page_title: Epping to Chatswood rail link
section_title: Integrated service
hierarchical_section_title: Epping to Chatswood rail link / Integrated service
caption_attribution_description: English: Diagram of the Epping to Chatswood Railway Line, according to the NSW State Plan, due to be complete in 2008. It will be combined with the existing Northern Line to form services to travel from Hornsby down to Epping, then to Chatswood via the ECRL, then North Sydney and the City via North Shore, and back to Epping via Strathfield. Diagram only shows three lines: the existing North Shore/Western Lines (yellow), the Newcastle and Central Coast intercity line (grey), and the new Northern Line combined with ECRL (red). Other lines are omitted in this diagram.
context_page_description: The Epping to Chatswood rail link was a railway line in the northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia, which connected Epping station on the Northern line with Chatswood on the North Shore line.
  The 13 km line ran completely underground and included three new intermediate stations: Macquarie University, Macquarie Park and North Ryde. The junction stations at Epping and Chatswood both underwent major redevelopments to incorporate the new link.
  It was in service for less than a decade, opening in February 2009 and closing in September 2018. The vast majority of the infrastructure was incorporated into the Sydney Metro Northwest project. Stations are now served as part of Metro North West Line.
context_section_description: Once integrated services commenced, the link became part of the Northern Line. Most Northern Line trains from Hornsby to Epping operated via the new link and then continued along the North Shore Line from Chatswood to the City, before returning to Epping via Strathfield. Trains reversed at Epping's above ground platforms, and followed the opposite route back to Hornsby. Services were operated by K sets, with some OSCARS used during off-peak periods. The timetable had four trains per hour on weekdays between Hornsby and the City via the ECRL. On weekends, 4 trains per hour ran between Hornsby and Chatswood with two of these continuing from Chatswood to the City, and then to Epping via Strathfield.
  On 20 October 2013, the Northern Line was replaced by the North Shore, Northern & Western Line. On weekdays, this saw the ECRL served by trains running from Hornsby to Richmond or Emu Plains. On weekends, the Hornsby to Epping loop was retained.
  The ECRL was also used by trains on the Central Coast & Newcastle Line if the Main North Line between Strathfield and Epping was affected by trackwork or a major service interruption.
caption: Diagram of the new Northern Line, in red, following integration of the Epping to Chatswood Line
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