Cumberland Line

Cumberland Line

A Sydney Trains S set at Glenfield bound for Blacktown.
Overview
Service type	Commuter rail
Locale	Sydney, New South Wales
First service	1996 (1996)
Current operator(s)	Sydney Trains
Route
Start	Schofields
Stops	23
End	Campbelltown
Line used	Richmond railway line Main Western railway line Main Southern railway line
Technical
Rolling stock	Sydney Trains K, S and C sets
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Track owner(s)	RailCorp
Sydney Trains services North Shore, Northern & Western Airport, Inner West & South Bankstown Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Cumberland Carlingford Olympic Park

The Cumberland Line (numbered T5, coloured magenta) is a commuter rail line operated by Sydney Trains in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It connects Schofields and Campbelltown stations in the western suburbs. The line opened in 1996, following the construction of a 'Y-link' track between Harris Park and Merrylands stations. The intention of this link was to allow direct services to operate from Liverpool and Campbelltown to Parramatta and Blacktown without requiring a change of trains at Granville. The line takes its name from the Cumberland Plain on which much of Western Sydney was built.

History

A peak-hour Cumberland railway line service gets ready to depart Blacktown bound for Campbelltown where these services terminate.

Upon its opening in 1996, the line had a regular half-hourly service in each direction consisting of 38 journeys per day. Subsequent timetables saw its services significantly reduced to the point of running only during weekday peak hours, and from 2005 to 2013 the line only ran in one direction at a time: two services ran in the morning peak from Campbelltown towards Blacktown and three services ran in the opposite direction in the evening. Some services operated to or from Quakers Hill or Schofields on the Richmond line, but the line's official terminus on network maps and other material remained at Blacktown.

Prior to the Y-Link's opening, passengers travelling between the Western and South lines were required to change trains at Granville. With the reduction in services to peak hours only, this travelling strategy was resumed by most commuters.

In 2006, the then-Iemma Labor Government's NSW State Plan committed to re-introduce a regular half-hourly service to the Cumberland line during 2007 "subject to detailed timetable and train planning... and fleet delivery, availability and rostering".^[1] A CityRail news release on 15 December confirmed this intention, based on the gradual introduction of the then-new OSCAR (H set) trains, which would displace outer suburban Tangara G sets; the latter trains then reassigned to suburban service.^[2] This promise was not delivered, and the Cumberland Line remained a peak-hour-only service with 4 car trains.

Daytime half-hourly services were re-introduced on 21 October 2013. Services finish in the early evening and do not operate on weekends. At this time the line was also officially extended to Schofields, where most northbound services terminate.

The service also occasionally operates on weekends if trackwork affects the Western and South lines, particularly between Granville and Strathfield. Services from Glenfield and Liverpool are diverted to the Western Line and proceed beyond Blacktown, to either Penrith or Richmond, and vice versa. In the extremely rare circumstances, South line trains may divert to Parramatta, terminate there then reverse back to Granville and continue its trip as per the timetable.

During 2017, Cumberland Line services will be modified to no longer travel to and from Campbelltown, instead starting and terminating at Leppington. Combined with changes to the Airport, Inner West & South Line, this means commuters will need to change trains to travel from south of Glenfield to north of Glenfield or vice versa.^[3][4] The changes will also see late night and weekend services introduced on the Cumberland Line. ^[5] The late night services will extend to Richmond, replacing T1 services at these times.^[6]

The following chart shows the relative patronage of Sydney Trains' seven lines in the 2016-17 financial year.

Description of route

Physically, the line consists of the Richmond railway line from Schofields to Blacktown, the Main Western Line from Blacktown station to Harris Park, the 'Y Link' as described below, the "Old Main South" between Merrylands and Cabramatta, and the Main South Line between Cabramatta and Campbelltown.

Y-link

Track arrangement at the Y Link

The 'Y-link' was opened in 1996 as part of former Prime Minister Paul Keating's 'Building Better Cities' programme in recognition of Parramatta's place as the capital of Sydney's west.^[7] It cost $80 million to construct, and required the construction of a little over one kilometre of new track and no new stations. This track consists of the creation of a triangular junction at the junction of the 'Old Main South' and the 'Main Western Line by laying track between Merrylands and Harris Park stations. The work included a new flyover of the 'Up Old Main South' over these new tracks.

Cumberland Line stations

Cumberland Line
Richmond line Schofields Quakers Hill Westlink M7 Marayong Main Western line Blacktown Seven Hills Toongabbie Pendle Hill Wentworthville Westmead Parramatta Harris Park M4 Motorway Main Suburban line to City Merrylands Guildford Yennora Distribution Centre Prospect Creek Yennora Fairfield Canley Vale Main South line Cabramatta Cabramatta Creek Warwick Farm Liverpool M5 Motorway Casula East Hills line to City Glenfield South West Rail Link to Leppington Macquarie Fields Ingleburn Minto Leumeah Campbelltown Main South line

References

External links

• - Sydney Trains timetable - Campbelltown to Schofields
• - Sydney Trains timetable - Schofields to Campbelltown