North Shore, Northern & Western Line

T1 North Shore, Northern & Western Line
New South Wales Metropolitan Rail Area with T1 services highlighted in yellow
Overview
Type	Commuter rail service
Status	Active
Locale	Sydney, New South Wales
Operation
Opened	1855
Owner	RailCorp
Operator(s)	Sydney Trains
Depot(s)	Hornsby Maintenance Depot Auburn Maintenance Centre
Rolling stock	K, C, T, H and A sets
Technical
Track gauge	Standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead 1500V DC[1]
Operating speed	90 km/h (suburban max.)[2] 43.3 km/h (network average)[3]
Route number	T1
Route map Legend ■ Central Coast & Newcastle Line 44.7 km Berowra 40.7 km Mount Kuring-gai 37.7 km Mount Colah 35.7 km Asquith Hornsby depot Cudgegong Road 35.3 km / 25.2 km Hornsby Rouse Hill Kellyville 33.1 km Normanhurst Kellyville 30.8 km Thornleigh Bella Vista 30.0 km Pennant Hills Pennant Hills Road Norwest 28.3 km Beecroft Hills Centre 26.8 km Cheltenham Castle Hill Cherrybrook 24.2 km Waitara Pacific Motorway 22.6 km Wahroonga 21.9 km Warrawee M2 Hills Motorway 20.8 km Turramurra proposed North West Rail Link 18.9 km Pymble Epping 23.4 km / 24.8 km Mona Vale Road Macquarie University 20.9 km 17.1 km Gordon Macquarie Park 19.6 km 15.9 km Killara North Ryde 18.2 km 14.6 km Lindfield 13.3 km Roseville Eastwood 21.4 km Denistone 20.2 km 11.7 km Chatswood West Ryde 19.2 km 10.3 km Artarmon Victoria Road Gore Hill Freeway Meadowbank 18.2 km 8.4 km St Leonards 7.2 km Wollstonecraft 6.1 km Waverton Luna Park siding  5.1 km North Sydney 4.4 km Milsons Point Parramatta River Sydney Harbour Bridge Rhodes 16.6 km City Circle Homebush Bay Drive 2.1 km Wynyard ■ ■ Concord West 14.5 km 1.1 km Town Hall ■ ■ ■ ■ North Strathfield 13.4 km M4 Western Motorway 0 km Central ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Parramatta Road 1.3 km Redfern ■ ■ ■ Macdonaldtown Newtown King Street Stanmore Petersham Lewisham Inner West Light Rail ■ Summer Hill Ashfield Croydon 10.6 km Burwood ■ 11.8 km Strathfield ■ Homebush Flemington Metropolitan Goods line Flemington Depot Olympic Park 16.6 km Lidcombe ■ ■ Bankstown line Olympic Drive 18.6 km Auburn Duck River 18.6 km Clyde ■ Carlingford line 21.4 km Granville ■ South line Parramatta Road ■ Cumberland line M4 Western Motorway 22.5 km Harris Park ■ 23.2 km Parramatta ■ ■ 25.1 km Westmead ■ 26.7 km Wentworthville ■ Cumberland Highway 28.3 km Pendle Hill ■ 29.9 km Toongabbie ■ 32.1 km Seven Hills ■ 34.8 km Blacktown ■ ■ ■ Marayong 37.4 km 38.6 km Doonside Westlink M7 ■ Quakers Hill 40.1 km 40.9 km Rooty Hill ■ Schofields 43.8 km 43.3 km Mount Druitt Riverstone 46.0 km 47.4 km St Marys Vineyard 49.2 km 49.1 km Werrington Mulgrave 52.6 km 52.7 km Kingswood The Northern Road Windsor 55.0 km 55.1 km Penrith ■ ■ Clarendon 57.2 km Nepean River East Richmond 60.0 km 57.4 km Emu Plains ■ Richmond 60.7 km ■ Blue Mountains Line

The North Shore, Northern & Western Line (numbered T1, coloured yellow) is a commuter rail line operated by Sydney Trains in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It serves the North Shore, Northern Suburbs and parts of the Inner West and Western Suburbs.

History

Following victory in the 2011 New South Wales election, the O'Farrell Government embarked on reform of transport in New South Wales. In November 2011, a new organisation, Transport for NSW, was created to improve planning and coordination of transport projects and services. The organisation developed a new rail timetable and branding, which was put into effect on 20 October 2013. This saw the merger of the North Shore Line and Western Line (Berowra - City via Gordon then to Emu Plains or Richmond via Strathfield) with the Northern Line (Hornsby - City via Macquarie Park then to Epping via Strathfield). A new numbering system was also introduced and the line was given the number T1.

Railway line history

The North Shore, Northern & Western Line utilises a number of different railway lines and is the result of various schemes to link the lines together. The line is centred around the Main Suburban railway line which runs from Central to Granville. The Main Northern and Main Western lines branch from the Main Suburban Line. The North Shore Line branches from the Main Northern Line and was later extended through the city and connected to the Main Suburban Line as well. The Epping to Chatswood line provides a second connection between the Main Northern and North Shore lines, enabling the creation of the North Shore, Northern & Western Line's current layout.

Main Western and Richmond lines

Diagram of Western line prior to merger in 2013

The Main Western Line opened to Penrith in 1863 as a branch from the junction with the Main South line at Granville.^[4] Electrification reached Parramatta in 1928 and Penrith in 1955.^[5]

A branch line was opened to Richmond in 1864 under the stewardship of engineer James Moore. Electrification from Riverstone to Richmond opened in August 1991.^[6] Through running to and from Sydney commenced in 1992.

Trains from the Main Western and Richmond lines run as the Western Line.

North Shore Line

Diagram of the Northern Line (in red) and North Shore and Western Lines (yellow) between 2009 and 2013.

The North Shore Line was opened on 1 January 1890 between Hornsby and St Leonards. The line was extended to the Sydney Harbour foreshore at Milsons Point in 1893. Transport between this original Milsons Point station and central Sydney was by ferry boat. The line was electrified in 1927.

When the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened in 1932 a new Milsons Point station (on the bridge approach) came into operation and the North Shore Line was extended through it and over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to link with the underground lines of central Sydney. The result is that the two ends of the North Shore Line link to the Sydney railway system at Central and Hornsby.

Main Northern and Epping to Chatswood lines

Diagram of the Northern Line prior to the opening of the Epping to Chatswood railway line in 2009

The traditional Northern Line was the suburban portion of the Main Northern Line which opened in 1886 and was electrified in 1926. When the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened, the Northern Line was connected to the City underground and the North Shore line.

In 2009 the Epping to Chatwood Line was opened. The traditional Northern line route ran from Hornsby to North Sydney via Strathfield and the City. When the Epping to Chatswood Line opened, the Northern Line was split in two, with trains from north of Epping operating via the new link, approaching the city via the North Shore Line and rejoining the traditional route before terminating at Epping. The Northern Line was colour coded red prior to being merged with the North Shore and Western lines. After merging, the Northern Line loop was split on weekdays, with trains from the upper Northern Line continuing to Richmond or Emu Plains.

In 2018 the Epping to Chatwood Line will be closed and be converted to a metro. As a result, the traditional Northern line route from Hornsby to Central via Strathfield will be reinstated with expanded train services on the North Shore line. This will coincide the proposed new timetable that year.

Route

The route is complex and features many branches. It passes through a number of business districts and major centres, namely Hornsby, Macquarie Park, Chatswood, North Sydney, the Central Business District, Parramatta, Blacktown and Penrith.

The line heads south from Berowra to Hornsby to using the Main Northern Line. Trains from this branch then divert on to the North Shore Line. A second branch starts at Hornsby and continues down the Main Northern Line to Epping. At Epping the line heads underground to the Macquarie employment centre and Chatswood via the Epping to Chatswood Line. The line surfaces at Chatswood and joins the Berowra branch on the North Shore Line for the run south towards the City. Trains pass through North Sydney station before heading across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, through the western limb of the City Circle and the stations of Central and Redfern.

Services then run along the Main Suburban Railway, usually using the middle 'Suburban' pair of the six tracks between Redfern and Strathfield. Services do not stop at intermediate stations between Redfern and Burwood. At Strathfield, trains to Epping via Rhodes usually head onto a flyover over the 'Main lines', before heading north back on the Main Northern Line, crossing the Parramatta River between Rhodes and Meadowbank, and terminating at Epping's surface platforms. Other services continue west from Strathfield to Granville where trains join the Main Western Line. After passing through Parramatta, trains reach Blacktown, where the line divides in two. A western branch continues along the Main Western Line as far as Emu Plains and a north-western branch heads to Richmond using the Richmond Line.

Services

There are no general stopping patterns for services during weekdays peak hours. However, there are general stopping patterns for other times. Services stated here do not include express trains between City and Blue Mountains or Newcastle.

Stopping Patterns (Weekdays outside peak hours)

• Hornsby to and from Epping (surface) all stations to Chatswood via Gordon, all stations to North Sydney, all stations to Central, Redfern, Burwood and Strathfield, then all stations to Epping. (2 trains per hour)
• Berowra to and from Epping (surface) via all stations to Chatswood via Gordon, all stations to North Sydney, all stations to Central, Redfern, Burwood and Strathfield, then all stations to Epping. (2 trains per hour)
• Hornsby to and from Richmond via all stations to Epping (underground), Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde, Chatswood, all stations to North Sydney, all stations to Central, Redfern, Strathfield, (Lidcombe / Granville), Parramatta, (Westmead, Seven Hills) and Blacktown then all stations to Richmond. (2 trains per hour)
• Hornsby to and from Penrith via all stations to Epping (underground), Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde, Chatswood, all stations to North Sydney, all stations to Central, Redfern, Strathfield, (Lidcombe / Granville), Parramatta, (Westmead, Seven Hills) and Blacktown then all stations to Penrith (2 trains per hour)
• North Sydney to and from Emu Plains via all stations to Central, Redfern, Burwood, Strathfield, Lidcombe, all stations to Penrith and Emu Plains. (2 trains per hour)

Stopping Patterns (Weekends)

• Berowra to and from Penrith, via all stations to Chatswood via Gordon, all stations to North Sydney, all stations to Central, Redfern, Strathfield, Lidcombe, all stations to Granville, Parramatta, Westmead, Seven Hills, Blacktown and all stations to Penrith. (2 trains per hour)
• Hornsby to and from Richmond via all stations to Chatswood via Gordon, all stations to North Sydney, all stations to Central, Redfern, Burwood, Strathfield, Lidcombe, Granville, Harris Park, Parramatta, all stations to Blacktown and all stations to Richmond. (2 trains per hour)
• Hornsby to and from Epping (surface) via all stations to Epping (underground), Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, North Ryde, Chatswood, Artarmon, St Leonards, North Sydney all stations to Central, Redfern, Burwood, Strathfield and all stations to Epping. (2 trains per hour)
• Hornsby to and from Chatswood via all stations to Epping (underground), Macquarie University, Macquarie Park and North Ryde. (2 trains per hour)

Emu Plains is served by the Blue Mountains Line on weekends.

Stations

References

External links

• Sydney Trains timetable - Berowra to Parramatta via City
• Sydney Trains timetable - Parramatta to Berowra via City
• Sydney Trains timetable - Hornsby or Epping to the City via Strathfield
• Sydney Trains timetable - City to Hornsby or Epping via Strathfield
• Sydney Trains timetable - Emu Plains or Richmond to Chatswood
• Sydney Trains timetable - Chatswood to Emu Plains or Richmond
• Western Fastrail
• Neety's Train Page - information on suburban stations.
• New South Wales Railways - historical information on suburban stations.
• Sydney Trains
• Australian Railmaps - information & maps of train services & stopping patterns.
• Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation project website