Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Table of Contents
Overview - Sydney
Located between Botany Bay and the Parramatta River, Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and the largest city by population in Australia. It has approximately 5,450,000 inhabitants in the city proper as of 2023. The Sydney metropolitan area (Sydney GCCSA) comprised 5,231,147 residents as of the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics Estimate.
Sydney's rapid transit network consists of nine S-Train/regional rail service groupings, a metro service, four light rail/modern tram services, and two bus rapid transit lines. It also has a BRT-Lite line.
Sydney Trains
Superseding the CityRail brand in 2013, Sydney Trains consists of nine S-Train and regional rail service groupings that serve the city of Sydney, New South Wales and the surrounding suburbs.
T1 North Shore & Western Line
Line T1, the North Shore & Western Line (formerly known as the North Shore, Northern & Western Line) of the Sydney Trains network, is a S-Train and regional rail service on a U-shaped alignment. It runs from Emu Plains and Richmond in the west to Berowra in the north, serving 56 stations. It runs on the physical track of the Main North, North Shore, Main Suburban, Main Western, and Richmond lines. Frequent service ends at Hornby and Schofields, with only commuter service provided to Emu Plains.
T1 began operation as a distinct service in October 2013. T9 was split from it in April 2019. T1 is operated by Sydney Trains.
T2 Leppington & Inner West Line
Line T2, the Leppington & Inner West Line (formerly known as the Airport, Inner West & South Line, as well as the Inner West & Leppington Line) of the Sydney Trains network, is a S-Train and regional rail service on an east-west alignment. It runs from Parramatta and Leppington in the west to the City Circle, serving 37 stations and through-operating onto T8. It runs on the physical track of the City Circle, Main Suburban, Main Western, Old Main South, Main South, and South West lines.
T2 began operation as a distinct service in October 2013. T8 was split from it in November 2017. The last expansion to the line was the Leppington in December 2015. T2 is operated by Sydney Trains.
T3 Liverpool & Inner West Line
Line T3, the Liverpool & Inner West Line (formerly known as the Bankstown Line) of the Sydney Trains network, is a regional rail service on an east-west alignment. It runs from Liverpool in the west to the City Circle, serving 30 stations and through-operating onto T8. It runs on the physical track of the City Circle, Main Suburban, and Main Southern lines.
T3 began operation as a distinct service in October 2013. The service was entirely reconfigured into a branch of T2 in September 2024, when the core of the Bankstown Line was split into two sections, one of which became a new T6 and the other was transferred to Sydney Metro. T3 is operated by Sydney Trains.
T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line
Line T4, the Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line of the Sydney Trains network, is a S-Train & regional rail service on a north-south alignment. It runs from Waterfall and Cronulla in the south to Bondi Junction in the north, serving 33 stations. It runs on the physical track of the Cronulla, Illawarra, Illawarra Relief, and Eastern Suburbs lines. Frequent service at all stations is only present in downtown, as south of Sydenham service patterns split such that most stations are only served half-hourly.
T4 began operation as a distinct service in October 2013. T4 is operated by Sydney Trains.
T5 Cumberland Line
Line T5, the Cumberland Line of the Sydney Trains network, is a regional rail service on a north-south alignment. It runs from Leppington in the south to Richmond in the north via Liverpool and Parramatta, serving 30 stations. It runs on the physical track of the South West, Main South, Old Main South, Main Western, and Richmond lines.
T5 began operation as a distinct service in 1996 with the completion of the Y-Link between Harris Park and Merryland. In November 2017, the Cumberland Line's southern terminus was changed from Campbelltown to Leppington. T5 is operated by Sydney Trains.
T6 Lidcombe & Bankstown Line
Line T6, the Lidcombe & Bankstown Line of the Sydney Trains network, is a regional rail service on a north-south alignment. It runs from Bankstown in the south to Lidcombe in the north, serving 6 stations. It runs on the physical track of the Bankstown and Main South lines.
T6 began operation in October 2024 as a shuttle replacing the parts of the Bankstown Line not converted to M1. T6 is operated by Sydney Trains.
T7 Olympic Park Line
Line T7, the Olympic Park Line of the Sydney Trains network, is an S-Train service on a north-south alignment. It runs from Lidcombe in the south to Olympic Park in the north, serving 2 stations. It runs on the physical track of the Olympic Park line.
T7 began operation in March 1998. T7 is operated by Sydney Trains.
T8 Airport & South Line
Line T8, the Airport & South Line (formerly known as the Airport, Inner West & South Line, as well as the Airport & East Hills Line) of the Sydney Trains network, is a S-Train service on a southwest-northeast alignment. It runs from Macarthur and Sydenham in the southwest to the City Circle, serving 34 stations and through-operating onto T2 (Macarthur branch) and T3 (Sydenham branch). It runs on the physical track of the City Circle, Main South, East Hills, Airport, and Illawarra lines. Outside of rush hour, the Sydenham-Turrella segment sees no passenger service, with the Sydenham branch operationally being treated as a different service, though during weekends the line wraps on itself to offer through service between Sydenham and points southwest.
T8 was split from T2 in November 2017. T8 is operated by Sydney Trains.
T9 Northern Line
Line T9, the Northern Line of the Sydney Trains network, is a S-Train service on a U-shaped alignment. It runs from Hornsby in the northwest to Gordon in the northeast, serving 31 stations. It runs on the physical track of the Main North, Main Suburban, and North Shore lines.
T9 was split from T1 in April 2019. T9 is operated by Sydney Trains.
Sydney Metro
Opened 2019, the Sydney Metro consists of a single metro service that serves the city of Sydney, New South Wales and the surrounding suburbs.
M1 Metro North West & Bankstown Line
Line M1, the Metro North West & Bankstown Line (formerly known as the Metro North West Line) of the Sydney Metro network is a metro service on a U-shaped alignment. It runs from Tallawong in the northwest to Sydenham in the southwest, serving 21 stations.
M1 was opened in May 2019 and the last extension to the line was to Sydenham in August 2024.
Sydney Light Rail
Opened 1997, the Sydney Light Rail consists of two light rail services and two modern tram services that serve the city of Sydney, New South Wales and the surrounding suburbs.
L1 Dulwich Hill Line
Line L1, the Dulwich Hill Line of the Sydney Light Rail network, also known as the Inner West Light Rail, is a light rail service on a northeast-southwest alignment. It runs from Central in the northeast to Dulwich Hill in the southwest, serving 23 stations.
L1 was opened in August 1997 and the last extension to the line was to Dulwich Hill in March 2014. L1 is owned by Transport for NSW.
L2 Randwick Line
Line L2, the Randwick Line of the Sydney Light Rail network, part of the CBD and South East Light Rail, is a modern tram service on a north-south alignment. It runs from Circular Quay in the north to Randwick in the south, serving 14 stations.
L2 was opened in December 2019. L2 is owned by Transport for NSW.
L3 Kingsford Line
Line L3, the Kingsford Line of the Sydney Light Rail network, part of the CBD and South East Light Rail, is a modern tram service on a north-south alignment. It runs from Circular Quay in the north to Juniors Kingsford in the south, serving 15 stations.
L3 was opened in April 2020. L3 is owned by Transport for NSW.
L4 Westmead & Carlingford Line
Line L4, the Westmead & Carlingford Line of the Sydney Light Rail network, also known as the Parramatta Light Rail, is a light rail service on an east-west alignment. It runs from Westmead in the west to Carlingford in the east via Parramatta, serving 16 stations.
L4 was opened in December 2024. L4 is owned by Transport for NSW.
Sydney Busways
Sydney's busway network consists of two bus rapid transit lines and a BRT-Lite line that serve the city of Sydney, New South Wales and the surrounding suburbs.
Liverpool-Parramatta T-way
The Liverpool-Parramatta T-way is a bus rapid transit line on a rotated U-shaped alignment. It runs from Liverpool in the south to Parramatta in the north, serving 35 stations. The primary service is the T80.
The Liverpool-Parramatta T-way was opened in February 2003.
North-West T-way
The North-West T-way is a bus rapid transit line on a northwest-southeast alignment, with an additional north-south branch. It runs from Blacktown in the southwest and Rouse Hill in the northwest to Parramatta in the southeast, serving 31 stations. The primary service is the 665 (Rouse Hill branch); the 734 serves all stations on the Blacktown branch but does not serve the main line.
The North-West T-way was opened in March 2007, with an extension to Rouse Hill in September 2007. The Blacktown branch opened in November 2007.
M2 Busway
The M2 Busway is a BRT-Lite line on an east-west alignment. It runs from Windsor Road in the west to Murray Farm Road in the east, serving 2 stations. Further west, there are some curbside bus lanes on the highway and stations at Cropley Drive and Gooden Reserve, which we are not covering on this website.
The M2 Busway was opened in August 1997. The busway was cut back from Beecroft Road in 2012.
References & Helpful Links
Sydney Light Rail at Wikipedia
Official Website for Sydney Trains, Metro, and Light Rail: Transport for NSW
Maps
Official System Map - Sydney Rail Network [PDF] [Last Accessed December 08, 2024]
Official System Map - Sydney Light Rail Network [PDF] [Last Accessed December 08, 2024]
Official System Map - Sydney Light Rail Network [PDF] [Last Accessed December 19, 2024]
Other Sources
Sydney, Australia at Urbanrail.net
Sydney - Metropolitan Area, Australia at BRTDATA.org
Other Websites
External Citations
Asset Notes
Line colors for Sydney Trains and Sydney Metro taken from official system map as of July 2024. Line colors for Sydney Light Rail taken from official system map as of February 2024 (and December 2024 for L4). T-way line colors taken from official T-way logo.