Northern Line (Sydney)

Last updated

Northern Line
TfNSW T9.svg
Cheltenham Station 050a.jpg
An A set at Cheltenham station
Overview
Service type Commuter rail service
StatusActive
Locale Sydney
Current operator(s) Sydney Trains
Route
Line(s) used
Technical
Rolling stock T, H, A and B sets
Timetable number(s)T9

The Northern Line (numbered T9, coloured red) is a commuter rail service operated by Sydney Trains, serving the Northern and parts of the Inner West suburbs of Sydney.

Contents

History

Diagram of the Northern Line prior to 2009 CityRail NorthernLine.png
Diagram of the Northern Line prior to 2009

Original incarnation (until 2013)

The traditional Northern Line was the suburban portion of the Main North railway line (Strathfield - Hornsby) which opened in 1886 and was electrified in 1926. [1] When the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened, it connected railway services from the Main North line and the City underground onto the North Shore line.

Passenger services used to operate as the Main North Line (same name as the physical railway line) and was colour coded red on railway maps. It operated all the way to Cowan, until the service was truncated to Berowra in January 1992. [2] [3] The service, along with the North Shore Line service (yellow), later also ran along the North Shore railway line towards the City via the Harbour Bridge, forming a continuous loop via Strathfield, Epping and back to Hornsby. [4]

Diagram of the Northern Line between 2009 and 2013. The line is marked in red. ECRL Stateplan.png
Diagram of the Northern Line between 2009 and 2013. The line is marked in red.

In later years, the line operated as the Northern Line and ran from Hornsby to North Sydney via Strathfield and the City, with the North Shore line replacing services between Hornsby and Berowra. In February 2009, the Epping to Chatswood rail link was opened. In October 2009, the Northern Line service was integrated with the shuttle service between Epping and Chatswood. As a result, the traditional 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.

Part of T1 (2013 to 2019)

In October 2013, the Northern Line, North Shore Line and Western line were merged to form the T1 North Shore, Northern & Western Line, which was colour coded yellow.

On weekdays, trains from the upper Northern Line (Hornsby via Macquarie University) joined up with the Western Line trains towards Richmond or Emu Plains, while trains from the lower Northern Line (Epping via Strathfield) joined up with the North Shore Line trains towards Hornsby or Berowra. On weekends, trains ran similar to prior to merger, where the lower Northern Line trains from Epping continue onto the upper Northern Line trains at Chatswood into Hornsby via Macquarie University.

In September 2018, the Epping to Chatswood line closed in order to be converted to metro standards as part of the Sydney Metro Northwest project. As a result, the traditional Northern line branch from Hornsby to Central via Strathfield was reinstated. [5]

Reincarnation (since 2019)

Diagram of the T9 Northern Line post-2019. T9 Sydney Trains diagram.png
Diagram of the T9 Northern Line post-2019.

On 28 April 2019, as part of the integration with the Sydney Metro Northwest, the Northern Line branch was spin-off from the T1 Line and became a separate T9 Northern Line, though using the same rolling stock. [6] [7] The new line runs from Hornsby to Gordon via Strathfield (and vice-versa). The separated line runs a similar route to the pre-2009 incarnation of the line. It is also similarly colour-coded red.

Route

The line begins at Hornsby - a junction station with the North Shore Line. The line heads south to Strathfield via Epping using the Main North Line, crossing the Parramatta River between Rhodes and Meadowbank. At Strathfield, trains usually head onto a flyover over the 'Main lines', before heading east onto the Main Suburban Railway, usually using the middle 'Suburban' pair of the six tracks between Redfern and Strathfield. Trains pass through Redfern and Central, then through the western limb of the City Circle before heading across the Harbour Bridge. Trains then head north along the North Shore towards Gordon, where they continue as T1 North Shore line trains (to Hornsby or Berowra).

For off-peak and weekend services, the T9 generally makes a complete loop from Hornsby to Hornsby or Berowra (anti-clockwise), and vice versa. However, the route is split into two distinct stopping patterns during the morning and afternoon peak:

Anti-clockwise direction:

Clockwise direction:

The route from the Northern Line to Redfern station is officially branded and published as T9, but from Central onwards, PIDS (Passenger Information Display Screens) show all services as T1, even if it came from the Northern Line. This is in contrast with PIDS at stations from Hornsby to Redfern (via Strathfield) displaying/announcing the T9 services goes to Gordon, "and then service continues to T1 North Shore line."

T9 stations
NameDistance from
Central
[1] [8] [9] [10] 		Opened
[1] [8] [9] [10] 		Railway lineServing suburbsOther lines
Gordon 17.1 km1890 North Shore Gordon
Killara 15.9 km1899Killara, East Killara
Lindfield 14.6 km1890Lindfield, East Lindfield
Roseville 13.3 km1890Roseville
Chatswood 11.7 km1890Chatswood
T1
M1
Artarmon 10.3 km1898Artarmon
T1
St Leonards 8.4 km1890St Leonards, Naremburn,
Crows Nest, Greenwich, Artarmon
Wollstonecraft 7.2 km1893Wollstonecraft, Greenwich
Waverton 6.1 km1893Waverton
North Sydney 5.1 km1932North Sydney
Milsons Point 4.4 km1932Milsons Point, Kirribilli
Wynyard 2.1 km1932Sydney CBD, Barangaroo
T1
T2
T3
T8
Town Hall 1.2 km1932Sydney CBD
T1
T2
T3
T4
T8
Central 0 km1855Haymarket, Chippendale,
Ultimo, Surry Hills
T1
T2
T3
T4
T8
M1
Redfern 1.3 km1878 Main Suburban Redfern, Waterloo,
Darlington, Eveleigh
T1
T2
T3
T4
T8
Burwood 10.6 km1855Burwood
T2
T3
Strathfield 11.8 km1876Strathfield, Burwood
T1
T2
T3
North Strathfield 13.4 km1918Main NorthNorth Strathfield, Concord West,
Concord, Homebush		none
Concord West 14.5 km1887Concord West, Liberty Grove, Concord
Rhodes 16.6 km1886Rhodes, Liberty Grove
Meadowbank 18.2 km1887Meadowbank,
West Ryde, Ryde
West Ryde 19.2 km1886West Ryde, Denistone
Denistone 20.2 km1937Denistone, Denistone East,
Denistone West, West Ryde
Eastwood 21.4 km1886Eastwood
Epping 23.4 km1886Epping
M1
Cheltenham 26.8 km1898Cheltenhamnone
Beecroft 28.3 km1886Beecroft
Pennant Hills 30 km1886Pennant Hills
Thornleigh 30.8 km1886Thornleigh, Pennant Hills, Westleigh
Normanhurst 33.1 km1895Normanhurst, Thornleigh, Hornsby
Hornsby 35.3 km1886Hornsby, Waitara
T1

Patronage

The following table shows the patronage for the year ending 30 June 2024.

2023–24 Sydney Trains patronage by line [n.b. 1] [11]
T1
86,736,689
T2
47,048,199
T3
20,178,194 [n.b. 2]
T4
54,802,802
T5
8,028,853
T6
– [n.b. 3]
T7
1,345,017
T8
37,691,564
T9
22,303,028
  1. ↑ Figures based on Opal tap on and tap off data
  2. ↑ T3 patronage from former route via Bankstown.
  3. ↑ T6 services commenced on 19 October 2024.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epping to Chatswood rail link</span> Metro line in New South Wales

The Epping to Chatswood rail link (ECRL) is a railway line in the northern suburbs of Sydney, Australia, which connects Epping station on the Northern line with Chatswood on the North Shore line. It was formerly considered its own railway line, but is now part of the Metro North West & Bankstown Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Shore railway line</span> Railway line in Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Sydney railway station</span> Railway station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chatswood railway station</span> Railway station in Sydney

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epping railway station, Sydney</span> Railway station in New South Wales, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berowra railway station</span> Railway station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main North railway line, New South Wales</span> Railway line in New South Wales, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strathfield railway station</span> Railway station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roseville railway station, Sydney</span> Railway station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodes railway station</span> Railway station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheltenham railway station, Sydney</span> Railway station in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Cheltenham railway station is located on the Main Northern line, serving the Sydney suburb of Cheltenham. It is served by Sydney Trains' T9 Northern Line services.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Suburban railway line</span> Railway line in Sydney, New South Wales

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Trains</span> Operator of passenger rail services in and around Sydney

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Shore & Western Line</span> Rail service in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Main North Line". NSWrail.net. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  2. ↑ "Historical Map: Sydney Rail Network, Early 1980s". Transit Maps. 5 July 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  3. ↑ "CityRail launches new timetable" Railway Digest February 1992 page 45
  4. ↑ "Historical Map: Sydney CityRail Network Map, 1992". Transit Maps. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  5. ↑ "Station Link bus services to connect customers during Metro upgrade". NSW Transport Info. 7 April 2018. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018.
  6. ↑ "Service Adjustments 2019". Transport Info NSW. 12 April 2019. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "A new red line through Sydney's rail map". Sydney Morning Herald. 21 February 2019. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  8. 1 2 "NSW Rail.net North Shore line" . Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  9. 1 2 "NSW Rail.net City Circle" . Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  10. 1 2 "NSW Rail.net Main South line" . Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  11. ↑ "Train Patronage – Monthly Figures". Transport for NSW. Retrieved 30 October 2024.

Further reading

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