Western railway line, Sydney

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Western Line
Image:CityRail yellow.gif
Overview
Mode Commuter rail line
Area Western Sydney
Map colour Yellow
Owner CityRail
Design
Stations 34
Connects Central
Strathfield
Blacktown
Penrith
Parramatta
Richmond
1855 Opened
Operations
Operator(s) CityRail
Fleet R, S, T, G, K sets
Depot(s) Hornsby
Public transport |  v • d • e 


The Western Line is part of the CityRail metropolitan rail network in Sydney. It connects the Sydney CBD to the employment centre of Parramatta and the outer western suburbs, terminating at Emu Plains at the foot of the Blue Mountains. The line physically continues over the mountains but this is known as the Blue Mountains Line. Passengers are able to travel beyond this into western New South Wales via CountryLink as well as interstate to Adelaide, South Australia and Perth, Western Australia with the Indian Pacific. A north-westerly branch also operates to Richmond. Western Line trains are usually fed by the North Shore Line.

Contents

[edit] History

The Western Line opened to Penrith in 1863 as a double track branch from the junction with the Main South line at Granville[1]. Electrification reached Parramatta in 1928 and Penrith in 1955[2]. In 1980, quadruplication of the track between Blacktown and St Marys was completed[3].

The branch line from Blacktown to Richmond opened in 1864. In 1926, an extension was opened to Kurrajong, closing in 1952[4]. The line was electrified to Riverstone in 1975[2]. Electrifiction from Riverstone to Richmond commenced in 1987 but was suspended in 1988 due to lack of funds, restarting in 1990 and opening in August 1991[5]. Initially electric trains operated as 2-car shuttles between Riverstone to Richmond until the electric power supply was upgraded to allow through running to and from Sydney in 1992. As part of the Clearways Project, there are currently plans to duplicate the track between Quakers Hill and Schofields to expand capacity. On 20th November 2006, Railcorp announced plans to extend duplication further along the line to Vineyard station[6]. There are also long term plans to link the proposed North Western railway line to join the Richmond line at Vineyard.

[edit] Proposed Fast Rail Link

First introduced in 2004 by a consortium of Dutch bank ABN AMRO and developer Leighton Holdings, the project dubbed the Penrith High Speed Link, known officially as Western FastRail, was reproposed in December 2006 and received approving comments by the NSW State Government, and was offered funding by Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd should the Australian Labor Party win the 2007 Federal Election [7].

The $2 billion Western FastRail project will involve a tunnel being built between Parramatta and the Sydney CBD. It will shrink times from Penrith to the city to 28 minutes (presently over 55 minutes), Parramatta to City to 11 minutes (presently over 30 minutes) and Blacktown to City to 17 minutes (presently over 40 minutes). The plan would assist the entire Western Suburbs of Sydney (40% of Sydney's population), which as an area, is accursed with longer commute times than any other part of Sydney. It would also reduce the car dependency that is characteristic of this region.

[edit] Western Line stations

Name of Station Code[8] Distance from
Central Station		 Date of Opening TravelPass
Zone[9]		 Serving Suburbs Connections
Western Line
Central SBO 0 km 28 February 1932 Red Central, Strawberry Hills
Ultimo, Surry Hills		 ■Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line
■Bankstown Line
■Airport & East Hills Line
■South Line   ■Inner West Line
■Northern Line   ■North Shore Line
■South Coast Line
■Blue Mountains Line
■Newcastle & Central Coast Line
■Southern Highlands Line*

*limited services only
Redfern RDF 1.3 km 15 April 1878 Red Redfern, Waterloo, Darlington
The University of Sydney		 ■Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line
■Bankstown Line   ■South Line
■Airport & East Hills Line*
■Northern Line   ■Inner West Line
■South Coast Line*
■Blue Mountains Line*
■Newcastle & Central Coast Line*

*peak hours only
Burwood BUW 10.6 km 26 September 1855 Green Burwood, Strathfield ■Northern Line   ■South Line
■Inner West Line
Strathfield SFD 11.8 km 9 July 1876 Green Strathfield, Homebush ■Northern Line   ■South Line
■Inner West Line
■Newcastle & Central Coast Line
■Blue Mountains Line
Lidcombe LDC 16.6 km 1 November 1858 Green Lidcombe ■Inner West Line   ■South Line
■Bankstown Line
■Olympic Park Line
■Blue Mountains Line*

*limited services only
Auburn AUB 18.7 km 1877 Yellow Auburn
Clyde CYE 20.6 km 1882 Yellow Clyde, Granville

■Carlingford Line
Granville GAV 21.4 km 2 July 1860 Yellow Granville ■South Line
■Blue Mountains Line*

*limited services only
Harris Park HRK 22.6 km After 1883 Yellow Harris Park
Parramatta PTA 23.2 km 26 September 1855 Yellow Parramatta ■Cumberland Line
■Blue Mountains Line
Westmead WMD 25.1 km March 1883 Pink Westmead ■Cumberland Line
■Blue Mountains Line
Wentworthville WWH 26.7 km 1883 Pink Wentworthville
Pendle Hill PDH 28.3 km 12 April 1924 Pink Pendle Hill
Toongabbie TBB 29.9 km 26 April 1880 Pink Toongabbie
Seven Hills SEV 32.1 km 1 December 1863 Pink Seven Hills
Blacktown BAK 34.8 km 4 July 1860 Purple Blacktown ■Cumberland Line
■Blue Mountains Line
At Blacktown the line branches. The north western branch is towards Richmond, and the western branch is towards Emu Plains.
To Emu Plains
Doonside DOD 38.6 km 27 September 1880 Purple Doonside
Rooty Hill RYH 40.9 km 23 December 1861 Purple Rooty Hill
Mount Druitt MTT 43.3 km 19 August 1881 Purple Mount Druitt
St Marys STM 47.4 km 1 May 1862 Purple St Marys, Dunheved
End of 4 tracks at St Marys.
Werrington WRT 49.1 km 2 May 1868 Purple Werrington
Kingswood KWD 52.7 km 1 September 1887 Purple Kingswood
Penrith PNR 55.1 km 19 January 1863 Purple Penrith ■Blue Mountains Line
Emu Plains EPS 57.4 km 18 August 1868 Purple Emu Plains, Emu Heights ■Blue Mountains Line
Suburban services stop here. Intercity services to Katoomba and onward continue on Blue Mountains line.
To Richmond
Marayong MYG 37.4 km 2 October 1922 Purple Marayong
Quakers Hill QKH 40.1 km 1872 Purple Quakers Hill
Schofields SFS 43.8 km 1870 Purple Schofields
Riverstone RVS 46.0 km 1 December 1864 Purple Riverstone
Vineyard VYR 49.2 km 14 July 1935 Purple Vineyard
Mulgrave MUV 52.6 km 1 December 1864 Purple Mulgrave
Windsor WSR 55.0 km 1 December 1864 Purple Windsor
Clarendon CRD 57.2 km 1870 Purple Clarendon
East Richmond ERD 60.0 km 2 July 1939 Purple East Richmond, Richmond
Richmond RCD 60.7 km 1 December 1864 Purple Richmond, North Richmond

[edit] See also

Diagram of the Western Line with stopping stations

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes and References

  1. ^ Main West Line. Nswrail.net. Retrieved on 3 January 2007.
  2. ^ a b Cheers for rail plan, now let's get it moving. Sydney Morning Herald, 9/6/2005. Retrieved on 3 January 2007.
  3. ^ The future for rail- a perspective for Australia. ATSC National Symposium. Retrieved on 3 January 2007.
  4. ^ Richmond Line. Nswrail.net. Retrieved on 3 January 2007.
  5. ^ The Times Oct 1998. AATC. Retrieved on 3 January 2007.
  6. ^ Rail projects fast-tracked and enhanced. CityRail. Retrieved on 17 January 2007.
  7. ^ News.com.au - Rudd's road and rail cash
  8. ^ Bozier, Rolfe, "New South Wales Railways: NSW Station Codes". Accessed June 19, 2002.
  9. ^ Transport InfoLine, "Fares & Passes: Travelpass: CityRail Map". Accessed 28 June 2007.
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