Railways in Sydney
Sydney, the largest city in Australia, has an extensive network of passenger and freight railways. The passenger network is a hybrid metro-suburban railway with a central underground core running at metro style frequencies, which branches out into a suburban commuter type network. The system also carries freight, and there is a separate network of freight lines, some of which are disused.
The network has more in common with rapid transit systems than it does with North American and European commuter networks. This is illustrated by the everyday service, 20 hours a day operation, 15 minute or better frequencies on most of the network, large underground sections, a ridership comparable and even larger than most North American rapid transit systems and relatively small distances between stations.
Passenger service
Passenger service is operated in Sydney by Sydney Trains (launched 1 July 2013). Trains operate for 20 hours a day, and over 1 million weekday passenger journeys are made on 2365 daily services over 2080 km of track and through 306 stations (including interurban lines). Suburban services operates along the portions of the main lines from Sydney to the north, west, south and south-west, and also along several dedicated suburban lines. All of these lines are electrified at overhead 1500 V DC, starting in 1926.