From: brom@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au (David Bromage)
Subject: Re: CityRail (Sydney)
Followup-To: rec.railroad,aus.rail
Organization: Monash University General Access Unix
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 00:48:33 GMT

Brendan Jones (brendan@otc.otca.oz) wrote:
: in article <24148@galaxy.ucr.edu>, santafe@watserv.ucr.edu (michael a parisi) says:
: > [re Sydney's CityRail]
: > What a huge system!

: Yup!  CityRail has 274 stations if memory serves me correctly.

: > I was amazed at how far out (of Sydney) the lines go.  I would imagine that
: > a ride on the Blue Mountains Line must be spectacular.

: Indeed it is, although there are many railway cuttings in which case all you
: get to see is sandstone :-)

Whilst the Blue Mountains line is indeed spectacular, personally I like
the South Coast line. The area around Coal Cliff and Stanwell Park beats
Katoomba hands down (IMHO). On a recent trip to Wollongong I deliberately
missed two trains to ride on a U set (single deck, non-air conditioned,
ride with all the windows open!).

: > Do people actually commute from Lithgow to Sydney on a daily basis?

: Some do.  The lower reaches of the Blue Mountains (eg from Katoomba in) sees
: more commuters into the city centre.  Many people also regularly commute from
: Wollongong and Gosford, and a few even from Newcastle.

Do The Fish and The Chips still run? The Newcastle Flyer?

: > They have a line to (if I remember correctly) a place called Golburn, 
: > however this seems to be more of an intercity service than a commuter 
: > route because of the long times and distances involved.

: Correct.  The CityRail network extends as far as Cowan in the north, Emu
: Plains in the west, Waterfall in the south, Bondi Junction in the east,
: Richmond in the northwest and (I'm not sure) Campbelltown in the southwest.
: Trains within these ranges operate with the conventional CityRail double deck
: carriages and EMUs (such as the Tangara).

Point of order! CityRail is bounded by Dungog, Muswellbrook (sp?), Lithgow,
Moss Vale, Bomaderry (Nowra) and Port Kembla. I found this out when I
wanted to go from Sydney to Bomaderry. As it is now classed as suburban
travel, my ROA concession card is not acceptable. A journey from
Muswellbrook to Bomaderry (about 400km) would be classed as a suburban
journey.

: Any train services outside of these ranges use intercity carriages, which are
: still electric double deck, but have padded seats, luggage racks, toilets,
: drinking fountains etc.

: > There was also a timetable for the Maitland Line (between Scone and 
: > Newcastle) which seems to be a commuter line exclusively for Newcastle.

: Sort of.  The trains on this line only run between Maitland and Newcastle, so
: if you're going from Sydney to Maitland, you have to change at Hamilton.

: > I assume that this line is not electrified (because they didn't have
: > a picture of an electric train on the cover like the others), so,
: > what kind of diesel equipment do they use?  RDC's? Engine and coaches?

: Correct.  All CityRail lines are electrified (the last to be done, to
: Richmond, was completed early this year), but outside of that it's electrified
: to Newcastle, Wollongong and Lithgow.  Anywhere else it's diesel, but I don't
: know what type of carriages they are because I'm not *true* railfan :-)

600 class dmus.

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