Inner West & Leppington Line
An A set at Glenfield.
Overview
Service typeCommuter rail service
StatusOperational
LocaleSydney, New South Wales
Predecessor
  • Inner West (1999–2013)
  • South (1999–2013)
  • Airport, Inner West & South (2013–2017)
First service26 November 2017 (2017-11-26)
Current operator(s)Sydney Trains
Route
TerminiCity Circle
Leppington
Parramatta
Stops37
Average journey time1h 29m (Leppington to Museum)

59m (Parramatta to Museum)

(Weekday offpeak times, journey times vary based on stopping pattern and time)
Line(s) used
On-board services
Disabled accessYes
Technical
Rolling stockK, T, M, A and B sets
Track gaugeStandard gauge
Electrification1,500 V DC from overhead catenary[1]
Depot(s)Auburn
Track owner(s)Transport Asset Holding Entity
Timetable number(s)T2

The Inner West & Leppington Line (numbered T2, coloured light blue) is a commuter rail service currently operated by Sydney Trains, serving the inner west and south-western regions of Sydney, Australia. Consisting of 37 stops, the service commences from the City Circle, then heads west to Granville. The line branches at this point; services either head northwest to Parramatta or south to Leppington. A third terminus at Homebush is used when the part-time Parramatta branch isn't operating. The line commenced operations on 26 November 2017, replacing the T2 Airport, Inner West & South Line.

History

Following the 2011 state election, the newly elected O'Farrell government embarked on reform of transport in New South Wales, and created a new organisation, Transport for NSW, in November of that year. This was followed up with another government reform, which saw Sydney Trains take over operation of the Sydney suburban rail network from CityRail in July 2013.

Transport for NSW developed a new rail timetable and branding, which was put into effect on 20 October 2013. This saw three of CityRail's lines, the Airport & East Hills Line (), the Inner West Line () and the South Line (), merged to form the Airport, Inner West & South Line. A new numbering system was also introduced and the new line was given the number T2. The 2013 timetable was designed to integrate the projects of the Rail Clearways Program, a 2004 plan to divide the network's fourteen metropolitan rail lines into five independent "clearways" by installing extra tracks, passing loops, turnouts and turnbacks at pinch points around the network.[2] By 2013, the Rail Clearways Program was substantially complete. At the same time, the delivery of 78 new Waratah trains was almost complete as well.

During the CityRail era, the Airport & East Hills Line was through-routed with the South Line, and the Inner West Line formed a loop with the Bankstown Line. A substantial change introduced by the 2013 timetable was the abolition of Bankstown loop services and most Liverpool via Regents Park services. These changes were made possible by Rail Clearways projects to construct new turnbacks at Homebush and Lidcombe. Such changes resulted in the West of Bankstown area experiencing significant transport disadvantage and has been one of the matters investigated by the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry into Current and future public transport needs in Western Sydney.[3]

These 2013 timetable changes allowed the operation of the Inner West and Bankstown lines to be separated as part of internal Transport for NSW plans to convert the Inner West Line from Central to Homebush and the Bankstown Line to Lidcombe/Cabramatta into rapid transit.[4] However, the changes attracted criticism due to the increased number of interchanges and increase in travel time for passengers for all stations between Carramar/Berala and Birrong[5][6] especially as proposed conversion of the Inner West Line and Bankstown Line west of Bankstown Station into rapid transit did not proceed.

The former T2 South Line added a branch to Leppington on 13 December 2015, replacing a temporary shuttle service to Liverpool.[7]

Current line

A new Sydney Trains timetable was introduced on 26 November 2017. The former T2 line was split in two. The new T2 consists of services from Leppington to the city via Granville, with a branch to Parramatta being added. A new T8 Airport and South Line provides services from Macarthur to the city via Sydney Airport or Sydenham.[8] The new T2 is coloured light blue - a similar colour to CityRail's South Line. The T8 inherited the green line colour from the old T2, which was itself derived from the colour of CityRail's Airport & East Hills Line.[9]

T5 Cumberland Line services were modified to no longer travel to and from Campbelltown, instead starting and terminating at Leppington.[10] These changes mean the section of the network between Glenfield and Macarthur is served exclusively by services operating via the East Hills railway line.[10][11][12]

Future line

In 2020, Transport for NSW commenced planning for rail services west of Bankstown, including the release of an options paper indicating a preference for the return of the Liverpool to City via Regents Park service.[13] Transport for NSW has confirmed that from mid-2024 to 2030 that the former Inner West Line between Lidcombe and Liverpool will be rebranded as the T3 Bankstown Line with direct services to City Circle running via Regents Park, in addition to existing services from Leppington to City Circle via Granville.

Route

Services on the Inner West & Leppington Line commence by taking the City Circle (generally in an anti-clockwise direction) and then the Main Suburban railway line, on the local pair of tracks. At Homebush, trains on the "inner west" stopping pattern terminate. Services that proceed further west towards Parramatta to Leppington merge onto the suburban pair of tracks. At Granville, trains can take the Main Western line a short distance to Parramatta or the Old Main South railway line to a junction north of Cabramatta, then continuing onto the Main South railway line as far as Glenfield. At a junction south of Glenfield, services switch to the South West Rail Link to reach the terminus at Leppington. The following stations are served by T2 Inner West & Leppington Line trains:

Services

The line usually runs on two stopping patterns. The first stopping pattern runs to Leppington, making limited stops between Redfern and Homebush, with the specific stopping pattern depending on the time of day. West of Homebush all trains make all stops, except for Clyde, where trains do not stop on weekends. The second stopping pattern makes all stops between Redfern and Homebush, with many weekdays trains continuing to Parramatta, making all stops. These two patterns both run at 4tph (trains per hour) during the off-peak, with additional services during the peaks. Additionally, there are express trains between Ashfield and the city during the morning peak.

T2 stations
Name Code Distance from
Central
[14][15][16][17][18]		 Opened
[14][15][16][17][18]		 Railway line Serving suburbs Other lines
City Circle – Granville
Museum MUS 4.99 km 1926 City Circle Sydney CBD
St James STJ 4.4 km 1926
Circular Quay CQY 2.97 km 1956 Sydney CBD, The Rocks
Wynyard WYN 2.05 km 1932 Sydney CBD, Barangaroo
Town Hall TWH 1.18 km 1932 Sydney CBD
Central CEN n/a 1855 Sydney CBD, Chippendale,
Strawberry Hills, Ultimo, Surry Hills
Redfern REF 1.30 km 1878 Main Suburban Redfern, Waterloo (peak only)
Macdonaldtown MAC 2.48 km 1892 Macdonaldtown none
Newtown NTN 3.1 km 1855 Newtown
Stanmore SMN 4.67 km 1878 Stanmore
Petersham PSM 5.50 km 1857 Petersham
Lewisham LWI 6.25 km 1886 Lewisham
Summer Hill SMH 7.03 km 1879 Summer Hill
Ashfield AFD 8.38 km 1855 Ashfield
Croydon CYD 9.42 km 1875 Croydon
Burwood BWD 10.62 km 1855 Burwood
Strathfield STR 11.81 km 1876 Strathfield
Homebush HSH 12.74 km 1855 Homebush none
Flemington FMG 14.32 km 1924 Homebush West
Lidcombe LDC 16.61 km 1858 Lidcombe
Auburn AUB 18.63 km 1877 Auburn
Clyde

(weekdays only)

 CYE 20.66 km 1882 Clyde
Granville GAV 21.22 km 1860 Granville
Granville – Parramatta
Harris Park

(weekdays only)

 HPK 22.53 km c. 1800s Main Western Harris Park
Parramatta

(weekdays only)

 PAR 23.21 km 1860 Parramatta
Granville – Leppington
Merrylands MLN 23.47 km 1889 Old Main South Merrylands
Guildford GUD 25.72 km 1876 Guildford
Yennora YNN 27.44 km 1927 Yennora
Fairfield FFL 29 km 1856 Fairfield
Canley Vale CVE 30.98 km 1878 Canley Vale
Cabramatta CAB 28.43 km 1870 Main South Cabramatta
Warwick Farm WKF 34.16 km 1889 Warwick Farm
Liverpool LPO 38.68 km 1856 Liverpool
Casula CSL 38.8 km 1894 Casula
Glenfield GFD 41.93 km 1869 Glenfield
Edmondson Park 2015 South West Edmondson Park
Leppington 2015 Leppington

Patronage

The following table shows the patronage of Sydney Trains network for the year ending 30 June 2022.

2021–22 Sydney Trains patronage by line[n.b. 1] [19]
41,980,000
23,077,000
11,198,000
27,775,000
3,503,000
605,000
16,879,000
10,415,000
  1. ↑ Figures based on Opal tap on and tap off data.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Asset Standards Authority (19 March 2014). RailCorp electrical system general description, version 1.0 (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 June 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  2. ↑ Transport for New South Wales (15 August 2014). "Rail Clearways Program – completed projects". Archived from the original on 11 July 2015.
  3. ↑ "Bundle of documents relating to inquiry and T3 Sydenham to Bankstown metro conversion, tendered by Mr Royden Ng" (PDF). NSW Parliament - Inquiry into Current and future public transport needs in Western Sydney. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  4. ↑ Saulwick, Jacob (6 October 2011). "Paris-style train plan for city". Sydney Morning Herald.
  5. ↑ Roydon Ng isn’t giving up on his year-long campaign to restore the Inner West line Archived 13 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Telegraph 14 January 2015
  6. ↑ Beech, James (31 March 2015). "NSW Election 2015: Tania Mihailuk saves Bankstown for Labor and vows to fight state privatisation". Canterbury-Bankstown Express. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  7. ↑ "South West Rail Link: Soon to head North and East, with more services". Transport for NSW. Government of New South Wales. 15 October 2015. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Changes to Sydney's train network" (PDF). Transport for NSW. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  9. ↑ "CityRail network" (PDF). Rail Corporation New South Wales. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  10. 1 2 "More Trains, More Services for South Western Sydney" (PDF). Transport for New South Wales. Government of New South Wales. 27 February 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  11. ↑ Barr, Eliza (27 February 2017). "Southwest Sydney train service to increase with new peak hour trains and north-south connection from Leppington to Parramatta and Blacktown". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  12. ↑ O'Sullivan, Matt (27 February 2017). "Decision on rail link to new Sydney airport 'many years off', Transport Minister Andrew Constance says". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  13. ↑ "Planning for rail services west of Bankstown Station in 2024 | Your Say Transport for NSW". yoursay.transport.nsw.gov.au. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  14. 1 2 "City Circle". NSW Rail.net. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  15. 1 2 "Airport line". NSW Rail.net. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  16. 1 2 "East Hills line". NSW Rail.net. Archived from the original on 10 August 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  17. 1 2 "Main South line". NSW Rail.net. Archived from the original on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  18. 1 2 "South West Rail Link". NSW Rail.net. Archived from the original on 3 March 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  19. ↑ "Train Patronage – Monthly Figures". Transport for NSW. Retrieved 20 August 2022.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.