Australia

Country Details

See Wikipedia

Timetable

See Australian Rail Maps

Extensive information is available at the Man in Seat 61.

Summary timetables are available in some editions of the European Rail Timetable.

Maps

See Australian Rail Maps and Maps and Plans

Infrastructure

Infrastructure Authority

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is a federal government owned corporation that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of the inter-State main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia.

Gauges

One of three gauges is normally used on main line railways. Each started in different parts of country, due to historic development precedents in gauge choice in particular states and because such state systems were initially isolated from one another.

• 1,435 mm (4 feet 8½ inches) standard gauge
• 1,600 mm (5 feet 3 inches) broad gauge
• 1,067 mm (3 feet 6 inches) narrow [Cape] gauge

There is an ongoing programme to convert both broad and narrow gauge lines to standard gauge.

Narrower gauges of

• 600 mm (2 feet)
• 760 mm (2 feet 6 inches)

were used on industrial lines and remain on some tourist lines.

Electrification

Suburban networks can have electrification at either

• 1,500 V DC

or

• 25 kV AC.

• 750 V DC is used on tramways.

Tourist Lines

See Wikipedia

Metros

Melbourne and Sydney.

Trams/LRT Systems

In Adelaide, Canberra, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney.

See Urban Rail

Recent and Future Changes

Recent Changes

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

• The Adelaide 1 km Port Dock Railway Line branch reopened on 25 August 2024 after decommissioning in 1981.

NEW SOUTH WALES

• Parramatta's 12 km light rail officially opened for commuters on Friday 20 December 2024. The first passenger services departed Carlingford and Westmead light rail stops at 5am and Parramatta Square at 5:02am. Stage two construction of the Parramatta light rail project will begin in 2025, which will add another 10 kilometres of track to extend it to Sydney Olympic Park.

Future Changes

VICTORIA Melbourne Metro Tunnel: 9km Footscray to Hawksburn, expected to open 2025 https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/projects/metro-tunnel

• Melbourne Airport Rail: from the airport at Tullamarine to run parallel to the Broadmeadows - Albion line and join the Sunbury line at Sunshine [thus also feeding into the above Metro Tunnel line]; ca.12km, projected opening 2029. Website here

WEST AUSTRALIA Perth: Butler - Yanchep extension 14.5km, opened 14 July 2024 https://www.metronet.wa.gov.au/projects/yanchep-rail-extension

Perth: Bayswater - Ellenbrook line 21.3km, opened 8 December 2024 https://www.metronet.wa.gov.au/projects/morley-ellenbrook-line

Perth: Whiteman Park heritage tramway extension 1.6km, opened 8 Dec 2024 (i.c.w. the Ellenbrook line)

Perth: Thornlie - Cockburn South line 17.5km, test running from 20 January 2025, expected to open mid 2025 https://www.metronet.wa.gov.au/projects/thornlie-cockburn-link

QUEENSLAND Brisbane: Cross River Rail line, Exhibition - Dutton Park 10.2km, expected to open 2029 https://crossriverrail.qld.gov.au/about/project-overview/ [This would also see regular local services using much (but not all) of the Exhibition line which currently features as obscure line QLD1]

Gold Coast: Broadbeach South - Burleigh Heads 6.7km extension of Gold Coast light rail line https://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/gold-coast-light-rail (for existing G-line tram system see https://ridetheg.com.au/)

NEW SOUTH WALES Sydney: North West Metro line M1 Tallawong - Chatswood 36km, opened 26 May 2019

Sydney: Chatswood - Sydenham Metro line M1 extension 15.5km opened 19 August 2024 https://www.mysydney.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-metro

Sydney: Sydenham - Bankstown Metro line M1 extension (by conversion of Sydney Trains T3 line which closed 30 September 2024) not now expected until 2026. https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/south-west-metro-conversion-period-to-be-extended-into-2026 see also https://www.mysydney.nsw.gov.au/projects/southwest-link-conversion-t3-bankstown-line

Parramatta light rail stage 2 : 10km extension to Sydney Olympic Park is to start construction 2025 https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/projects/parramatta-light-rail/news/construction-on-parramatta-light-rail-stage-2-to-begin-2025-as-major-contract-signed

Sydney: Other longer term Metro extensions - see https://www.sydneymetro.info/ or https://www.mysydney.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-metro

• Victoria regional lines: these are being upgraded. Details at this website

• Melbourne Metro tunnel project: From Footscray to Hawksburn website here

Lines with Obscure or Sparse Passenger Services

See Australia - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services.