general I would just say Sydney is a slow city to get around. It sprawls a long way and there are few options to deal with that sprawl efficiently with PT.


Indeed it is terribly slow. I was there back in 2008: slow. I was in Sydney again with Christmas and NYE half a year ago, expected it to be way faster nowadays, but it still was so slow...

Network coverage though is fine as are the prices: to me it felt so cheap to get around, especially when you do bigger distances.


----------



## mw123




----------



## lezgotolondon

Amazing, Sydney is possibly the best city in the world (among few others) and its only weak point is public transports!


----------



## Svartmetall

Plus the really expensive real estate and sprawl are issues with Sydney. It is a nice place, but not one I could live in.


----------



## mw123

Flickr photos from around the transport network:


2114, Sydney Central, September 6th 2014 by Matt Taylor, on Flickr


Which way? by Nathan Murphy, on Flickr


2622-ST, Alfred Street, Sydney, September 13th 2014 by Matt Taylor, on Flickr


Sydney Olympic Park Railway Station by Simon Clancy, on Flickr


Technicolour Backdrop by Nathan Murphy, on Flickr


A-6, Circular Quay, Sydney, September 7th 2014 by Matt Taylor, on Flickr


Collaroy, The Heads, Sydney Harbour, Sydney, NSW. by Peter, on Flickr


L1 Towards Central by Nathan Murphy, on Flickr


Wynard Station Sydney by Highranger, on Flickr


Cutting through the buildings. by Nathan Murphy, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

NSW Trainlink Intercity | New Train Fleet

These trains will be running from Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong and Blue Mountains.


----------



## mw123

17 New Trains Fast Tracked for NSW Commuters

The NSW Government will fast-track the delivery of another 17 new air-conditioned Waratah Series 2 trains in response to growing demand across the Sydney Trains network.

This is in addition to 24 new trains currently in delivery, bringing the total of new Waratah Series 2 trains to 41.

_Transport for NSW_


Waratah Series 2 Set B3 at AMC by T G, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

Contactless payments pass one million trips

More than one million public transport journeys across NSW have now been paid for by customers tapping on and off with a credit or debit card.

Commuters have embraced the option of using their plastic or payment-enabled mobile smart devices on train, ferry and light rail services across the Opal network.

Over the Christmas and New Year period contactless payments jumped by about 20 per cent a week. This convenient option is proving to be a real hit with tourists and visitors, with uptake at the airport stations twice that of other parts of the rail network.

_Transport for NSW_


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## AtD

While it's as visually stunning as the rest, Cherrybrook seems to be the least interesting station so far. No escalators, no space for shops, not much going on in the local area. The land directly opposite the station entrance is all marked as "development sites" so hopefully we see some mixed use, to bring some utility to the area. Otherwise it's one of the most unremarkable station locations in Sydney.













































































































Stopped too late









Overhead is a beam rather than a cable


----------



## Vaud

^^ I'm surprised about the lack of escalators, that seems a very short-sighted decision. Compared to the total cost of a station the price of two escalators is peanuts. As soon as demand picks up the elevators will be crowded


----------



## AtD

To be fair, on the regular Sydney Trains network, very few stations that aren't underground have escalators.


----------



## mw123

Fourth mega borer starts work on metro tunnels

The fourth of five mega tunnel boring machines (TBMs) has started tunnelling under Sydney.

TBM Mabel has been launched at Chatswood to help deliver 31km of tunnels between Marrickville and Chatswood on Sydney Metro, extending Australia's biggest public transport project into the Sydney CBD.

TBM Mabel, together with TBM Wendy, which launched in January 2019, will each build 6.2 kilometre tunnels to the edge of Sydney Harbour.

The two TBMs will tunnel towards the new Sydney Metro stations being constructed at Crows Nest and North Sydney before being retrieved at a temporary construction site at Blues Point.

Sydney Metro


----------



## dimlys1994

From Transport for NSW:


----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro | Tallawong Station Turnback


----------



## mw123

Pitt Street Station taking shape

Deep under the heart of the CBD, Sydney Metro’s new Pitt Street Station is quickly taking shape with three roadheader tunnelling machines excavating around the clock.

More than 116,400 tonnes of crushed rock has been excavated to form the station caverns 20 metres underneath Pitt and Castlereagh streets, where the future platforms will be located.

The Pitt Street Station caverns will be about 240 metres in length and 11.5 metres wide when finished.

_Sydney Metro_


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## mw123

Updated Rail Network Map with Metro










_Timeout Sydney_


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## dimlys1994

So the route T1 will be into two routes - T1 and semi-circular T9


----------



## PeFe

dimlys1994 said:


> So the route T1 will be into two routes - T1 and semi-circular T9


That map is a "this is what is supposed to happen".

We shall see in May when the Sydney Metro project opens.


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## mw123

Transport Technology NSW


----------



## mw123

CBD & South East Light Rail | George Street


IMG_20190302_174451 by MDRX1, on Flickr


MVIMG_20190302_174519 by MDRX1, on Flickr


MVIMG_20190307_083125 by MDRX1, on Flickr


MVIMG_20190307_082618 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190307_082336 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190307_082555 by MDRX1, on Flickr


MVIMG_20190302_173530 by MDRX1, on Flickr


MVIMG_20190302_173318 by MDRX1, on Flickr


MVIMG_20190302_180139 by MDRX1, on Flickr


----------



## mw123

CBD & SE Light Rail | Citadis X05 Testing

Video from Sydney Trains Vlogs showing the new light rail vehicles under testing


----------



## AtD

Open day for the Hills Showground station, on the new metro line to open this day.


----------



## mw123

A few more photos from the Hills Showground Station open day


MVIMG_20190310_134518 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_132728 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_134404 by MDRX1, on Flickr


MVIMG_20190310_134211 by MDRX1, on Flickr


MVIMG_20190310_132900 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_132941 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_133018 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_133033 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_133412 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_133959 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_133457 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_133558 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_134023 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_133757 by MDRX1, on Flickr


MVIMG_20190310_133235 by MDRX1, on Flickr


MVIMG_20190310_133712 by MDRX1, on Flickr


IMG_20190310_134302 by MDRX1, on Flickr


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## Arnorian

Really nice.


----------



## Crazy Dude

NSW Premier announces Metro Northwest line more than $1b under budget


----------



## cristof

that's great whats the penetration rate of the public transport in sydney? is it still a major car oriented city ?


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## nameless dude

^^ For the most part it still is. Public transport mode share as of 2016 is about 21% of all commutes if you count trips made exclusively on transport, 27% if you count all trips involving transport (eg. driving to a local train station then taking a train). Transport use is increasing though, 5 years before that trips involving transport was sitting at about 23%, iirc.


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## AtD

Cars dominate but public transport is stronger than other Australian cities.

Sydney is way less car friendly other Aussie cities, and comparatively hostile than the USA and maybe even Germany. We don't have that many motorways, they're generally narrow (4-6 lanes) and generally tolled (~$5-$10 to drive across town on most routes). Insurance and registration is expensive (~$2,000/year), CBD parking is prohibitively expensive (up to $80/day) and traffic is challenging. That being said, there are many parts of suburbia where there is no option but to drive or suffer a slow bus.

From the 2016 census - share of people who travel to work on public transport:
Sydney: 21%
Melbourne: 13%
Brisbane: 11%
Adelaide: 8%
Perth: 8%

Since 2016, Sydney has had *phenomenal* growth in bus and train passenger numbers.
- In 2015/16, trains had 989,000 passengers/day and buses 795,000.
- In 2017/08, trains had 1,112,000 passengers/day (+12%) and buses 909,000 passengers/day (14%)

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/da...age-historical/all-modes-historical-patronage

Sydney's population grew by probably 4-5% in that time (official numbers come out next week!)

There's a lot of causes to this:
- Urban planning reforms that have encouraged high density development around railway stations and limited sprawl. Most stations have construction cranes nearby
- The end of the complex paper ticket systems that weren't interchangeable between modes, replaced with smart cards (Opal) and contactless credit cards
- Significant increase in the number of services operated, reducing wait times and improving capacity
- Station and fleet upgrades

Still a long way to go. When Metro stage 2 opens with a new harbour crossing and a new tunnel under the CBD, we'll see another huge spike in passenger numbers. There's also a lot of motorway tunnels under construction, but they're going to be rather dramatically tolled, so I think public transport will grow faster.


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## Antje

It is possible that Australia will be my new home, so I guess Sydney will be the Metro city, while Melbourne is the Tram city?


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## Svartmetall

Melbourne also has a new CBD rail tunnel under construction and has a good commuter rail system. The rail system carries far more people than the tram. 

I would say that Sydney is the "bus city" and Melbourne is the "tram city" if comparing the slower modes of transport. Both have a good train system.


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## mw123

Sydney Metro | Barangaroo Station

The NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian inspects the new station site at Barangaroo. Due to open in 2024.


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## AtD

Svartmetall said:


> Melbourne also has a new CBD rail tunnel under construction and has a good commuter rail system. The rail system carries far more people than the tram.
> 
> I would say that Sydney is the "bus city" and Melbourne is the "tram city" if comparing the slower modes of transport. Both have a good train system.


Sydney Trains carry roughly as many passengers daily as the rest of the county combined.


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## Crazy Dude

*Crunch time for Chatswood as more trains put on to ease crowding*












> Thousands of extra passengers will be funnelled through Chatswood station every day when a new metro line in Sydney's north opens in May, leading authorities to increase trains on the North Shore line to avoid major overcrowding on platforms.
> 
> The Herald understands that, in a rejig of the rail timetable, Sydney Trains will run a service every three minutes on the North Shore line for a 90-minute period during the morning peak - just over half an hour longer than at present - to clear commuters switching from metro trains at Chatswood.
> 
> The timetable changes are scheduled for April 29, a week before the multibillion-dollar Metro Northwest, to be run by Hong Kong's MTR between Rouse Hill and Chatswood, is due to open.
> 
> To ease station crowding, more services are planned to start from nearby Gordon and Lindfield to ensure there is more room on trains to pick up commuters at Chatswood.
> 
> Chatswood risks becoming a pinch-point on the rail network if too many Sydney Trains services are overcrowded before they reach the station during the morning peak. About one in five services running via Chatswood originates on the Central Coast, raising the likelihood of them becoming full before they reach the interchange.


https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...-put-on-to-ease-crowding-20190322-p516lx.html

*Sydney's metro rail*


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## Khaul

AtD said:


> Sydney Trains carry roughly as many passengers daily as the rest of the county combined.


All the US commuter railways put together moved less than 500M passengers in 2017. AtD will correct me, but I think Sydney must be around 380M per year in the last estimate. And we still think our trains are bad. That's because we care. The trains they are extremely important to keep the city moving.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_commuter_rail_systems_by_ridership


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## nameless dude

^^ Some of the systems listed there afaik extend out of the cities into the regional areas. If you include our regional lines our figure's already over 400M.

BUT, to be fair most of those cities in the US also have a subway system even though they aren't remotely among the busier systems in the world (apart from NYC). We didn't have that till now and our railway system had to make up for that.


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## AtD

^^ Agree nameless, I think it makes no sense to compare Australia to the USA while ignoring their subways, etc.


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## Khaul

Well, if you sum up all the rail based transport in Chicagoland (L, Metra, South Shore, Amtrak) you get something significantly less than 400M. Now, Chicagoland has twice the population of Sydney. You’d get similar usage per capita numbers is you repeat the exercise for the Bay Area or Boston. Any other city is the US besides NYC, of course, would be a lot worse.

Further than that:

-there has been no significant subway expansion in the US for a long time. I know, 2nd Ave, LA extension... not much in any case.

-there has been quite some light rail construction, but again, look at the numbers. Systems two or three times longer than the pissy Dulwich Hill line carry less passengers.


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## mw123

CBD and SE Light Rail Construction

Photos from the Sydney Light Rail Project Facebook page:




























Sydney Light Rail Project Facebook


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## nameless dude

A look at Castle Hill station on the new Metro Northwest line, with the new trains whizzing past. When it opens it will have a direct link to the adjacent Castle Towers shopping centre.


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## mw123

Sydney Metro | City metro tunnelling breaks through at Waterloo

History has been made with the first tunnelling breakthrough on the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project.

TBM Nancy has broken through a wall of rock at the site of the new Waterloo Station as Sydney Metro delivers twin new metro railway tunnels deep under the city.

Nancy is one of five TBMs building the 15.5 kilometre twin railway tunnels between Chatswood and Marrickville.

TBM Nancy started digging from Marrickville on 17 October 2018 and has since carved through about 304,000 tonnes of rock – enough to fill 47 swimming pools – building a 3.1 kilometre tunnel in less than six months.

Nancy will keep tunnelling to Barangaroo via new metro stations at Central, Pitt Street and Martin Place, delivering an 8.1 kilometre tunnel.

_Sydney Metro_


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## AtD

*Rouse Hill Station* open day today. Only one platform was open.

Two escalators and stairs up to a mid-level concourse.
Two escalators to the Chatswood-bound platform, with what looks like a provision for a third in the future
Three escalators to the Tallawong-bound platform - one up, two down.


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## mw123

A few more pics from Rouse Hill Station


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


Sydney Metro Rouse Hill Station by MDRX1, on Flickr


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## mw123

Metro Trains Sydney TS-13 at Tallawong by Dean Jones, on Flickr


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## nameless dude

Some more scenes of testing Sydney Metro at high frequency at Chatswood station. Includes footage of the metro platforms at Chatswood.


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## mw123

More train services to gear up for Sydney Metro

Seventy new weekly train services, including a city service every three minutes from Chatswood during the peak, are among the many improvements being introduced ahead of the start of Sydney Metro services.

Minister for Transport Andrew Constance announced the additional weekly train services will be added to the timetable from Sunday 28 April, as preparations for Sydney Metro services move to the next level.

“Testing and commissioning of the new world class Sydney Metro is nearing completion and it is now time to get customers ready for when it opens in May,” Mr Constance said.

“This game-changing public transport system will transform the way people get around Sydney and we need to make sure people are ready for it.”

Sydney Trains CEO Howard Collins said the biggest changes will be on the T1 North Shore Line.

“On 28 April, we’ll be adding capacity to the T1 North Shore Line, including a train every three minutes between Chatswood and Central during the busiest time of the morning peak,” Mr Collins said.

_Transport for NSW_


Chatswood Railway Station, Chatswood, Sydney, NSW. by Peter, on Flickr


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## mw123




----------



## urbanflight

Congrats Sydney and Australia on the opening of this great new metro line!


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## mw123

Sydney Metro | Macquarie Park Station


DSC02471 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02465 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02463 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02122 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02448 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02444 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02422 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02400 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02369 by MDRX1, on Flickr


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## mw123

Sydney Metro | Cherrybrook Station


DSC02144 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02146 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02147 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02131 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02138 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02137 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02149 by MDRX1, on Flickr


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## mw123

Sydney Metro | Tallawong Station


DSC02199 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02193 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02202 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02197 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02186 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02184 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02187 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02208 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02211 by MDRX1, on Flickr


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## nameless dude

Macquarie Uni station. It's a typical station on the Epping to Chatswood rail link, which was part of the Sydney Trains network before it was converted this year to the Metro.


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## mw123

Sydney Metro | Kellyville Station

DSC02249 by MDRX1, on Flickr

DSC02244 by MDRX1, on Flickr

DSC02253 by MDRX1, on Flickr

DSC02241 by MDRX1, on Flickr

DSC02239 by MDRX1, on Flickr

DSC02236 by MDRX1, on Flickr

DSC02285 by MDRX1, on Flickr

DSC02264 by MDRX1, on Flickr

DSC02277 by MDRX1, on Flickr

DSC02287 by MDRX1, on Flickr


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## Khaul

There is some patronage data starting to come in. There have been 1M trips in the first two weeks. It looks like both daily and peak hour usage are well above expectations https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/media-releases/1-million-metro-journeys-two-weeks


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## Svartmetall

Build and they will come. The perfect example of what happens when you actually invest in high quality public transport infrastructure.


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## kostas97

One of the best systems currently under development and construction...is there a map with the whole projection of the system (U/C lines as well as the completed one) to further understand its extend?? Also, it's the only subway system in Oceania, right?


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## Stuu

mw123 said:


> Sydney Metro | Kellyville Station
> 
> DSC02239 by MDRX1, on Flickr


It's very impressive, something minor which has been nagging me though is whilst I do like the coloured glass it does make me wonder how many years it will be before people ask 'what were they thinking back in 2019?'


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## Khaul

kostas97 said:


> One of the best systems currently under development and construction...is there a map with the whole projection of the system (U/C lines as well as the completed one) to further understand its extend?? Also, it's the only subway system in Oceania, right?


All the relevant information is here https://www.sydneymetro.info

The section opened so far goes through a very suburban area without any rail link to date. Then interchanges at Chatswood with the Sydney commuter railway. The section under construction goes from Chatswood to the south, across Sydney harbour, the city centre and then will take over a commuter line going to the southwest.

Here you can observe how the tunnelling goes, almost in real time https://www.sydneymetro.info/tunnelling


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## mw123

Sydney Metro | Norwest Station


DSC02325 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02337 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02338 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02321 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02314 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02306 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02302 by MDRX1, on Flickr


DSC02386 by MDRX1, on Flickr

DSC02480 by MDRX1, on Flickr


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## mw123




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## mw123

Nice series of videos around various stations from _More Locations_ Youtube channel.


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## mw123

Tunnelling edges closer to the Harbour

Sydney Metro’s third mega tunnel boring machine (TBM) has broken through a wall of rock at the new Crows Nest Station, marking a major milestone in the project which will link the North West Metro to the CBD and onto Bankstown.

TBM Wendy arrived at Crows Nest less than five months after being launched from Chatswood.

It will now spend several weeks undergoing maintenance before being re-launched at Crows Nest and tunnelling towards the next Sydney Metro station at Victoria Cross in North Sydney.










_Transport for NSW Sydney Metro_


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## MrAronymous




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## nameless dude

^^ Just for the record, the line from Circular Quay down the CBD to Randwick is now due to open by December 2019, while the Kingsford branch is due by March 2020.


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## Khaul

Enjoy the variety of accents heard in Sydney


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## mw123

Sydney Buses | Sydney Region 6 Electric Bus Trial Starts 1 July

- Transit Systems will deliver four new BYD electric buses as part of a trial within Transport for NSW’s Region 6 network.

- The total battery capacity on each vehicle is 328kW. The Gemilang-bodied, BYD electric chassis buses use around 80kW per hour; however, the vehicle also regenerates approximately 30-40 per cent of its battery capacity through braking, depending on traffic conditions.

- The following routes have been chosen due to their close proximity to Leichhardt depot, so that operations and performance can be closely monitored during the trial:

* Route 389 – Bondi Junction to Pyrmont

* Route 431 – Glebe Point to City (Martin Place)

* Route 433 – Balmain to Railway Square

* Route 447 – Lilyfield to Leichhardt Marketplace (loop service)

* Route 470 – Lilyfield to City (Martin Place)


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## mw123

End of the line for the S-Set trains

Rail workers and their families today joined Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance to mark the historic retirement of S-Set trains on the Sydney Trains network.

“After more than 40 years of serving millions of train customers in NSW, tomorrow will mark the end of an era in the state’s rail history,” Mr Constance said.

“The S-Sets served Sydney well, however our customers rightfully expect modern trains. I am delighted that all 24 Waratah Series 2 trains are now in service, with another 17 on the way from next year - which is why we can now retire the S-Sets.

“The great news is this means 100 per cent of the train fleet will now be air-conditioned, ensuring our customers don’t feel the heat during summer.”

Minister Constance today joined Sydney Trains Chief Executive Howard Collins and rail employees on a farewell run from Central Station across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Lavender Bay.

“When the S-Sets were introduced in 1972, they were among the first double deck trains in the world and considered state-of-the-art. They are an icon of our railways and what better way to farewell them than a trip over the Sydney Harbour Bridge,” Mr Constance said.

Sydney Trains CEO Howard Collins said: “we’re proud of the history and evolution of railways in NSW, which is why a total of fourteen S-Set carriages will be preserved.”

The final revenue S-Set service will run on the T7 Olympic Park Line tomorrow night.

_Transport for NSW_


Last Day by Tom Marschall, on Flickr


Bondi via Hurstville by Jonesy's Photography, on Flickr


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## MrAronymous

Stunning design. Practical modernity combined with and high quality finishings and grandeur


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## mw123

zg5 said:


> Hey, will the Pitt St. Stn. be connected to Town Hall Stn. via some sort of ped-tunnel?
> The only one interchange at Centrall Stn. to the rest of the network in downtown seems not so convenient, since Central is a huge station. Lots of walking needed.


I don't think there will be a direct connection to Town Hall. 

However Central is being rebuilt with a new underground concourse that will enable a fast connection to the other platforms and also the new light rail line. It will be faster than a new tunnel between Town Hall and Pitt Street anyway.


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## cristof

reminds me of crossrail... great design


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## hkskyline

*Sydneysiders stop to watch history roll along new-look George Street *
August 28, 2019
Sydney Morning Herald _Excerpt_

The sight of pedestrians stopped in their tracks along one of Sydney's most famed streets during the busy lunchtime rush said it all.

Pulling out their mobile phones, hundreds rushed to capture a sense of history.

Almost four years after George Street was closed to buses for construction of a light rail line, a new tram carrying Premier Gladys Berejiklian glided from Town Hall to Circular Quay during the day for the first time, signalling the start of regular passenger services shortly before Christmas.

It was a step back in time for those who fondly remember the days of Sydney's extensive tram network, which was ripped up in the 1950s and early '60s.

More : https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...g-new-look-george-street-20190828-p52lhw.html


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## MrAronymous

^


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## mw123




----------



## mw123

Sydney Metro North West. 13.9.2019 by Tim, on Flickr


Sydney Bus / Man ND323F / 2868 by Clarkson Lee, on Flickr


22, Exhibition Centre, Sydney, September 21st 2016 by Matt Taylor, on Flickr


Sunday Drive by Dean Jones, on Flickr


Sydney Metro - Macquarie University by Bingley Hall, on Flickr


MO-6092, York Street, Sydney, September 19th 2016 by Matt Taylor, on Flickr


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## mw123

Pitt Street metro station to become the city’s newest landmark

Sydney’s Pitt Street Station will become the city’s newest landmark with a $463 million contract awarded to build the new metro railway station and the buildings above it.

The NSW Government has awarded contracts to a consortium of Oxford Properties, CPB Contractors and Grocon to deliver the new station and two new buildings above to form a vibrant new commercial and residential hub around Pitt and Bathurst Streets.

The new station will help shape Sydney city’s future, adding to the vibrancy of the area with new retail options, rental residential accommodation, world-class office space and a seamless transfer from the station to the revived streetscape.

As part of a value capture agreement on Sydney Metro, the NSW Government will receive $369 million from the consortium for the air rights to develop the two buildings above the station.

A 39-storey commercial office building will be built above the northern entry to Pitt Street Station, on Park Street between Pitt and Castlereagh streets. The office building will accommodate upwards of 3,000 daily occupiers and will boast leading smart building and sustainability features.

A 39-storey rental residential building will be built above the southern entry to Pitt Street station, near the corner of Bathurst and Pitt streets. The building will offer approximately 230 premium apartments and high-quality facilities for the use of residents.

_Transport for NSW | Sydney Metro_


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## mw123

Sydney Metro | Pitt Street Station









Screen Shot 2019-09-18 at 12.05.56 am by MDRX1, on Flickr


Screen Shot 2019-09-18 at 12.06.12 am by MDRX1, on Flickr


Screen Shot 2019-09-18 at 12.06.23 am by MDRX1, on Flickr


Screen Shot 2019-09-18 at 12.06.37 am by MDRX1, on Flickr


Screen Shot 2019-09-18 at 12.07.06 am by MDRX1, on Flickr


Screen Shot 2019-09-18 at 12.07.30 am by MDRX1, on Flickr


Screen Shot 2019-09-18 at 12.07.45 am by MDRX1, on Flickr


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## mw123




----------



## mw123

Sydney Harbour tunnelling update

Tunnel boring machine Kathleen is progressing well, digging the first tunnel of the historic metro rail crossing deep under Sydney Harbour. It has completed more than 550 metres of tunnel.

The TBM is currently in soft sediment about 40m under the harbour surface, progressing to hard rock conditions.

The under-harbour tunnelling machine uses compressed air to operate in soft material found in this section of the harbour.

The machine uses state-of-the-art tunnelling technology to safely make its way under the harbour through the expected conditions of clay, silt and sediment.

There may be some visible water activity on the surface, intermittently, during this part of the tunnelling process as the machine heads to harder materials.

After building the first tunnel, TBM Kathleen will have her giant cutter head and main section lifted out at Blues Point and placed on a barge to return to Barangaroo. The machine’s support trailers will be pulled back to Barangaroo inside the first tunnel.

Kathleen will then build the second tunnel under Sydney Harbour after that, the whole TBM will be retrieved at Blues Point and taken away by barge.





















_Transport for NSW Sydney Metro_


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## mw123

Central Station metro construction update

Major excavation work is well underway at Central Station to deliver the new Sydney Metro underground platforms.

Work has reached 8 metres below the station with about 4000 tonnes of material excavated every week.

A new concrete traffic deck allows more than 40 trucks to access the site every day and remove the materials.

A huge 135 tonne crane installed in July will soon be used to install steel modules for a new temporary pedestrian pathway.

To enable ongoing excavation, changes are being made to some of the pedestrian tunnels below Central Station. New pedestrian pathways will be available to ensure the 270,000 daily customers can continue to make their way around the station.













































_Transport for NSW Sydney Metro_


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## mw123




----------



## mw123

Sydney Ferries


Supply, Sydney, September 21st 2016 by Matt Taylor, on Flickr


Sydney Ferry "Friendship" and Opera House by Simon B, on Flickr


Sydney Opera House by Chris Fithall, on Flickr


Scarborough & Collaroy, Circular Quay, Sydney, September 19th 2016 by Matt Taylor, on Flickr


MV Victor Chang at Barangaroo Wharf by James Brook, on Flickr


MV Victor Chang at Barangaroo Wharf by James Brook, on Flickr


Pemulwuy by Ouvsy, on Flickr


Skylark by Ashley, on Flickr


Sydney Harbour by Jason Tong, on Flickr


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## mw123




----------



## mw123

As soon as the CBD & SE Light Rail line is complete in January 2020, construction of the Parramatta Line will begin immediately. :cheers:

Parramatta Light Rail

The Parramatta Light Rail, due for completion in 2023, will connect Westmead to Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD and Camellia, stopping at Telopea, Dundas and Rydalmere. As part of the project, the T6 Carlingford railway line will be converted to light rail..

Site investigation works are underway, with major construction on the Parramatta Light Rail to begin in 2020. The T6 Carlingford Line will remain operational until the cessation of services on Sunday 5 January 2020.















































































_Transport for NSW | Parramatta Light Rail_


----------



## AtD

Sydney's insane patronage growth up to 2019
https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/data-and-research/passenger-travel/all-modes-patronage-historical

Public transport use has significantly out-paced population growth for several years. Especially impressive since until recently there hasn't been any particularly significant expansion of service coverage. It's all through service improvements, urban planning and streamlining the ticketing system.









(latest population numbers are not yet available)










Big spike for light rail is opening of the Inner West line. Newcastle Light Rail adding to the growth in 2019. There's a base year effect here. (I don't really like this chart tbh)


----------



## AtD

^^ Contrast to the first page of this thread from back in 2005 :nuts:


----------



## Svartmetall

^^ Too right! Man I remember taking part in some of those discussions! :lol: So many years on this forum...


----------



## mw123

Construction of the Western Sydney Metro to start next year

Construction will soon begin on the Western Sydney Metro, with seven station locations confirmed today – a project that will slash travel times between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD down to around 20 minutes.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said construction work will begin next year, commencing at the Bays Precinct, to prepare the site for major tunnelling works.

The first works in the Bays Precinct will include site surveys, investigations and early works such as road relocation.

The locations of seven proposed Metro stations have been confirmed at Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock and the Bays Precinct.

The NSW Government will also fast-track work to investigate the feasibility of building a Metro station in Pyrmont, while also assessing a potential station at Rydalmere. Further work is also underway to determine the location of the new Metro station in the Sydney CBD.















_Transport for New South Wales_


----------



## nameless dude

Metros, metros everywhere


----------



## mw123

^^

An exciting decade ahead. 

Some indicative renders of the entrances to Bays Precinct, Burwood North and Parramatta Stations - these will most certainly change.


----------



## MrAronymous

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1187191655322931200


----------



## mw123

^^
It has already been a massive transformation for the city centre and hasn't even opened yet. Counting down the weeks now.


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## mw123

Something a bit different - throwback to the 90's.


09281 021295 STA Scania L113TRBs 3436 3437 3420 3445 & ors on approach to Anzac Bridge Pyrmont by John Ward, on Flickr


Sydney by Andrew Surgenor, on Flickr


Tangara Newcastle station. by Peter Cousins, on Flickr


Sydney Harbour Ferries 'MV Queenscliff' by Jonathan McDonnell, on Flickr


1997 SYDNEY FISH MARKET by lindsaybridge, on Flickr


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## mw123

Sydney Metro | Martin Place Station


__
http://instagr.am/p/p%2FB4MsYLtpKC9/


__
http://instagr.am/p/p%2FB3dXaKjHrPc/


----------



## MrAronymous

Unless it's going to be double decked somehow.. are they really planning to fill all that grand space up?


----------



## mw123

Sleek Red by Readus Photography, on Flickr


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## mw123

Redfern Station Upgrade - New Southern Concourse

The NSW Government is improving accessibility at Redfern Station as part of the Transport Access Program. Upgrading Redfern Station will make it easier for all customers to access, as well as improving connections between the station and key destinations in the area. The upgrade includes a new concourse at the southern end of the station.

Key benefits
- Easy access to platforms 1 to 10 with six new stairs and lifts
- Better connectivity with the surrounding areas including key destinations such as South Eveleigh, Carriageworks and education centres


----------



## mw123

Sydney Light Rail L2 testing by Tim, on Flickr


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## mw123

Map showing plans for the future network.


----------



## historyworks

mw123 said:


> Map showing plans for the future network.


The only glitch in that propaganda video is that it's not Australia's first fully accessible railway. That's the Perth system, starting with the Perth north-south line.


----------



## mw123

A tram journey down George Street in 1906 compared with 2019


----------



## mw123

NSW Trainlink | New Intercity Fleet

Will service trips to Newcastle, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and South Coast from next year.


----------



## hkskyline

Seems some reliability issues on the Metro Northwest : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...mtr-corporation-risks-losing-future-contracts


----------



## mw123

hkskyline said:


> Seems some reliability issues on the Metro Northwest : https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong...mtr-corporation-risks-losing-future-contracts


Yes there's been a couple of issues within the months after the line opened though they seem to be thinning out now. 

The metro service was ending at 10pm on Mondays to Wednesdays in the months after it opened so that they could continue works and fine tuning. This led to some speculation that they may have opened the line a little too early without properly ironing out issues first.


----------



## mw123

Transport for NSW has released this neat real time full journey video from the stabling yards to Chatswood.


----------



## Khaul

October has been the best month for the metro so far: 2,207M boardings, well above 80,000 per weekday.


----------



## mw123




----------



## mw123

Sydney's first rail tunnel dug beneath harbour

Without any public fanfare, a giant tunnel boring machine named Kathleen has completed digging the first rail tunnel under Sydney Harbour for a new metro train line.

So unremarked has been the occasion that Kathleen has already been pulled to the surface up a deep shaft on the harbour's edge at Blues Point, on the lower north shore, and barged back to where she began her journey at Barangaroo, on the western edge of the CBD.

In the coming weeks, the 130-metre boring machine will start on the second parallel tunnel.

The twin kilometre-long tunnels under the harbour are one of the most complex parts of the second stage of Sydney's metro rail line from Chatswood to central Sydney, and onto Bankstown.

_Sydney Morning Herald_


----------



## verbatim9

news.com.au---> Up to 16 of Sydney’s most popular bus services – used by thousands of commuters every day – are facing the axe because of the new light rail, a leaked report shows.




> National
> Nsw & Act
> Up to 16 Sydney bus routes face the axe to avoid light rail double -up
> MARCH 2, 2020 3:43PM
> 
> Ben Graham news.com.au
> Up to 16 of Sydney’s most popular bus services – used by thousands of commuters every day – are facing the axe because of the new light rail, a leaked report shows.
> The draft document, dated January 2020 and seen by news.com.au, show at-risk services in the city’s east could be replaced by four new services that would take commuters from Coogee, Maroubra and the city’s south to Randwick’s light rail.
> 
> The move would be a bid to reduce peak time bus services to the CBD and “remove duplications” in transport services.
> 
> Basically, transport authorities want people to start using the light rail – which has been criticised by some for being far too slow – instead of jumping on buses to get to the city.
> 
> Other services may be altered to fit around the light rail, whereas others would be “discontinued” under the plans, with the “introduction of light rail, with alternate travel options in place”.
> 
> Some of the services that face being cut are the 373 from Coogee to Circular Quay and the 393 from Little Bay to Central.
> 
> There are proposals to cut bus services that double-up on the new light rail routes. Picture: Saeed Khan / AFP Source: AFP
> No express services are outlined to be cut, but the 373X, 377X and 393X could be modified to “retain local network coverage”.
> 
> Labor member for Coogee Marjorie O’Neill said cutting public transport, when the city’s need for it is growing, is “simply insane”.
> 
> “This government clearly has no plan to deal with this level of public transport growth, if they did they would be working to ensure that buses and the light rail operate together, not replacing one with the other,” she said.
> 
> “The under patronage of the light rail is a consequence of the low and slow service quality. After years of disruption during construction, the government is further punishing our local community by forcing them onto a sub-par service.”
> 
> Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW has also blasted the plans today, saying it will “inevitably result in passengers being left inconvenienced”.
> 
> Secretary, David Babineau, said: “It’s clear that what’s happened is that the NSW Government has realised that it needs to drive people onto the light rail in order to justify the exorbitant amount of money it has blown on the project, and it doesn’t seem to care about the inconvenience that will cause for commuters.”
> 
> Coogee MP Marjorie O'Neill says cutting public transport is ‘simply insane’. Picture: Monique Harmer Source: News Corp Australia
> However, the government says a final decision on buses won’t be made until several months after the Kingsford light rail line opens next month.
> 
> “Bus services in the south east will be adjusted to reflect changed customer travel patterns, while express bus services will be retained to complement the light rail,” a Transport for NSW spokeswoman said.
> 
> “Planning for these changes is still in the early stages and will be informed by Opal data, changed customer travel patterns, and feedback. The detailed plan has not been finalised.”
> 
> She added that changes will be released for public feedback and adjustments will include new additional bus routes, modifications to existing routes and more express services.
> 
> “Early modelling of bus changes will retain most existing transport connections as well as improving how customers travel around the local area and move between major hubs such as Central, Randwick, Kingsford and Taylor Square,” she said.
> 
> Here are the services earmarked for the chop in the leaked report: 302, 314, 317, 373, 376, 377, 393, 394, 395, 397, 399, L94, M10, M50, 891 and 893
> 
> These services which could be modified to align with the light rail: 303, 307, 313, 316, 348, 370, 374, 377, 391, 392, 396 and 400
> 
> There were no changes proposed to the following services: 338, 339, 343, 357, 372 and 418


----------



## dimlys1994

From Metro Report

https://www.railwaygazette.com/ocea...management-consultant-appointed/55966.article

*Sydney Metro West project management consultant appointed*
6 March 2020










AUSTRALIA: Turner & Townsend was appointed to provide project management services for the A$6·4bn Sydney Metro West project on March 5.

The contract includes capital, operating and maintenance cost planning as well as risk and schedule management for the 24 km of twin underground tunnels between Westmead and the Sydney Central Business District.

According to Turner & Townsend, new metro station locations have been confirmed at Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock and The Bays Precinct.

Construction is expected to commence later this year, with tunnelling to start in 2022. Parts of the line are scheduled to be opened by late 2020s

...


----------



## linum

https://www.sydneymetro.info/west/project-overview

I really hope they do make a stop under Pyrmont, and extend the metro east of the city centre (CBD) towards Maroubra - well anywhere south-eastern.


----------



## onetwothree

^ A station under Pyrmont should be a given, and I think they should even consider a station around Balmain Rd between The Bays Precinct and Five Dock and the Rydalmere option between the Olympic Park and Parramatta. Some of the distances between stations seem quite jarring.


----------



## ArtNouveau

The project is not $6.4B. Closer to $20B AUD


----------



## linum

onetwothree said:


> ^ A station under Pyrmont should be a given, and I think they should even consider a station around Balmain Rd between The Bays Precinct and Five Dock and the Rydalmere option between the Olympic Park and Parramatta. Some of the distances between stations seem quite jarring.


Suburban Sydney is very large. Too large I think.

It would be great if the Sydney Metro West once it reached the city centre then continued to Taylor Square, Paddington Town Hall - then continued east to Maroubra. This part of Sydney is badly under-serviced by good trasnit.


----------



## historyworks

linum said:


> Suburban Sydney is very large. Too large I think.
> 
> It would be great if the Sydney Metro West once it reached the city centre then continued to Taylor Square, Paddington Town Hall - then continued east to Maroubra. This part of Sydney is badly under-serviced by good trasnit.


I think the general plan is to turn the line south through South Sydney then across to Maroubra Junction and along Anzac Pde to Malabar. Still under investigation.


----------



## linum

historyworks said:


> I think the general plan is to turn the line south through South Sydney then across to Maroubra Junction and along Anzac Pde to Malabar. Still under investigation.












I don't know how accurate this is - but I feel like Randwick now with light-rail - does it also need a metro stop? I like the idea of Maroubra and Malabar getting stops though.

I think Zetland (under the Coles) definitely needs a Metro stop. Green Square is getting too much use.


----------



## historyworks

linum said:


> I don't know how accurate this is - but I feel like Randwick now with light-rail - does it also need a metro stop? I like the idea of Maroubra and Malabar getting stops though.
> 
> I think Zetland (under the Coles) definitely needs a Metro stop. Green Square is getting too much use.


That's somebody's fantasy map. A SE line would likely go via Zetland to Maroubra Junction and Malabar. It wouldn't duplicate the SE light rail but would link with it.


----------



## linum

historyworks said:


> That's somebody's fantasy map. A SE line would likely go via Zetland to Maroubra Junction and Malabar. It wouldn't duplicate the SE light rail but would link with it.


Figured as much. Yes Zetland, Maroubra Junction, Malabar would seem the logical route. If the metro stops at or near St James - maybe between the city and Zetland - there could be a Surry Hills (Crown/Campbell or Albion) metro stop too.

There will need to be a rail link from the new airport (in whoop whoop) into the city - whether it's train or metro - who knows.


----------



## mw123

History made as metro tunnelling complete under Sydney Harbour

New twin metro railway tunnels deep under Sydney Harbour are complete in a historic milestone – with _*all tunnelling now finished on the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project.*_

Mega boring machine Kathleen has arrived north of the harbour, where she broke through a wall of sandstone in a spectacular arrival.

Tunnel Boring Machine Kathleen dug two 885 metre tunnels from Barangaroo to Blues Point.

It took two months to build the second tunnel – one month faster than the first, due to lessons learned like modifying the giant cutter head and changing tunnelling processes to better deal with the clay material at the bottom of the harbour.

_Transport for NSW | Sydney Metro_

_*The five TBMs on this project have delivered 31 kilometres of fully lined tunnels in only 17 months.*_


----------



## mw123




----------



## mw123

Sydney train by Greg, on Flickr

19SHDP083-054 - Sydney Out &amp; About by gdaymateowyagoin, on Flickr

MARTIN PLACE CBD by LEONARD EPSTEIN, on Flickr

8am Sydney train to Marrickville by Christine Lynch, on Flickr

Citadis X05 #08-#07 by N475 Photography, on Flickr

Sydney Trains by Busologist, on Flickr


----------



## ajw373

Ashis Mitra said:


> Sydney tram depots are at ULTIMO, LILYFIELD & RANDWICK.
> 
> Sydney metro depot is at ROUSEHILL.
> 
> _ULTIMO also had the first generation tram network until sixties._
> 
> *AM I RIGHT?*


Yes, yes and yes. (Though closed in the 50’s not 60’s)

Also worth noting Lilifield is primarily a maintenance depot and L2/L3 vehicles can only travel there as a single unit.


----------



## mw123

*L3 Light rail opens between the city and Kingsford - CBD & SE Light Rail Complete.*

Passenger services are now running on the new L3 Kingsford Line between Circular Quay and Kingsford, completing the 12-kilometre CBD and South East Light Rail network. Operations will be fine-tuned over a period of time as the L3 Kingsford Line is integrated with the L2 Randwick Line and while services are bedded down.

From tomorrow, 4 April 2020, trams on both the L2 Randwick Line and L3 Kingsford Line will operate between 5am and 1am, with weekday services between 7am and 7pm running every 4-8 minutes in the CBD and every 8-12 minutes in the South East.

_Transport for NSW | Sydney Light Rail_

_
















_


----------



## mw123

Video from Sydney Trains Vlogs of the new L3 service.


----------



## mw123

*Martin Place Metro Station*


----------



## mw123

Some recent videos from Sydney Trains Vlogs.


----------



## mw123

*Metro tunnelling to create thousands of jobs*

The tender process has started to build almost 50km of new metro railway tunnels between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD on the Sydney Metro West project.

The NSW Government has called for expressions of interest for the mega project’s first two major infrastructure packages – the delivery of twin tunnels between Westmead and The Bays.

Sydney Metro West will create more than 10,000 direct new jobs and 70,000 indirect jobs, with thousands of these jobs being generated by these new tunnelling contracts.

These contracts will require tunnellers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, concrete workers, truck drivers, labourers and security guards.

The first of four mega tunnel boring machines are expected to be in the ground before the end of 2022. 

The Sydney Metro West project will deliver a new underground driverless metro railway from Westmead to the city, doubling the rail capacity of this corridor and cutting travel times to around 20 minutes between Parramatta and the city.


----------



## Svartmetall

It's actually incredible how quickly this has happened.


----------



## dimlys1994




----------



## onetwothree

ArtNouveau said:


> What Historyworks said.
> As you can see, the line is proposed to extend South East to La Perouse. Initially it was supposed to branch down to Miranda in the Sutherland Shire (south of this picture), but now the thinking is that this will be a separate line.
> View attachment 598339


I thought the plan was to eventually extend the light rail from Kingsford down Anzac Parade but it seems that corridor is being taken over by Metro?


----------



## mw123

onetwothree said:


> I thought the plan was to eventually extend the light rail from Kingsford down Anzac Parade but it seems that corridor is being taken over by Metro?


I think it is likely we will see the light rail extended to Maroubra Junction and then that will be all for that line. Metro will be faster for the longer distances and will have more capacity. Transport planning in Sydney is very much dependent on TOD/housing redevelopment opportunities and this Anzac Parade corridor will be able to provide that. 

There is also an urgent need for another metro or train line through the fast growing Green Square/Zetland area where the existing station is already overcrowded and the population is set to double within the next few decades. 

@historyworks is our tram man and will be able to answer this much better than I.


----------



## historyworks

mw123 said:


> I think it is likely we will see the light rail extended to Maroubra Junction and then that will be all for that line. Metro will be faster for the longer distances and will have more capacity. Transport planning in Sydney is very much dependent on TOD/housing redevelopment opportunities and this Anzac Parade corridor will be able to provide that.
> 
> There is also an urgent need for another metro or train line through the fast growing Green Square/Zetland area where the existing station is already overcrowded and the population is set to double within the next few decades.
> 
> @historyworks is our tram man and will be able to answer this much better than I.


You're spot on. I'm very happy for you to replace me as "tram man"!


----------



## mw123

*Transport Minister calls time on Sydney's 'iconic' Manly ferries*

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance says time is up for Sydney's world-renowned Freshwater ferries that ply the Manly to Circular Quay route.

The first of the four ferries is set to be removed from service next year, while the others are likely to be retired as early as 2022.
The plan to retire the largest vessels in the government-owned fleet has been described as devastating by ferry enthusiasts, who warn it will leave a large gap in capacity over summer months on Sydney's most popular harbour route.

While acknowledging their importance to the community, Mr Constance said the Freshwater-class ferries were costly to maintain and "their time has come".

"The Freshwater-class is at the end of its life after 40 years and we are running a modern-class ferry fleet," he said. "My preference is to maintain and try and keep at least one of the vessels on the harbour going ... but, that said, we're yet to make that final determination."

The government intends to use three new Emerald-class ferries to replace the Freshwater vessels.









Transport Minister calls time on Sydney's 'iconic' Manly ferries


The first of the four Manly ferries immortalised by an Australian Crawl song is set to be removed from service next year.




www.smh.com.au





Collaroy - Freshwater Class Ferry by Black Diamond Images, on Flickr

With the retirement of the Freshwater Class, they will be increasing frequencies to make up for the lower capacity of the new ferries (400pax v 1000pax seating capacity). Travel time will also be reduced from 30 mins down to 23 mins.


----------



## mw123




----------



## Svartmetall

Sydney is actually doing a pretty darn good job with its transport at the moment. They're rectifying a lot of past mistakes and underinvestment. I can see why people like the current government - a bit like Perth worshipped the ground Saint Alannah walked on due to the trains.


----------



## historyworks

Svartmetall said:


> Sydney is actually doing a pretty darn good job with its transport at the moment. They're rectifying a lot of past mistakes and underinvestment. I can see why people like the current government - a bit like Perth worshipped the ground Saint Alannah walked on due to the trains.


It's easily the biggest investment and most major work since the 1930s. They have a lot of neglect to catch up on!


----------



## Svartmetall

historyworks said:


> It's easily the biggest investment and most major work since the 1930s. They have a lot of neglect to catch up on!


That's true, but it is a very impressive level of change for a western country these days. We rarely see such ambitious projects these days, sadly (though one could argue that we don't need it in most cities as the infrastructure is in place.


----------



## mw123

I think we are lucky to have Gladys Berejiklian as Premier (who was previously transport minister).

She has been remarkably proactive and progressive for a Liberal party politician across a range of issues and seems to have the passion to see large projects through and get them done despite facing tremendous opposition from all sorts. Getting that metro built was unfortunately no easy political task. Now that the first stage has been built, the wheels have been set in motion and it's easier to continue building more. Labor actually took a policy platform to cut back on the metro program at the last election - one numpty even suggested ripping up the light rail!

It's also the simple things that have been implemented under her leadership regarding transport that have made a difference such as:


The implementation of unified and consistent transport branding.
The very successful Opal card and contactless card rollout.
Stations across the state have been refreshed, reconfigured, modernised and are cleaner than ever before (Town Hall, Wynyard and Central are particularly notable examples).
The actual trains and buses are also cleaner than ever before.
Accessibility upgrades across the state.
Rolling stock upgrades across the state (A/B Sets in Sydney and the new D Set intercity and bi-mode CAF Civity regional trains that are about to hit the tracks).
Bus and ferry route improvements (Northern Beaches B-line, Bondi 333, Airport 420/400 buses now run 24/7).
Ferry upgrades - the new Emerald class ferries are very nice, the older First Fleet boats have been refreshed and most wharves have been upgraded to a consistent modern design.
Regional town and city bus improvements
Building of the Newcastle light rail and subsequent bus route reforms. It is a pleasure taking a day trip up there nowadays without a car.
On demand bus/ferry trial in some areas.
Open patronage and realtime location/occupancy data for almost every transport vehicle (playing around with _Anytrip_ can be quite fun).
Conversion of Sydney Trains to European Train Control System signalling (ETCS Level 2).
The recently announced plan to convert every bus in the state to be fully electric.
Development and planning reforms regarding land around stations requiring an increase in high and medium density housing around public transport corridors. So many stations are almost unrecognisable compared to a decade ago with the amount of development that has gone up around them. Sydney will likely be the first Australian city to have less than 50% of its housing stock as detached housing at the next census. I also believe this has been the major factor behind the astronomical patronage growth figures we have been seeing in recent years.
I think it just goes to show that individuals sometimes matter more than political parties and it is refreshing to have seen so much completed over the last decade with more to look forward to in the decade ahead. As we all know, 2000-2010 was abysmal.


----------



## mw123




----------



## mw123

Along with the bus service changes on the North Shore, the government has also announced changes across the Inner West. Mostly simplification of bus routes along with increased frequencies. A few seem to be truncated to act as feeder services to train stations and some of the longer routes will become higher frequency express services (461 and 438 in particular).

There will be almost 1000 new weekly services in the Inner West region. This is notable as some of these routes predate buses when they used to be tram services running with same route numbers as today (eg. route 466). They haven't been altered in what must be close to 100 years.

The list of changes is long and complex however they can be found here:





__





Transport news | transportnsw.info


Stay across the most recent updates and changes to services, as well as major event information and improvements to the public transport network in NSW




transportnsw.info





*Bus service changes from 25 October*

_From 25 October, there will be bus service changes across Sydney and surrounding areas, including almost 1,000 additional weekly bus services in the Inner West. This will include new faster services on Parramatta Road and more services on Sundays, as well as extra services on key routes.

In other areas, there will be over 530 additional weekly bus services introduced, with many services added in the early morning and evening on some routes. There will also be some minor changes to bus stop arrangements along Anzac Parade in Kensington_


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## mw123

*Crows Nest Station construction contract signed*

A $370 million contract has been awarded to build Sydney Metro’s new Crows Nest Station.

Construction company AW Edwards will deliver the station, which will include two entrances, footpaths, lighting, retail space, improvements to pedestrian and cyclist safety around the site and enabling works for future over station developments.

The station will provide new metro rail access to the Crows Nest residential area, local schools and businesses and serve people within walking and cycling distance.

It will also create a new transport focus on the southern side of the St Leonards specialised centre which supports the St Leonards southern gateway to commercial and mixed-use activities.

The project will support hundreds of new jobs, with more than 300 workers on site during peak phases of construction activity.

Construction of the station will start in January 2021 and is due to be completed in 2023.






Crows Nest Station construction contract signed | Sydney Metro


A $370 million contract has been awarded to build Sydney Metro’s new Crows Nest Station. Construction company AW Edwards will deliver the station, which will include two entrances, footpaths, lighting, retail space, improvements to pedestrian and cyclist safety around the site and enabling works...




www.sydneymetro.info


----------



## redcode

Svartmetall said:


> Sydney is actually doing a pretty darn good job with its transport at the moment. They're rectifying a lot of past mistakes and underinvestment. I can see why people like the current government - a bit like Perth worshipped the ground Saint Alannah walked on due to the trains.


Sydney seems to be on the roll lately. It's expanding PT left and right, while skyscrapers are rising all over the place too


----------



## onetwothree

I agree with everyone praising the investment happening in Sydney at the moment, this thread is a joy to follow with all the things going on.


----------



## mw123

Detailed design has been released for Luddenham Station on the Western Sydney Airport line. The video also suggests that this line will be operated with three car Alstom Metropolis sets.

You can also do a 360 degree tour of the station here (just scroll down a little) --> Project overview | Sydney Metro


----------



## dimlys1994




----------



## dimlys1994




----------



## mw123

*Martin Place Metro Station cavern has been completed six months ahead of schedule*

The metro caverns at Martin Place have been completed about six months ahead of schedule – the next step is laying tracks and building the new underground station, which will service the heart of the Sydney CBD.

It took nearly two years to excavate and build the mammoth caverns that will house the metro platforms.

The caverns under Castlereagh and Elizabeth Street are each 28 metres below street level at Martin Place, are 220 metres long and 14 metres wide.

Excavation was completed ahead of the arrival of the first tunnel boring machine, TBM Nancy on 11 October 2019. TBM Mum Shirl was not far behind, breaking through into the cavern on 23 October 2019.

About 126,000 tonnes of rock was excavated from the two caverns and more than 5,500 tonnes of steel installed.

The smooth finished lining of the caverns required more than 21,500 tonnes of concrete.

Nine tunnels have also been built to connect commuters to the new station entrances as well as to the end of the platforms at the existing Martin Place Station.

*


































*









First look at Martin Place caverns | Sydney Metro


The metro caverns at Martin Place have been completed about six months ahead of schedule – the next step is laying tracks and building the new underground station, which will service the heart of the Sydney CBD.




www.sydneymetro.info


----------



## dimlys1994




----------



## mw123

*Mascot Station Access Upgrade Project*

Planning is underway to improve access and enhance pedestrian flow in and around Mascot Station. Transport for NSW is proposing to create a new station entrance on the western side of Bourke Street.

Key features of the works include:

new integrated entrance/exit into Mascot Station which provides a place for community interaction
escalators and a lift to the lower/paid concourse
additional ticket gates
new toilets in the paid concourse of the station.









Mascot Station Access Upgrade Project


What are we doing at Mascot Station? Construction is underway to create a second station entrance on the western side of Bourke Street, opposite the existing station entrance. This will improve access and enhance pedestrian flow in and around Mascot Station. Key




yoursay.transport.nsw.gov.au














Small upgrade to Mascot station creating a second entrance on the other side of the road (right hand side of this image below).


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## mw123




----------



## mw123

*Pitt Street Station update*

The new underground Pitt Street metro station in the Sydney CBD is taking shape with waterproofing and concrete lining nearing completion.
More than 67,000 tonnes of concrete has been used to line the main station tunnels at Pitt Street.

More than 29,000 square metres of waterproofing membrane has also been installed – enough to cover the ground at the Sydney Cricket Ground. 

Excavation of the northern and southern station entries, on Park and Bathurst streets respectively, also continues. 









Pitt Street Station update | Sydney Metro


The new underground Pitt Street metro station in the Sydney CBD is taking shape with waterproofing and concrete lining nearing completion.




www.sydneymetro.info


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## mw123

*Four new trams promised for Sydney's crowded Inner West line*

The NSW government will purchase four new light rail vehicles for Sydney’s crowded Inner West line, allowing it to move an extra 1000 people during the post-pandemic peak.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the government would begin the procurement process for the four new trams in coming months, which are expected to arrive within two years.

Patronage was increasing at more than two per cent per year before the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 10 million trips recorded in 2019. And while that dropped during the pandemic, the light rail hasn’t been hit as hard as trains, Mr Constance said.

“People are opting for public transport over cars, that’s the thing about Sydney, it has really become a train city, it wouldn’t matter if it was light rail, metro or the inter-city trains.”

While the government is yet to put a price tag on the four new light rail vehicles, it is expected to cost roughly $40 million. Peak hour services will increase from every eight minutes to six minutes once the four new trams arrive, increasing capacity by more than 30 per cent and building the fleet from 12 to 16.









Four new trams promised for Sydney's crowded Inner West line


The NSW government will purchase four new trams for Sydney's crowded Inner West light rail line, increasing peak capacity by more than 30 per cent by 2023.




www.smh.com.au


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## historyworks

I'd say there's a mistake in that news release. The trams would cost about $4 million each. $10 million per tram is a ridiculous figure.


----------



## mw123

The first tracks for the Parramatta Light Rail line have been laid! 

*Parramatta Light Rail on track at Westmead*

The first light rail track has been laid at Westmead, as part of the Parramatta Light Rail project, Transport for New South Wales announced on Thursday 12 November.

The commencement of track work at Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, marks a milestone for the network that will connect Westmead to Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD and Camellia when it opens in 2023.

The start of track work at Hawkesbury Road in Westmead showed significant progress had been made on the project.

The 48-metre track installation follows months of preparation including the relocation of underground utilities and the widening of Hawkesbury Road at Westmead, in association with the Westmead Redevelopment, one of the biggest health infrastructure projects in NSW.






Tracks laid at Westmead | Home | Parramatta Light Rail


The first light rail track has been laid at Westmead, as part of the Parramatta Light Rail project, Transport for New South Wales announced on Thursday 12 November. The commencement of track work at Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, marks a milestone for the network that will connect Westmead to...




www.parramattalightrail.nsw.gov.au





_Photos by @wormhole_


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## mw123




----------



## dimlys1994

mw123 said:


>


So trains will arrive to abandoned platforms 26 & 27 or they will be used as communications and power rooms, like it was said in the article?








Central Station update | Sydney Metro


Major construction work is well underway at Central Station to deliver Sydney Metro, including the new Central Walk.




www.sydneymetro.info


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## dimlys1994




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## mw123

dimlys1994 said:


> So trains will arrive to abandoned platforms 26 & 27 or they will be used as communications and power rooms, like it was said in the article?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Central Station update | Sydney Metro
> 
> 
> Major construction work is well underway at Central Station to deliver Sydney Metro, including the new Central Walk.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.sydneymetro.info


They will be used as comms and power rooms to support the metro.


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## mw123

*Metro West construction officially underway*

Work has officially started on the Sydney Metro West mega project, which will create tens of thousands of jobs and transform Greater Sydney for generations to come.

The Bays Station site, is being prepared for the arrival of tunnel boring machines.

The project will help cut crowding on three major train lines and take tens of thousands of cars off the roads every day.

It will create more than 10,000 direct new jobs and around 70,000 indirect jobs.

Sydney Metro West will deliver new fully accessible stations at Westmead, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, North Strathfield, Burwood North, Five Dock, The Bays and the Sydney CBD.

This once in a century infrastructure investment will have a target travel time of about 20 minutes between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD, link new communities to rail services and support employment growth and housing supply.

The road works at The Bays, assessed and approved earlier this year, will allow the first of four mega tunnel boring machines to be in the ground before the end of 2022.









Metro West construction underway | Sydney Metro


Work has officially started on the Sydney Metro West mega project, which will create tens of thousands of jobs and transform Greater Sydney for generations to come.




www.sydneymetro.info





__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1328820113299054593


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## dimlys1994




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## mw123

A few photos I've taken of A/B Waratah train sets lately.


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## mw123

The train line across the Sydney Harbour Bridge will be shut down for 10 days in early January to replace the original 88 year old wooden deck with a new concrete base designed to last for 120 years.


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## hkskyline

* 'Sent to purgatory': Parramatta light rail extension starved of funding *
Sydney Morning Herald _Excerpt_
Nov 17, 2020

The Berejiklian government has not allocated any funding in the state budget for the second stage of the Parramatta light rail project, all but confirming that it will not be built.

It comes as Transport Minister Andrew Constance met the NSW Auditor-General on Tuesday to discuss a review he ordered of Transport for NSW's controversial purchase of a highly contaminated site at Camellia, near Parramatta.

It follows revelations in the Herald that the government paid three times as much as the Valuer-General's estimate for the land, which was bought for a tram depot for the light rail line. The land deal in 2016 delivered a Sydney property developer a $15 million windfall in a matter of months.

More : 'Sent to purgatory': Parramatta light rail extension starved of funding


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## mw123




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## mw123

*Sydney aims to turn entire bus fleet electric by 2030*

Fifty new electric buses will roll out across Sydney’s public transport network next year and the NSW government is aiming to convert the city’s entire fleet by 2030.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said too much energy was being expended on debating climate change policy, and pointed to the procurement of electric buses as evidence the NSW government was ready to reform.









Sydney aims to turn entire bus fleet electric by 2030


The first 50 fully electric buses will be rolled out across Sydney during 2021. The inner west region will get 30.




www.smh.com.au


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## Nouvellecosse

8000 buses? I wonder why would it need so many. Seems like a lot for its size compared to other cities. For instance, Greater Toronto only has about 4450 buses across the different agencies while NYC has 5725 according to wiki. Not even greater London has much more compared to the population difference at about 9100 buses.


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## mw123

Nouvellecosse said:


> 8000 buses? I wonder why would it need so many. Seems like a lot for its size compared to other cities. For instance, Greater Toronto only has about 4450 buses across the different agencies while NYC has 5725 according to wiki. Not even greater London has much more compared to the population difference at about 9100 buses.


I am suspecting that figure could be every bus in the state and SMH has misinterpreted that. I wouldn't be surprised either; that newspaper has a new transport reporter who has been prone to making errors like that. _Edit: I've noticed that they've changed the headline today as someone has probably pointed out that error to them._

An article from Australasian Bus and Coach suggests that the 8000 figure refers to the entire state:

_"As part of the NSW Zero Emission strategy, which aims to replace The Premier State’s entire 8000-bus fleet with electric-powered vehicles by 2030, the Transit Systems allotment of Gemilang-bodied BYD e-chassis buses are set to arrive progressively at their Sydney depots from February, 2021, the operator confirms."_









AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST ORDER OF E-BUSES PLACED TO DATE


BUS OPERATOR Transit Systems – part of the Australia’s multi-modal Sealink public transport group...




www.busnews.com.au





Also for anyone interested, I found this very comprehensive (40min) youtube overview of the existing electric buses in Sydney and how they've performed. Kudos to Transit Systems for allowing him to make this video too!


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## historyworks

There are 5,472 buses in the Sydney metropolitan fleet. Sydney has a population of 5 million.


----------



## mw123




----------



## dimlys1994

From Syndey Metro's website:









Southwest metro upgrade - update | Sydney Metro


A $227 million contract has been awarded to John Holland Pty Ltd and Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction Pty Ltd to upgrade to metro rail standards the more than 125-year-old Bankstown Line between Sydenham and Bankstown.




www.sydneymetro.info


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## mw123

*Victoria Cross Station







*


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## mw123

With new B set trains hitting the network, the C set trains manufactured in 1986/87 will be retired within the next few weeks. That will leave the older K sets as the only remaining 'silver' type trains on the Sydney Trains network.


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## mw123

*The $1 billion plan to increase Sydney’s peak-hour train capacity*

Hundreds of extra train services will run through Sydney’s Inner West and T8 Airport lines every week under a $1 billion plan to increase peak-hour capacity by as much as 80 per cent on parts of the city’s transport network by 2024.

The NSW government will set aside the money in Thursday’s half-yearly budget update to bolster the existing rail network capacity in time for the Metro City and Southwest’s opening.

The plan will take existing services from the soon-to-be converted Sydenham to Bankstown line and funnel them into the T2, T8, T4 Illawarra Line and South Coast line. It will also include funding for new trains, however the government is yet to finalise a contract.

Morning peak services will increase by 80 per cent at the Domestic, International, Mascot and Green Square stations on the T8 line, while an extra 4800 customer spaces will be created on the Inner West Line, with a train expected every three minutes.

Services will also increase by 30 per cent, with space for 6000 more customers, on the T4 Illawarra Line. Non-peak services between Wollongong and Sydney will jump from hourly to half-hourly.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the government needed to “future-proof” the network in a sign the state anticipates strong resurgence to its public transport network post-pandemic.

“Moving Bankstown Line services to the new standalone metro system removes an existing bottleneck and frees up capacity to deliver more services on other lines where it’s needed,” he said.
“One billion dollars in funding ensures we’re future-proofing the existing rail network to keep pace with demand.”

While patronage has recently pushed close to 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, the network spent much of 2020 operating at or below 50 per cent.


















The $1 billion plan to increase Sydney’s peak-hour train capacity


Extra train services will run through Sydney’s Inner West and T8 Airport lines under a $1 billion plan to increase peak-hour capacity by as much as 80 per cent on parts of the city’s transport network by 2024.




www.smh.com.au


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## mw123

New renders of the Parramatta Light Rail have been released.









































































Parramatta Light Rail | Parramatta







www.parramattalightrail.nsw.gov.au


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## zergcerebrates

^ will the light rail be connected to Sydney CBD?


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## ajw373

zergcerebrates said:


> ^ will the light rail be connected to Sydney CBD?


No. It’s a stand-alone route.


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## dimlys1994




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## historyworks

zergcerebrates said:


> ^ will the light rail be connected to Sydney CBD?


Parramatta has a separate CBD, about 18 km from Sydney CBD. This light rail line is centred on Parramatta. The connection to Sydney is by train, bus and ferry.


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## Rational Plan

Well in theory, they could be , if the major roads between them have high bus use, as a means to increase capacity that way. But it would only be useful to link local activity sites, such as hospitals, colleges, office parks etc to railway stations and residential areas. Even is there was track between the two CBD's, not sure if they would want to run a route the entire length. 

But there is only so much money to go round and everyone wants to it go on Metro's for the foreseeable future. Even if there was a push for more LRT lines it will be in areas that don't have great transport and are not going to get Metro's.


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## mw123

I don't see it making any sense to run a light rail line from Parramatta to the CBD. They _could_ be linked however it is simply too great a distance for a light rail line and it wouldn't link up with other stations or local activity sites. The road corridor between Parramatta and Strathfield (half way between Parramatta and the CBD) is full of light industrial, warehousing, car dealerships and big box retail - not really an ideal light rail environment. 

It makes even less sense when we consider that there will be a new metro line that will connect the two centres in under 20mins.


----------



## ajw373

mw123 said:


> I don't see it making any sense to run a light rail line from Parramatta to the CBD. They _could_ be linked however it is simply too great a distance for a light rail line and it wouldn't link up with other stations or local activity sites. The road corridor between Parramatta and Strathfield (half way between Parramatta and the CBD) is full of light industrial, warehousing, car dealerships and big box retail - not really an ideal light rail environment.
> 
> It makes even less sense when we consider that there will be a new metro line that will connect the two centres in under 20mins.


I partially agree. 

Where I don’t is the section of Parramatta road you mention is not part of the existing plans anyway. Stage 2 of the existing plans (which probably won’t happen) sees the line run through the redevelopment area closer to the river and onwards to Olympic Park. No reason why the line couldn’t run from here to Strathfield and then onwards towards the city. 

The section between Strathfield and the City is an area ripe for redevelopment and light-rail would help as no doubt it would be far higher density. 

It of course would not be of use for end to end commuting but with enough traffic generators on the way that is irrelevant anyway.


----------



## mw123

ajw373 said:


> I partially agree.
> 
> Where I don’t is the section of Parramatta road you mention is not part of the existing plans anyway. Stage 2 of the existing plans (which probably won’t happen) sees the line run through the redevelopment area closer to the river and onwards to Olympic Park. No reason why the line couldn’t run from here to Strathfield and then onwards towards the city.
> 
> The section between Strathfield and the City is an area ripe for redevelopment and light-rail would help as no doubt it would be far higher density.
> 
> It of course would not be of use for end to end commuting but with enough traffic generators on the way that is irrelevant anyway.


I like this idea tbh and would support it. 

I just wonder if it would become unwieldy and unreliable if it is a system of that length going all the way out to Parramatta from the CBD. I suppose you could build multiple turn backs along the route incase of an incident somewhere along the line.

Either way something does need to be done with Parramatta Rd once Westconnex fully opens. I think we're all sick and tired of seeing plans being talked about and nothing happening.


----------



## Khaul

Light rail would be very beneficial if implemented in or around the first two or three kilometres of Parramatta Road. Starting at Central then Broadway, City Road, Missenden Road, Parramatta Road and Norton Street. That would provide excellent service to Sydney Uni the dense northern part or Newtown and turn Parramatta Road up to Leichhardt in a finger extension of the CBD. 

Someone in the Australian forums proposed a similar idea. Services could run as follows:

L1: Dulwich Hill to Randwick
L2: Circular Quay to Juniors Kingsford
L3: Circular Quay to Norton Street


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## historyworks

L1 and L2/L3 have been built to different clearance and accessibility standards. It's not possible to run trams in pasenger service between them. While L2/L3 trams can run along L1 to reach the common maintenance workshops for both systems, they don't have the correct clearances to comply with accessibility standards and thus take passengers..


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## ajw373

You would think that it what was suggested were implemented that any such incompatibility would be rectified.

All moot though as it’s not an official plan.


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## historyworks

ajw373 said:


> You would think that it what was suggested were implemented that any such incompatibility would be rectified.
> 
> All moot though as it’s not an official plan.


Reworking all the infrastructure including platforms and replacing the rolling stock fleet would be a good reason why it's not an official plan! I don't even know which set of standards the Parramatta light rail is being built to but it might be one of its own. These systems weren't intended to link with each other.


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## hkskyline

They can turn this into a museum?









‘Rubbish in our sky’: Sydney monorail station left in limbo after seven years


The state government and Sydney Council are in a standoff over who will pay the $2 million to dismantle one of the last monorail stations.




www.smh.com.au


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## mw123

*Parramatta Light Rail*

Photo taken at Church Street by @ArthurDayne


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## mw123

*Barangaroo Station - update*

A $217 million contract has been awarded to build the new Barangaroo Station, which is taking shape 30 metres underground.

The contract, awarded to BESIX Watpac, includes the station fit out, building a station entrance next to Nawi Cove and upgrading Hickson Road.

At Nawi Cove and along Hickson Road, there will be new footpaths, trees, lighting, bike parking and street furniture, as well as a new separated cycle link.

The station fit out, which will start in October, will create 300 jobs at the peak of construction.

The station will transform access to the Walsh Bay Arts and Cultural precinct, as well as providing easy access to nearby residential, commercial and entertainment areas and the ferry hub, while taking pressure off Wynyard and Martin Place stations.









Barangaroo Station - update | Sydney Metro


A $217 million contract has been awarded to build the new Barangaroo Station, which is taking shape 30 metres underground.




www.sydneymetro.info


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## mw123




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## mw123

*Central Station - new metro platforms*








_Photo posted by @.G. _


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## mw123

*Barangaroo Station - progress*







*Waterloo Station - progress*


----------



## mw123

*Railway line moved to make way for metro*

A major Sydney railway line has been picked up and moved in just 48 hours, to make way for the brand new Sydney Metro.

The Sydney Trains T1 North Shore Line had to be permanently realigned, between Chatswood and Artarmon, because the existing suburban railway tracks were effectively blocking the new city-bound Sydney Metro.

A team of 250 workers completed the critical track work at Chatswood, so that Sydney Metro can be extended from the city’s north west into the Sydney CBD and beyond to Bankstown.

The northbound Sydney Trains track, which was first built in 1890, was cut and moved to connect with new tracks 20 metres to the west, to make way for the Metro North West Line to extend into the new twin metro tunnels.

The huge operation took 48 hours to cut, slew and join the existing suburban line with almost 900 metres of new track and about 2.5 kilometres of new overhead wiring.

So far almost 11 kilometres of track and more than 10,000 railway sleepers have been installed as part of the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project.






Railway line moved to make way for metro | Sydney Metro


A major Sydney railway line has been picked up and moved in just 48 hours, to make way for the brand new Sydney Metro. The Sydney Trains T1 North Shore Line had to be permanently realigned, between Chatswood and Artarmon, because the existing suburban railway tracks were effectively blocking the...




www.sydneymetro.info


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## historyworks

The first Australian-designed and built electric bus. By Custom Denning in Sydney for the national market, plus planning for export to UK.

























*CHASSIS:* Denning 100% low floor
*BODY:* Custom Denning, stainless steel frame
*DIMENSIONS:* 12.5m long x 2.5m wide x 3.3m high (2.45m ceiling height inside)
*WEIGHT:* Slightly more than 12 tonnes unladen
*BATTERIES:* Six 63kWh LMP from Blue Solutions Bollore (France), giving 378kWh
*VOLTAGE:* 450–648 volts
*RANGE:* 500km / 16+ hours
*ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS, DRIVE:* Actia drive motor. Power - 250kW, Torque - 3,000Nm
*STEERING:* Moteg electric power steering
*AXLES:* ZF front and rear, with offset diff and drop axle for low-floor layout
*CHARGING INPUT:* DC-CCS Type 2
*BRAKES AND SUSPENSION:* Wabco with electronically controlled air suspension
*SEATING:* 43 seats; total design capacity 80 including standees; Custom Denning Metro seats
*DOORS:* Ventura (Holland) leaf-style front door and plug-type rear door for better sealing to improve the efficiency of the air conditioning and reduce battery strain
*AIR CONDITIONING:* Valeo HV
*SAFETY SYSTEMS:* EBS, ESP, LDWS, collision warning system, pedestrian warning system
*MISC.:* LED lights, electric air compressor, on-board telematics offering live CAN data and operational information, ADR approved


----------



## mw123

The new New South Wales intercity trains:


----------



## mw123

New LED indicator screen at Central Station.


----------



## mw123

Central Station expansion/renovation continues.


----------



## zergcerebrates

mw123 said:


> The new New South Wales intercity trains:


I wonder why they changed to fix seating.


----------



## mw123

zergcerebrates said:


> I wonder why they changed to fix seating.


I'm guessing it was so they could install tray tables. Hopefully they are comfortable.


----------



## mw123

*Parramatta Light Rail construction*


----------



## mw123




----------



## Nouvellecosse

I've always loved that grand Victoria building!


----------



## mw123

Some big news! The location of two new Metro stations at Pyrmont and Hunter Street for the Metro West project have been confirmed.

*Sydney's newest metro stations announced*

Two new metro stations have been confirmed at Pyrmont and at Hunter Street in the Sydney central business district on the Sydney Metro West project.

The new Hunter Street Station will have entrances on the corner of Hunter and George streets, and Bligh and O’Connell streets, connecting customers to suburban rail lines as well as light rail.

It is strategically located in the heart of Sydney, allowing commuters to easily connect to Sydney Trains at Wynyard and Martin Place, and Sydney Metro at Martin Place.

The future Pyrmont Station will be located between Pyrmont Bridge Road and Union Street, providing easy access to Pyrmont Bridge.

Sydney Metro West connect Parramatta to the CBD in around 20 minutes and will double rail capacity between Greater Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.







*Map of how it integrates with the CBD stations. Hunter Street will be connected underground to Martin Place and Wynyard and directly above ground to light rail.*









* Hunter Street Station







*






























*Pyrmont Station







*

_








Sydney's newest metro stations announced | Sydney Metro


Two new metro stations have been confirmed at Pyrmont and at Hunter Street in the Sydney central business district on the Sydney Metro West project.




www.sydneymetro.info




_


----------



## Stuu

Is there any chance of it being extended east of the city centre? E.g Darlinghurst/Oxford St?


----------



## mw123

Stuu said:


> Is there any chance of it being extended east of the city centre? E.g Darlinghurst/Oxford St?


Yes. They are building stub tunnels and have indicated a rough alignment all the way out to La Perouse in the south east. We're not too sure how many stations there will be or their exact locations though.


----------



## mw123

New version of the Sydney rail network map has been released with the Metro West and the Western Sydney Airport line under construction.


----------



## mw123

*Martin Place Metro Station*
































__
http://instagr.am/p/COw2hPzHDi3/


----------



## Arnorian

I don't understand why end the southern branch at Bankstown. Why not extend it to Regents Park to connect to T3 going from Liverpool to Widcombe?


----------



## mw123

Arnorian said:


> I don't understand why end the southern branch at Bankstown. Why not extend it to Regents Park to connect to T3 going from Liverpool to Widcombe?


They are planning to extend that metro line on a new alignment from Bankstown to Liverpool.

It is going to look something like the map below in 2024 (subject to a few changes). Passengers at Birrong and Yagoona will be forced to interchange at either Bankstown or Lidcombe which is a bit of a messy solution.


----------



## mw123

*New light rail bridge lifted into place*

The state’s second longest steel arch bridge has been lifted into place over a busy Sydney road, in a major milestone for the Parramatta Light Rail project.

The bridge will connect light rail users, pedestrians and cyclists across James Ruse Drive in Rosehill which has 65,000 vehicle movements each day.

More than 200 workers have been involved in building and moving the 64-metre long and 16-metre-wide structure. It took four self-propelled modular transporters, also known as heavy haulage jacks, eight hours to move and lower the structure onto the bridge piers. The bridge will now be fitted out with light rail tracks.

The bridge will connect the local community with the new Tramway Avenue light rail stop on the western side of James Ruse Drive, and make it much safer for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the busy road.

The Parramatta Light Rail project is committed to using Australian resources and manufacturing - the steel was fabricated in a workshop at Rooty Hill and the bridge then assembled in Rosehill.






New light rail bridge lifted into place | Parramatta


The state’s second longest steel arch bridge has been lifted into place over a busy Sydney road, in a major milestone for the Parramatta Light Rail project. The bridge will connect light rail users, pedestrians and cyclists across James Ruse Drive in Rosehill which has 65,000 vehicle movements...




www.parramattalightrail.nsw.gov.au


----------



## mw123

The state government has announced that stage 2 of the Parramatta light rail will be going ahead.

*Planning and development works for Stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail*

The NSW Government is committing $50 million for planning and development works of Stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail in the upcoming 2021-22 NSW Budget.

This continues the record investment in public transport infrastructure, which is continuing to support thousands of jobs in the economy while also making Sydney and NSW a better place to live.

The funding will go towards planning, utilities and geotechnical investigations, as well as progress the development of the project’s Environmental Impact Statement.

The NSW Government previously announced a preferred route for the second stage of the Parramatta Light Rail that would connect Stage 1 and Parramatta CBD to Ermington, Melrose Park, Wentworth Point and Sydney Olympic Park.

The Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 and 2 will provide links with Sydney Metro West at Parramatta, Westmead and Sydney Olympic Park and the existing rail network at Parramatta and Sydney Olympic Park as well as ferries at Parramatta, Rydalmere and Wentworth Point.

Major construction of the $2.4 billion Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 is underway, connecting Westmead to Carlingford via the Parramatta CBD and Camellia, and is expected to commence operations in 2023.






Planning and development works for Stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail | Parramatta


The NSW Government is committing $50 million for planning and development works of Stage 2 of the Parramatta Light Rail in the upcoming 2021-22 NSW Budget. This continues the record investment in public transport infrastructure, which is continuing to support thousands of jobs in the economy...




www.parramattalightrail.nsw.gov.au

































_Link to renders_


----------



## mw123




----------



## historyworks

Sydney Tramway Museum has been uploading its "Shooting Through" history video to Youtube. This episode covers the Sydney south-eastern lines, including the lines now reinstated for the city and south-east light rail, featured in the above and earlier videos posted here. Note, by comparison, the general pace of the trams, including cornering speeds, and contemplate that this previous system had quicker journeys over the same routes than the new system, in spite of stopping at far more stops and carrying many more passengers. 

This second generation Sydney tram system (1879-1961) was one of the world's great tram systems before its destruction and still has its counterparts in the current great systems of Central Europe. The new Sydney light rail is a welcome return of the capacity lost, but unfortunately, like much modern light rail, its operation is a pale comparison.


----------



## historyworks

By way of contrast, here is a new video of the new south-east line L3 to Kingsford (Kingsford was called Daceyville in the historic video).


----------



## historyworks

Another extract from the Sydney Tramway Museum's "Shooting Through" DVD. The video covers the Watsons Bay and Eastern lines which were the busiest tram routes in Australia.






The Watsons Bay line was a remarkable operation, run since the 1930s by modern corridor cars at headways down to 40 seconds in the pm peak and generally not more than 1-5 minutes apart. This sort of intensity was only made possible by looped termini in the city, first at Erskine St and later at Queens Square. Not all services went to Watsons Bay, many being shortworked to Double Bay and Rose Bay. 

The government briefly closed the Watsons Bay line in 1949, replacing it with buses, causing such a public uproar, they had to reopen it in 1950. After that, they adopted a policy of tearing down the overhead wires the night they closed a line. None of the closures were popular, both public and councils flooding the government with complaints. Many lines such as these were also profitable to the very end, something that the replacement bus services were never to achieve. Nowadays New South Head Rd east of Edgecliff is served only very 10 to 15 minutes by buses with half the capacity of the trams they replaced. The route was transformed from something gigantic to something miniscule (until the train to Edgecliff came and at least picked up the inner section).

Similar issues of scale applied to the Bondi line which was served by 240 passenger coupled sets running every 1-2 minutes in peaks, providing the route with more than three times the capacity of the present articulated bus service. Incidentally, that grade they refer to up Phillip St from Circular Quay maxed at 8.3%. It took electric trams to extend the line down to CQ. The steam trams had to terminate up the top at Bridge St (as would today's Alstoms and CAFs!).


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## mw123

*Parramatta Light Rail *








*














*




https://www.facebook.com/watch/ParramattaLightRail/


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## mw123




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## mw123

Aerial photo of the Parramatta Light Rail bridge over James Ruse Drive. 










_Parramatta Light Rail Facebook_


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## mw123

Some images of the CBD & SE Light Rail line from Grimshaw Architects.




































































_Grimshaw Architects_


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## lechevallierpatrick

These trams are beautifull!Are they succesfull?


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## Khaul

lechevallierpatrick said:


> These trams are beautifull!Are they succesfull?


Patronage has exceeded expectations. George Street looks and works great without car traffic. The system is nice, comfortable and frequent. Speed has improved as well as operations in general. Construction and delivery was very, very messy. Some remaining problems are inherited from inexperienced and somehow arrogant engineering decisions.


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## mw123

Some early indicative renders of Waterloo Station.


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## historyworks

Khaul said:


> Patronage has exceeded expectations. George Street looks and works great without car traffic. The system is nice, comfortable and frequent. Speed has improved as well as operations in general. Construction and delivery was very, very messy. Some remaining problems are inherited from inexperienced and somehow arrogant engineering decisions.


Very hard to judge patronage considering the Chinese pandemic has been continuing through most of the life of the system. It's nowhere remotely near the original expectations of 20-30 million passengers per annum, but it's healthy enough in the present circumstances.

Its commercial speed is still one of the slowest of any tram system in the world and, while it's sufficient for the distance of the catchment it presently covers (about 8-9 km end to end), it's too slow for its other purpose which is to replace buses interchanging from the wider southeastern Sydney population catchment. There has been a huge public reaction to the plan to cut those buses back to interchange with the tram, including petitions of 20,000 signatures to State Parliament. These issues need to mentioned too. The story is not over yet.


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## Khaul

historyworks said:


> Very hard to judge patronage considering the Chinese pandemic has been continuing through most of the life of the system. It's nowhere remotely near the original expectations of 20-30 million passengers per annum, but it's healthy enough in the present circumstances.
> 
> Its commercial speed is still one of the slowest of any tram system in the world and, while it's sufficient for the distance of the catchment it presently covers (about 8-9 km end to end), it's too slow for its other purpose which is to replace buses interchanging from the wider southeastern Sydney population catchment. There has been a huge public reaction to the plan to cut those buses back to interchange with the tram, including petitions of 20,000 signatures to State Parliament. These issues need to mentioned too. The story is not over yet.


The CSLR recorded 1.5M boardings in April 2021. That's without tourists, international students going to UNSW and significantly less CBD patronage because of COVID. Under April conditions, that would equate to 18M yearly boardings. Under more normal circumstances, more than 20M boarding would be easily reached. In any case, the new LR has the highest patronage by km of track of all rail systems in Sydney, by a long way.

I don't have the expertise to comment on commercial speed. While I believe there is quite some room for improvement, I think I remember you telling us about commercial speed in Melbourne, being slower than the CSLR. Also, I doubt things like the Portland Streetcar or even most tram lines in Vienna (with stops every 300m) are faster.

UPDATE: I did not notice we are in the international forum. For our North American readers, the new Sydney light rail (CSLR) recorded about 8,000 weekly daily boardings per mile. That's more than the most patronised system in the US, Boston (2018 data). Sydney would also be above all the Canadian systems but Calgary by a smidge. It would only be well behind Guadalajara, which is more a light metro.


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## historyworks

Khaul said:


> The CSLR recorded 1.5M boardings in April 2021. That's without tourists, international students going to UNSW and significantly less CBD patronage because of COVID. Under April conditions, that would equate to 18M yearly boardings. Under more normal circumstances, more than 20M boarding would be easily reached. In any case, the new LR has the highest patronage by km of track of all rail systems in Sydney, by a long way.
> 
> I don't have the expertise to comment on commercial speed. While I believe there is quite some room for improvement, I think I remember you telling us about commercial speed in Melbourne, being slower than the CSLR. Also, I doubt things like the Portland Streetcar or even most tram lines in Vienna (with stops every 300m) are faster.


An urban tramway is a bus on rails, performing the function of a higher-capacity bus, not a train. Of course it's going to have higher patronage per track km than a heavy rail system because it performs a very intensive short-distance role. Better to compare it with a bus line and the busiest single bus route in Sydney is the 333 from the city to Bondi Beach which carries about 1 million ppa per route km, compared to a possible 1.5 million ppa per route km for the CSELR tram, which I would expect because it's the function of the tram to move more people than the bus. Otherwise you get those bus nuts arguing that a bus could do the job just as well, as they do!

The commercial (average) speed of CSELR is about 15.5 km/h. The Melbourne system averages 16 km/h but has to operate in conditions like this while the Sydney lines operate exclusively in their own lanes with fewer stops, so no excuse:









[M. Rowe photo]

Most traditional dense city tram systems typically average in the range 17-22 km/h, including Vienna from memory.

You are correct about the poor planning and engineering (to which can be added operation) of the new Sydney tram systems - what you get when you have people without a background and expertise in trams (typically heavy rail people). On top of this, they have ignorantly chosen the wrong trams, which contributes to the slowness. The Citadis and CAFs, with their fixed bogies, are designed for grid-layout cities with long, straight routes and few corners, not a city like Sydney with constant curves and corners. But on the positive side, as you say, they are slowly learning from experience and under the pressure of public criticism, so it should progressively get better in the long term. There is no question about its justification, just could be better, that's all.


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## prp002

historyworks said:


> The commercial (average) speed of CSELR is about 15.5 km/h. The Melbourne system averages 16 km/h but has to operate in conditions like this while the Sydney lines operate exclusively in their own lanes with fewer stops, so no excuse:


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## historyworks

prp002 said:


> View attachment 1906616


Why did you say "mmm no"? That piece (from ABC News I think) just confirms what I wrote.


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## Khaul

historyworks said:


> An urban tramway is a bus on rails, performing the function of a higher-capacity bus, not a train. Of course it's going to have higher patronage per track km than a heavy rail system because it performs a very intensive short-distance role. Better to compare it with a bus line and the busiest single bus route in Sydney is the 333 from the city to Bondi Beach which carries about 1 million ppa per route km, compared to a possible 1.5 million ppa per route km for the CSELR tram, which I would expect because it's the function of the tram to move more people than the bus. Otherwise you get those bus nuts arguing that a bus could do the job just as well, as they do!
> 
> The commercial (average) speed of CSELR is about 15.5 km/h. The Melbourne system averages 16 km/h but has to operate in conditions like this while the Sydney lines operate exclusively in their own lanes with fewer stops, so no excuse:
> 
> View attachment 1905492
> 
> [M. Rowe photo]
> 
> Most traditional dense city tram systems typically average in the range 17-22 km/h, including Vienna from memory.
> 
> You are correct about the poor planning and engineering (to which can be added operation) of the new Sydney tram systems - what you get when you have people without a background and expertise in trams (typically heavy rail people). On top of this, they have ignorantly chosen the wrong trams, which contributes to the slowness. The Citadis and CAFs, with their fixed bogies, are designed for grid-layout cities with long, straight routes and few corners, not a city like Sydney with constant curves and corners. But on the positive side, as you say, they are slowly learning from experience and under the pressure of public criticism, so it should progressively get better in the long term. There is no question about its justification, just could be better, that's all.


If the system would be working on time, I get a 17km/h average. Travel time would go down to 27min with a 20km/h average. Operations could be sped up in the suburban section just by tinkering with the traffic light priority. The city section is trickier as trams are supposed to run through a very long pedestrian mall, limited to 20km/h. This is very hard to reverse, as people are already used to the slow pace of trams.


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## historyworks

Khaul said:


> If the system would be working on time, I get a 17km/h average. Travel time would go down to 27min with a 20km/h average. Operations could be sped up in the suburban section just by tinkering with the traffic light priority. The city section is trickier as trams are supposed to run through a very long pedestrian mall, limited to 20km/h. This is very hard to reverse, as people are already used to the slow pace of trams.


According to the timetable, the running time on both lines varies between 32 and 34 minutes. Both lines are 8.5 km long with one extra stop on the L3. So the average speed ranges from 15 km/h at 34 minutes to 15.9 (lets say 16) km/h at 32 minutes.

Bear in mind that the old Sydney trams mostly wouldn't have exceeded 20 km/h along George St (indeed many tram systems would not in CBD centres) as they had a stop at almost every block corner - that is 12 stops, twice as many through the CBD as the new light rail. Yet they covered the stretch in the same time (15 minutes) as the new light rail. I have no doubt that the speed along George St should be raised to 30 but, as you say, that may be hard to achieve now. Back in the mid 1990s the police said that the 20 km/h speed limit for trams through the CBD would be temporary until pedestrians got used to it. Well it's now 2021!


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## Khaul

I see, I made my calculations for 9km on each branch. In any case, the timetable must have considerable padding (a very NSW tradition). TfNSW trip planner gives 13m from Circular Quay to Central Chalmers after 8pm. If they could reasonable speed up from Central to the termini we would be looking at less than 30' in total.


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## mw123

More detailed video of Hunter Street Station.


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## historyworks

mw123 said:


> More detailed video of Hunter Street Station.


The 1845 Skinners Hotel certainly looks an orphan there. I think it's the last remnant of Georgian Sydney left standing in George St. A couple of centuries ago the whole of George St looked like that. A vivid old and new contrast. The station is called Hunter St but it's effectively Wynyard.


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## mw123

*Tunnelling works continue on Sydney Metro City and Southwest*





































_Sydney Metro Facebook_


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## mw123

*Barangaroo Station*

Barangaroo Station is now ready for platforms, lifts and escalators following two years of excavation to a 30-metre depth.

The tunnel builder John Holland CPB Ghella has handed over the excavated Barangaroo Station box to the next contractor, BESIX Watpac, to build the station.

About 650,000 tonnes of crushed rock – enough to fill 100 Olympic swimming pools – was excavated for the station and the adjacent crossover cavern, where trains will be able to swap tracks underground.























_Sydney Metro Facebook_


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## mw123




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## mw123




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## historyworks

Sydney's Inner West light rail line (L1) has been closed and may be likely to remain so for up to 18 months due to a structural issue in the twelve CAF Urbos trams that operate the line. Substitute bus services have been arranged for this busy line that carried up to 10 million passengers per year (pre covid). Cracks have developed in the body structures and similar issues have arisen in other CAF trams elsewhere (e.g. West Midlands), so it is likely to be a global issue. 

Four more CAF trams are still on order for the inner west line and 13 are being built for the Parramatta line. A further six CAFs operate on the Newcastle line and 14 on the Canberra line. All of the Sydney lines have plenty of curves and corners, which are an issue for the fixed bogie type of tram (like the CAF and Citadis) that is popular with price-driven new light rail systems and there have been incidents like this previously in fixed bogie trams, for example in Siemens Combinos and Bombardier Variotrams. It is taking a long time for the industry to learn lessons. Legacy systems tend to use trams with proper swivelling bogies, unless there are routes running in straight lines that are suitable for fixed bogie trams.


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## mw123

*Parramatta Light Rail - First section of grassed track at Tramway Avenue. *








_Parramatta Light Rail Facebook_


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## mw123




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## ssiguy2

I've never understood the logic behind the Sydney Metro.

The spacing stops are nearly 3km apart which is far more a suburban system than a Metro one. Trains every 4 minutes in rush hour is decent but every 10 minutes off-peak sucks.

Also much of the route simply follows the same route as the suburban corridor that it replaced. To me it seems like Sydney has just replaced one suburban system with another with the only benefit being operational savings from automation. If the lines needed higher capacity there are vastly cheaper and more efficient ways to do it than building a complete Metro from scratch. If they need a new downtown tunnel then fine to increase capacity but they certainly didn't have to build a whole new system. 

When I look at the system route, station spacing, and incredibly lousy ridership numbers {2019} for a 36 km route, it seems like the city built it for the sole purpose of being able to say they now have a Metro.


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## prp002

ssiguy2 said:


> I've never understood the logic behind the Sydney Metro.
> 
> The spacing stops are nearly 3km apart which is far more a suburban system than a Metro one. Trains every 4 minutes in rush hour is decent but every 10 minutes off-peak sucks.
> 
> Also much of the route simply follows the same route as the suburban corridor that it replaced. To me it seems like Sydney has just replaced one suburban system with another with the only benefit being operational savings from automation. If the lines needed higher capacity there are vastly cheaper and more efficient ways to do it than building a complete Metro from scratch. If they need a new downtown tunnel then fine to increase capacity but they certainly didn't have to build a whole new system.
> 
> When I look at the system route, station spacing, and incredibly lousy ridership numbers {2019} for a 36 km route, it seems like the city built it for the sole purpose of being able to say they now have a Metro.


what stops and what metro line?


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## Stuu

ssiguy2 said:


> I've never understood the logic behind the Sydney Metro.
> 
> The spacing stops are nearly 3km apart which is far more a suburban system than a Metro one. Trains every 4 minutes in rush hour is decent but every 10 minutes off-peak sucks.
> 
> Also much of the route simply follows the same route as the suburban corridor that it replaced. To me it seems like Sydney has just replaced one suburban system with another with the only benefit being operational savings from automation. If the lines needed higher capacity there are vastly cheaper and more efficient ways to do it than building a complete Metro from scratch. If they need a new downtown tunnel then fine to increase capacity but they certainly didn't have to build a whole new system.
> 
> When I look at the system route, station spacing, and incredibly lousy ridership numbers {2019} for a 36 km route, it seems like the city built it for the sole purpose of being able to say they now have a Metro.


They needed to build a new suburban line, they needed to build another tunnel to relieve the central lines, and they have a problem with politics and unions. Building it as a separate automated system solves all three issues


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## mw123

ssiguy2 said:


> I've never understood the logic behind the Sydney Metro.
> 
> The spacing stops are nearly 3km apart which is far more a suburban system than a Metro one. Trains every 4 minutes in rush hour is decent but every 10 minutes off-peak sucks.
> 
> Also much of the route simply follows the same route as the suburban corridor that it replaced. To me it seems like Sydney has just replaced one suburban system with another with the only benefit being operational savings from automation. If the lines needed higher capacity there are vastly cheaper and more efficient ways to do it than building a complete Metro from scratch. If they need a new downtown tunnel then fine to increase capacity but they certainly didn't have to build a whole new system.
> 
> When I look at the system route, station spacing, and incredibly lousy ridership numbers {2019} for a 36 km route, it seems like the city built it for the sole purpose of being able to say they now have a Metro.


It just wouldn't be possible to have more stops without significantly affecting journey times. A journey from the terminus at Tallawong into the city centre would take a ridiculous amount of time if there was ~1km station spacing along the entire line. If you're talking about the Metro West line to Parramatta then yes I actually agree there should have been a few more stops there. The spacing between stations will vary from as low as 1km on the Bankstown line section up to longer distances further out. 

Trains every 4 minutes in peak hours and every 10 minutes off peak is definitely sufficient until the rest of the line is completed. The existing service runs through some fairly suburban areas that haven't yet been built up. Running the trains more frequently at this point in time would simply be a waste. When the line is finally extended then the frequencies should increase.

Of course some of the route follows the same route as the suburban corridor, it is replacing some of the suburban system, extending rail coverage to new areas and taking pressure off the existing congested city circle and allowing for more capacity on other existing lines- that is what it is designed to do. It solves multiple problems at once.

Whilst they are at it, they might as well automate it. Sydney has a history of trouble with the rail unions so it's no wonder why the government has chosen an automated solution.

Also what's wrong with building a whole new system? Right now we've got three new lines under construction at once - there's nothing bad about that at all from what I can see.

Lousy ridership numbers? You do realise this line opened midway through 2019 and from then on there was a pandemic? For the first year of operation from 1 July 2019 to 31 June 2020 it had a ridership of 18.9 million. Not too bad for a line that is less than half completed, nowhere near the city centre and barely had any passengers for 6 of those months due to the pandemic. When it is extended through the city centre, the transit oriented developments are completed and post-pandemic patronage recovers, there is little doubt that this will be one of the busiest lines in Sydney.

Another thing that should induce healthy patronage will be the dramatic time savings between the major centres that this line will serve. Castle Hill, Epping, Chatswood, North Sydney and Bankstown will all have much faster journey times between each other and into the CBD when this is complete.


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## Sky_Is_The_Limit

ssiguy2 said:


> I've never understood the logic behind the Sydney Metro.
> 
> The spacing stops are nearly 3km apart which is far more a suburban system than a Metro one. Trains every 4 minutes in rush hour is decent but every 10 minutes off-peak sucks.
> 
> Also much of the route simply follows the same route as the suburban corridor that it replaced. To me it seems like Sydney has just replaced one suburban system with another with the only benefit being operational savings from automation. If the lines needed higher capacity there are vastly cheaper and more efficient ways to do it than building a complete Metro from scratch. If they need a new downtown tunnel then fine to increase capacity but they certainly didn't have to build a whole new system.
> 
> When I look at the system route, station spacing, and incredibly lousy ridership numbers {2019} for a 36 km route, it seems like the city built it for the sole purpose of being able to say they now have a Metro.


Station spacing on Sydney Metro Northwest is 2.8km on average. When that line is extended from Chatswood to Bankstown via North Sydney and the city centre, the average station spacing will drop to 2.1km on average.

When you throw in Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport and Sydney Metro West, the system will comprise 46 stations and 113 kilometres of track, giving an average station spacing of approximately 2.5km.

Whilst that may seem like generous spacing when compared with older systems in dense European cities, Sydney is not a dense European city...it is a sprawling New World city with suburban hubs that radiate out from the traditional city centre. As a result, it makes sense to deliver a rail system that speaks to the city's comparatively dispersed nature.

And in actual fact, newer metro systems have more generous station spacing than older systems. One only has to look to China to see the Beijing Subway, Guangzhou Metro and Shanghai Metro are up at an average station spacing of 2.0km.

A closer look at the Beijing Subway shows several lines with similarly spaced or even more spaced stations have opened in recent years:

Changping Line has 12 stations along its 32km alignment, giving a station spacing of approximately 2.7km
Capital Airport Line has 4 stations along its 28km alignment, giving a station spacing of approximately 7km
Daxing Airport Line has 3 stations along its 41km alignment, giving a station spacing of approximately 13.7km

Again, this is in response to the sprawling nature of Greater Beijing, not some notion that mass transit must have tightly spaced stations.


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## nameless dude

The metro as it currently stands is pretty similar to Hong Kong's West and East Rail Lines in terms of length and spacing. 36km with 12 stops and 42km with 14 stops for those vs 36km with 13 stops for the Sydney Metro. HK also has the Tung Chung line which is even more spaced out because it runs across several islands.


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## Jabbawookie

Another good example is REM under construction in Montreal. I'd argue that these type of station spacings is becoming the new normal outside of old world cities.


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## hkskyline

* Taxpayer cost of light rail shutdown in Sydney's Inner West revealed *
9News _Excerpt_
Dec 8, 2021

The replacement buses for Sydney's Inner West light rail service are costing taxpayers thousands of dollars a day.

The Inner West light rail has been shut down for up to 18 months after cracks were discovered in all 12 trams.

Buses are replacing the service while the fleet is fixed.

9News can reveal the cost of the light rail shutdown for taxpayers, which includes the replacement buses, drivers and marshalls.

Documents show Transport for NSW is forking out as much as $90,000 a day.

More : Taxpayer cost of light rail shutdown in Sydney's Inner West revealed


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## hkskyline

*CBD trams tested on Sydney's Inner West light rail to solve shutdown *
9News _Excerpt_
Dec 9, 2021

Different trams are being tested on Sydney's Inner West light rail line as a solution for the current shutdown.

The Sydney CBD trams are being tested between Central and Paddy's Markets on the L1 Dulwich Hill line and could be used as a permanent replacement while the Inner West line is out of commission due to maintenance.

"Over the next couple of days we'll be testing the Citadis trams across the entirety of the Inner West light rail line to see if we can restore service as quickly as possible," Transport Minister Rob Stokes said.

More : CBD trams tested on Sydney's Inner West light rail to solve shutdown


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## Ashis Mitra

mw123 said:


> All ticketing is done through Opal or though contactless Visa/Mastercard/Amex bank cards. Most infrequent and even frequent commuters just use their bank card these days. You can also buy single tickets at ticket machines available at all stations (there is no point in doing this unless you want to pay with cash for whatever reason). Using Opal or a bank card at the ticket reader is definitely cheaper than manually buying a ticket at the machine as well.
> I am not even sure if you can buy a return ticket anymore. The fares are capped at $16.30 on weekdays or $8.15 on weekends. So that effectively acts as an all day unlimited ticket valid on trains, metro, buses, trams and ferries.
> There are no longer any monthly tickets, but Opal is capped at $50 per week.
> The Opal card itself is free of charge, you simply add credit onto it, there's no deposit or minimum balance.
> There's no tram conductors.
> There are transit officers who check tickets on all transport modes, they have a device that scans your Opal or bank card.


What should anyone do at the time of journey end with the single journey ticket which was bought from ticket machines or counters. Will he/she simple throw it at waste paper basket at stops, or re-insert it in machines/turnstiles to deposit for reusing again by authority for other commuters?


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## mw123

Ashis Mitra said:


> What should anyone do at the time of journey end with the single journey ticket which was bought from ticket machines or counters. Will he/she simple throw it at waste paper basket at stops, or re-insert it in machines/turnstiles to deposit for reusing again by authority for other commuters?


It is thrown away. They are disposable cardboard tickets that you tap on and tap off with. Single ticket fares are much more expensive than using Opal or bank cards so I hardly see anybody using them.


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## mw123

_Parramatta Light Rail Facebook_


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## mw123

*Parramatta Light Rail*

_Installation of tracks near Cumberland Hospital - the pavers were selected to compliment the heritage precinct nearby._
*














*

_The old Dundas Station (formerly part of the Carlingford train line and opened in 1896) converted for light rail.
















Photo of Dundas Station in 2012 before the conversion to light rail.







_
_Wikimedia Commons_

_







_

_Parramatta Light Rail Facebook_


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## MichiganExpress

I don't know if those will hold up with trains passing and all. It might be a nightmare to maintain. Does Sydney have any experience with this kind of thing? I may be wrong.


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## historyworks

MichiganExpress said:


> View attachment 2685779
> View attachment 2685781
> 
> 
> I don't know if those will hold up with trains passing and all. It might be a nightmare to maintain. Does Sydney have any experience with this kind of thing? I may be wrong.


It reminds me of the stone setts in Prague. No problems at all with this finish.


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## prp002

*HAPPY 34TH BIRTHDAY *










On this day, 27th of January 1988, "The twenty first century starts to-day" according to State Rail Authority's banner for the new Tangara - seen here on Tangara's first run with passengers from Rockdale to Oatley.

[Photo courtesy Getty Images » Fairfax Media Archives]
— at Rockdale railway station


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## lechevallierpatrick

I read somewhere that light rail line L1 is set to resume operation with the help of citadis tramways from L2 and L3.Can anybody confirm that?If citadis trams are able to run on L1 would not have been better to connect the 3 lines?Are the citadis trams going to run as 1 simple element or are the platforms fit for 2 coupled elements like when they run on L2 and L3?Thank you.....


----------



## Stadium Lover

lechevallierpatrick said:


> I read somewhere that light rail line L1 is set to resume operation with the help of citadis tramways from L2 and L3.Can anybody confirm that?If citadis trams are able to run on L1 would not have been better to connect the 3 lines?Are the citadis trams going to run as 1 simple element or are the platforms fit for 2 coupled elements like when they run on L2 and L3?Thank you.....


You can find all the information you need here.......

SYDNEY | Light Rail Thread | L1 - L2 - L3 | Page 726 | SkyscraperCity Forum


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## mw123

lechevallierpatrick said:


> I read somewhere that light rail line L1 is set to resume operation with the help of citadis tramways from L2 and L3.Can anybody confirm that?If citadis trams are able to run on L1 would not have been better to connect the 3 lines?Are the citadis trams going to run as 1 simple element or are the platforms fit for 2 coupled elements like when they run on L2 and L3?Thank you.....


The platforms on L1 are only long enough for one uncoupled set of citadis trams. They are also slightly more narrow than the urbos trams so they don't meet disability act regulations with step free boarding. It is just a temporary solution.


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## mw123

*Longest escalator in southern hemisphere part of Central Station's $955 million upgrade*

Sydney's Central Station will be home to the largest escalator in the southern hemisphere as part of a total overhaul of the country's busiest train station. The 45-metre stairs are just two of 42 new escalators currently being built underground in Central Station.

They will be accompanied by a new underground pedestrian link named Central Walk — an 80m-long concourse underneath platforms 16 to 23. The ambitious project is a key part of the NSW government's $108.5 billion public infrastructure pipeline aimed at driving the state's COVID-19 recovery.


42 new escalators are being built underground at Central Station
The station's upgrade also includes Central Walk, an underground 80m-long pedestrian link
The 45m escalators are expected to be operational in 2024





















_Sydney Metro_


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## mw123




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## Ashis Mitra

Nice to see resume of route 1, this time by latest rolling stocks. This is much natural looking of a single rolling stock running, I always feel weird to see to coupled rolling stocks, running on city streets, like a gigantic caterpillar. 

I heard before the narrow stock issue. Is it not possible to increase a bit of platform breath to compatible with this latest citadis trams, because it will permanently start running tram from route 1 to 2 & 3?


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## mw123

Ashis Mitra said:


> Nice to see resume of route 1, this time by latest rolling stocks. This is much natural looking of a single rolling stock running, I always feel weird to see to coupled rolling stocks, running on city streets, like a gigantic caterpillar.
> 
> I heard before the narrow stock issue. Is it not possible to increase a bit of platform breath to compatible with this latest citadis trams, because it will permanently start running tram from route 1 to 2 & 3?


I agree, it's nice to see those trams uncoupled. They could modify the platforms but that would probably require closing the line again and would make the urbos trams incompatible.


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## prp002

mw123 said:


> I agree, it's nice to see those trams uncoupled. They could modify the platforms but that would probably require closing the line again and would make the urbos trams incompatible.


the big issue is the tram width and that the wheel size is incompatible.

OK for a few months as a fill-in while the others get repaired but not permanently


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## Tango Zulu

Does anyone know when the new Metro west starts drilling and more particularly, is there a chance the Pyrmont station will commence being built soon because I have this sinking feeling that labor will win the election in 12 months time and scrap the Pyrmont metro station or the line altogether.


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## mw123

Tango Zulu said:


> Does anyone know when the new Metro west starts drilling and more particularly, is there a chance the Pyrmont station will commence being built soon because I have this sinking feeling that labor will win the election in 12 months time and scrap the Pyrmont metro station or the line altogether.


It is well past the point of being able to be scrapped. TBMs are about to arrive and start tunneling. There is no way it will be cancelled.

Don't know why you get a sinking feeling about it being cancelled by a Labor government? It would be very politically unpopular and they haven't given any indication they are against the line being built. In fact they have been very supportive of it.


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## Tango Zulu

mw123 said:


> It is well past the point of being able to be scrapped. TBMs are about to arrive and start tunneling. There is no way it will be cancelled.
> 
> Don't know why you get a sinking feeling about it being cancelled by a Labor government? It would be very politically unpopular and they haven't given any indication they are against the line being built. In fact they have been very supportive of it.


I can only hope you are right. They have a history of scrapping projects that were started by their own party. Kennearly crapped Iemma's project and had to pay billions. "difficult decisions had to be made" was the line. then made some new wacky plan which was probably just an excuse to not start anything. 

They never wanted Pyrmont as a station, and I believe it was only recently confirmed by the Premier in any event. Labor had earlier proposed the metro go via central and then to Rozelle via some acrobatic wiggling. 

The new boring machines as posted earlier start towards the end of this year and they go from the old Grainary at Rozelle to Olympic park. The will dig 200 metres per week. So by the time Labor get in it will be well advanced towards Olympic park. But, it seems nothing will start from roselle to Hunter street. So I am just fearful they will redo the plan and wiggle around to avoid Pyrmont and go straight to central from Rozelle (The Bays station) as they figure it will save money and the good people of Pyrmont don't need a metro station as they can just jog to Hunter street station 1km away.


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## prp002

Scrapping Metro West cost $500M not billions.


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## Tango Zulu

prp002 said:


> Scrapping Metro West cost $500M not billions.


That almost sounds tempting for those that want nothing to be built. Do you think it might be crapped or changed?


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## Jabbawookie

I thought there was bipartisan support for Sydney Metro West?


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## Jabbawookie

Tango Zulu said:


> They never wanted Pyrmont as a station, and I believe it was only recently confirmed by the Premier in any event. Labor had earlier proposed the metro go via central and then to Rozelle via some acrobatic wiggling.


Even the previously proposed CBD Metro had a station at Pyrmont before Rozelle.


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## Tango Zulu

Jabbawookie said:


> Even the previously proposed CBD Metro had a station at Pyrmont before Rozelle.


The old plan that was scrapped by Kennealy was a metro from central to Rozelle, Now you can draw a line from central to Rozelle and not hit Pyrmont. So I'm not sure how Pyrmont was included. 

Then came Kenearly's 10 year do nothing plan. And she was very successful with it. In doing nothing that is. 

The plan to go from central to Rozelle is just just bizarre and if Labour gets in before they start drilling from the bays to hunter street, I am sure they will make the metro go in any direction except Hunter Street or Pyrmont. In fact they will probably redirect it to Surry hills or Redfern. 

However it's also a possibility that they will not do anything and just make plans the whole time they are in office.


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## mw123

Anyway... 

*NSW puts in order for another 79 electric buses from Sydney factory*

The New South Wales government is to commit another $70 million to its planned transition of the state’s bus fleet to zero emissions technology, with a new order for 79 new electric buses to be built by Western Sydney-based company Custom Denning.

The plan to transition NSW’s 8,000-strong bus fleet was first announced in 2019, and is expected to have an increase of 5-10% on the state’s electricity demand.

The fleet is operated under contract by publicly and privately owned operators under 13 contracts servicing the Sydney metropolitan area. Premier Dominic Perrottet and NSW minister for transport and veterans David Elliott this week toured Custom Denning’s factory in St Mary’s. The 79 new buses are intended to operate in Sydney’s inner west.

This new order also pushes the total number of electric buses ordered by Transport NSW from Custom Denning to 101.

















NSW puts in order for another 79 electric buses from Sydney factory


NSW announces another $70 million for another 79 new electric buses to be built by Western Sydney-based company,.




thedriven.io


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## nazrey

*Malaysian Gamuda consortium bags Aussie tunnelling project worth RM6.5b*
Surin Murugiah March 01, 2022 10:32 am +08
It said the scope of work is nine kilometres of twin metro rail tunnels between Westmead and Sydney Olympic Park.
















Gamuda consortium bags Aussie tunneling project worth RM6.5b


KUALA LUMPUR (March 1): Gamuda Bhd via the Gamuda Australia and Laing O’Rourke Australia consortium has bagged the Sydney Metro West — Western Tunnelling Package Project worth RM6.5 billion.In a bourse filing on Tuesday (March 1), Gamuda said it will be the head contractor with Laing acting as a...




www.theedgemarkets.com








__ https://www.facebook.com/GamudaBhd/posts/1713385202196961


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## hkskyline

*Transport chief warns of sticking points as Sydney trains return to full timetable *
Sydney Morning Herald _Excerpt_
Feb 28, 2022

Sydney’s commuters have been warned of potential disruptions to services if train breakdowns and other incidents occur this week because the rail network will take longer to recover from problems while industrial action is taking place.

A week after Sydney’s rail network was shut down, disrupting hundreds of thousands of people, a full weekday timetable for suburban trains will be reinstated on Monday to cope with increased demand from more people returning to work in offices.

Transport for NSW chief operations officer Howard Collins said it would take longer for rail services to recover from incidents while limited industrial action by members of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) was under way.

More : Transport chief warns of sticking points as Sydney trains return to full timetable


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## prp002

hkskyline said:


> *Transport chief warns of sticking points as Sydney trains return to full timetable *
> Sydney Morning Herald _Excerpt_
> Feb 28, 2022
> 
> Sydney’s commuters have been warned of potential disruptions to services if train breakdowns and other incidents occur this week because the rail network will take longer to recover from problems while industrial action is taking place.
> 
> A week after Sydney’s rail network was shut down, disrupting hundreds of thousands of people, a full weekday timetable for suburban trains will be reinstated on Monday to cope with increased demand from more people returning to work in offices.
> 
> Transport for NSW chief operations officer Howard Collins said it would take longer for rail services to recover from incidents while limited industrial action by members of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) was under way.
> 
> More : Transport chief warns of sticking points as Sydney trains return to full timetable


that was released 36 hours ago and nothing has happened. Just a smear campaign against the workers


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## mw123




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## mw123

*Victoria Cross Station: update*

Sydney Metro’s Victoria Cross Station is starting to take shape 30 metres under North Sydney, with the platforms now in place. To build the 170 metre long platforms, 405 precast concrete panels were lowered 50 metres down into the station cavern by a tower crane...

Works that has been completed so far includes:

The mezzanine, which will be the main entry and exit point for customers, has now been built. Connected by an escalator, the mezzanine will be suspended over the platform, and has been built using 950 tonnes of steel reinforcement and approximately 260 tonnes of concrete.
Over 5,400 tonnes of concrete has been poured to date (enough to fill over seven Olympic swimming pools).
6,200 tonnes of reinforcement steel have been used to reinforce concrete structures, such as the floors, wall, columns and lift shafts in the southern part of the site. 1,760 tonnes of reinforcement is also being installed in the northern building structure.










































_Sydney Metro_


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## SpanningViaduct

I know this isn’t the “big news” projects/contracts that usually get covered on this forum, but I thought this was worth presenting.

It seems Sydney trains are taking advantage of the LCD internal displays fitted to the Series II, B set Waratahs. Moving from the black on green text to the LICS style line diagram. This new-ish format displays time, next station and the following few stations. Like you would find on the L2/3 Trams or B-Line double deckers.

















*Photo sources*


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## hkskyline

0S1A6051 by Steve Daggar, on Flickr


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## Zaz965

no offense, these two devices in front of the train look like boar fangs 😁 😁 😁


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## prp002

Alstom wil


Zaz965 said:


> no offense, these two devices in front of the train look like boar fangs 😁 😁 😁


Alstom will be offended, we won't because the train cannot be seen behind the screens 😋


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## mw123




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## mw123

More photos of Victoria Cross Station
























_Sydney Metro Facebook_


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## mw123

*Parramatta Light Rail*
























Parramatta Light Rail Facebook


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## SpanningViaduct

First Parramatta seven segment Urbos-100 LRV.








































CAF web: Parramatta LRV


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## mw123

*Track laying nearly complete through the city*

Track laying through the city is more than 95 per cent complete in the 15.5 kilometre metro twin tunnels, as part of the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project.

A team of more than 500 people worked tirelessly over the past 15 months to plan and lay more than 58 kilometres of Australian rail steel deep under Sydney, including 3.2 kilometres under Sydney Harbour.

Just over three kilometres of track remains to be installed through the seven underground stations - Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt Street, Waterloo and Central.

These tracks will connect the City & Southwest metro line with the Metro North West Line, running deep under Sydney Harbour, through the CBD and out to Bankstown.

More than 4,000 tonnes of Australian steel is being used for the 31 kilometres of tracks from Chatswood to Sydenham, including 200 tonnes under the Harbour.

Track construction is expected to be complete later this year, ready for train testing to start in 2023 ahead of passenger services starting in 2024.
































Track laying nearly complete through the city | Sydney Metro


Track laying through the city is more than 95 per cent complete in the 15.5 kilometre metro twin tunnels, as part of the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project.




www.sydneymetro.info


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## mw123

*Parramatta Light Rail *






































_Parramatta Light Rail Facebook_


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## mw123

*Metro North West turns three*

It’s been three years since the historic opening of the 36-kilometre metro line. Since 2019, there has been 42.8 million customer journeys and the driverless trains have travelled 10,770,277 kilometres .












































_Sydney Metro Facebook_


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## coit

Tango Zulu said:


> The old plan that was scrapped by Kennealy was a metro from central to Rozelle, Now you can draw a line from central to Rozelle and not hit Pyrmont. So I'm not sure how Pyrmont was included.
> 
> Then came Kenearly's 10 year do nothing plan. And she was very successful with it. In doing nothing that is.
> 
> The plan to go from central to Rozelle is just just bizarre and if Labour gets in before they start drilling from the bays to hunter street, I am sure they will make the metro go in any direction except Hunter Street or Pyrmont. In fact they will probably redirect it to Surry hills or Redfern.
> 
> However it's also a possibility that they will not do anything and just make plans the whole time they are in office.


Kenealy was only premier for 14 months.
The entire Labor govenment from Bob Carr onwards did nothing worthwhile for Sydney transport.


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## Tango Zulu

mw123 said:


> *Parramatta Light Rail *
> 
> View attachment 3262912
> 
> _Parramatta Light Rail Facebook_


If I can ask a question. What happens when dirt and mud gets into the gaps and builds up where the tram wheels go?


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## Gros Matou

Tango Zulu said:


> If I can ask a question. What happens when dirt and mud gets into the gaps and builds up where the tram wheels go?





https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_profile#Grooved_rail


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## mw123

More renders of the Parramatta Light Rail stage 1 stops.

Also there was confirmation that stage 2 to Olympic Park will begin construction after stage 1 is complete.


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## hkskyline

T80 - 1621 (M/O 6729) by Fred Maple🍁, on Flickr


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## mw123

*Pitt Street Station*


The two 170 metre underground platforms have been built using 682 precast concrete units, with the largest unit weighing 2.2 tonnes.
About half of the Glass Reinforced Concrete (GRC) panels have been installed in the station pedestrian tunnels. In total, there will be 416 panels installed. A single GRC panel can weigh 650 kilograms.
A total of 127 façade panels will be installed at the Pitt Street South site, and these can weigh anywhere from 1.7 tonnes to 11 tonnes.
To date, 1,510 tonnes of steel reinforcement has been installed at the Pitt Street North site.


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## mw123




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## mw123

*Progress made on platform screen door installation*

Platform screen doors have been installed along the platforms of Martin Place, Central, Waterloo and Sydenham, as Sydney Metro City & Southwest takes shape.

Each door weighs around 200 kilograms and stands at 2.7 metres tall to create a complete barrier between the platform and the train.

The new screen doors will make platforms safer for customers and improve travel efficiency by allowing trains to get in and out of the station much faster, while keeping people and objects like prams away from the tracks.

More than 2.7 kilometres of platform screen doors will be installed across the eight city metro stations - Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt Street, Central, Waterloo and Sydenham – 170 metres at each station.

More benefits of the new doors include:

Increased safety: separation of the platform from the track area offers customers maximum protection from arriving and passing trains.
Improved reliability and punctuality: customers can move along the platform more efficiently.
Increased frequency of trains: shorter intervals between trains, increasing the capacity of the transport system.









Progress made on platform screen door installation | Sydney Metro


Platform screen doors have been installed along the platforms of Martin Place, Central, Waterloo and Sydenham, as Sydney Metro City & Southwest takes shape.




www.sydneymetro.info





*










































*


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## prp002

Who is the guy obsessed by what things weigh? A crane operator?


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## hkskyline

271 - m/o 6933 by Fred Maple🍁, on Flickr


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## Antje

prp002 said:


> Who is the guy obsessed by what things weight? A crane operator?


They are vacuum lifters. I think they are using it to reduce the risk of accidents if they dropped the glass panels.


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## prp002

Antje said:


> They are vacuum lifters. I think they are using it to reduce the risk of accidents if they dropped the glass panels.


The public is not interested in the weight of things


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## Stuu

prp002 said:


> The public is not interested in the weight of things


Not sure. Press releases will often mention figures like that to give some sort of idea of the work involved


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## mw123

*Central Station Renovation and metro platforms





























*
_Sydney Metro Facebook_


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## Blackraven

Spaceship from the future


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## Arnorian

These new stations will be popping up in films in no time.


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## Blackraven

Arnorian said:


> These new stations will be popping up in films in no time.


HBO Westworld might want to look into it


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## mw123




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## mw123

Apparently the number of escalators at Central is being increased from 10 to 42!


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## mw123




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## TER200

historyworks said:


> The metro, with its high performance, is able to undertake both the functions of high passenger turnover, frequency, and local access and be more conducive to longer commutes. It stops at every station, yet still runs a faster overall journey time than suburban services that skip stops and semi-express. That's how radical the difference in performance is. By the time you cover 30 to 40 km, the metro is typically over 10 minutes faster for the same number of stops. As for the Chatswood-Sydney CBD example, the reason that there are not more stops on the metro is that there are plenty of stops along the adjacent suburban line and the metro only serves the extra centres that don't have a suburban station.


This sounds a bit like a case where you'd want to put the stops on the metro line (which is good at stopping) and make all the commuter trains running in parallel express by skipping all the redundant stops (and thus saving a lot of time, as those are bad at stopping).
But it isn't always possible to get rid of existing stations, and building more metro stations can be very expensive.


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## historyworks

TER200 said:


> This sounds a bit like a case where you'd want to put the stops on the metro line (which is good at stopping) and make all the commuter trains running in parallel express by skipping all the redundant stops (and thus saving a lot of time, as those are bad at stopping).
> But it isn't always possible to get rid of existing stations, and building more metro stations can be very expensive.


I think you have made a good point.


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## AtD

The five stations with integrated over-station developments on the CBD Metro:









U/C | SYDNEY | Metro: City & Southwest (Chatswood to...


That’s exactly what the shutdown is for, yes. They’ll start dynamic testing (running trains to commission) next year




www.skyscrapercity.com


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## Fabio1976

Why, on the section between Central and The Star of the *L1 Dulwich Hill Line,* there isn't more the 24/7 service?


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## prp002

Fabio1976 said:


> Why, on the section between Central and The Star of the *L1 Dulwich Hill Line,* there isn't more the 24/7 service?


Sydney public transport is not a 24-hour operation and never will be.

It is loss making and subsidised by taxpayers. 

Everything along that stretch is closed after 11pm except the Casino, and the public refuse to pay to ferry a handful of cashed up gamblers there after hours.

They can catch a taxi


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## historyworks

It's not correct to say that Sydney doesn't have 24 hour public transport. There is a night bus network that extends across the city and metropolitan area after the daytime public transport stops running. The Casino service was a commercial arrangement between the Casino and the light rail operator. I can only assume that that agreement has lapsed for now, probably during the covid pandemic, and hasn't been resumed.


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## mw123

Render v Reality at Central Station.







































Sydney Metro - NSW GOV


Sydney Metro - NSW GOV. 54,214 likes · 807 talking about this. Welcome to the Facebook page for Sydney Metro – a NSW Government project and Australia’s biggest public transport infrastructure project.




www.facebook.com


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## zergcerebrates

Wow the result came out looking better than the render in the second pic.


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## Blackraven

Now that I think about it:
It would be interesting to see the effects once the Sydenham to Bankstown segment is handled by Sydney Metro.

So I guess the split for T3 trains will be something like:

Team A:
Liverpool and Lidcombe
&
Team B:
Sydenham to CBD will have its own set of T3 trains.

Probably something like that.....


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## prp002

zergcerebrates said:


> Wow the result came out looking better than the render in the second pic.


it looks crap


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## zergcerebrates

prp002 said:


> it looks crap


What? How so? I was talking about the second render pic. The still UC stations actually looks better. As for the main concourse area it could have been done better, still nice though.


----------

