Newcastle and Central Coast railway line, New South Wales

Public transport infrastructure in Sydney
logo=

name=Newcastle & Central Coast line
transport_mode=Regional rail line
Coach service
line_owner=CityRail
operation_area=
map_colour=Red/Grey
line_length=168 km
stations_number=31
interchange_names=Central
Woy Woy
Gosford
Wyong
Fassifern
Toronto (by coach)
Hamilton
Newcastle
operator_names=CityRail
fleet_names=V, G, K and H (Oscar) sets
depot_names=Flemington
Hornsby
date_1=1887
event_1=OpenedThe Newcastle and Central Coast Line is an intercity railway line of Sydney's CityRail network. It runs from Sydney's Central Station via the Central Coast along an inland route, and ends in the Central Business District of Newcastle. It is coloured red on a grey background on CityRail maps and other promotional material.

Description of route

The route follows the Main West and Main South railway line routes until Strathfield, where it diverts north and follows the route of the Main North line until Broadmeadow, before diverting east along the route of the Newcastle branch line. The line is electrified at 1500V DC throughout, and is primarily double track, although there are passing loops at Hawkesbury River, Gosford, Wyong, Awaba, and Sulphide Junction (between Cockle Creek and Cardiff). Terminating of trains is available at Gosford, Wyong, and Morisset stations.

Prior to electrification of the route, steam hauled passenger trains were varied and interesting. ["Some Steam Trains of New South Wales in Retrospect: Trains to Newcastle and the Short North" Covell, Charles Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, October, 2000 pp369-386]

There are two stations planned on the line - a new station for Warnervale town centre (Woongarrah) at North Warnervale and a Glendale station between Cockle Creek and Cardiff. Both of these are in the planning stage.

This line is currently receiving ongoing track work between Gosford and Newcastle. This is part of the Track Reconstruction Strategy which commenced in 2003. Track reconstruction work includes replacing timber sleepers with concrete, new rails, ballast cleaning, reconditioning, drainage, resurfacing track, overhead wiring adjustments, track adjustments, signal restoration works and rail corridor clean-up and presentation. The track work is expected to be completed in 2009/10. During track work times, buses replace most trains when tracks are not ready.

The line is notable for the detailed Street art murals that adorn areas near most stations between Hornsby and Newcastle, incorporating imagery and names related to the appropriate station. The route also takes in a meandering but pituresque section along the Hawkesbury River, Brisbane Water and Lake Macquarie.

tations

This table does not include the services which run via the North shore line and extend to Gosford and Wyong.

topping Patterns

*Pattern 1: Newcastle, all to Berowra, Hornsby, Epping, Eastwood, Strathfield, Central and vice-versa (early morning and late night services; one morning peak hour service to Central; one evening peak service to Newcastle) *
*Pattern 2: Newcastle, Civic, Hamilton, Broadmeadow, Cardiff, Fassifern, Morisset, all to Tuggerah, Gosford, Woy Woy, Hornsby, Eastwood, Strathfield, Central and vice-versa (daytime off-peak and peak hours) †
*Pattern 3: Wyong, all to Berowra, Hornsby, Epping, Strathfield, Redfern, Central and vice-versa (daytime off-peak and peak hours) ¹
*Pattern 4: Newcastle, all to Morisset and vice-versa (daytime off-peak and evening peak hour)
*Pattern 5: Newcastle, all to Gosford, Woy Woy, Hornsby, Epping, Strathfield, Central and vice-versa (peak hours only)
*Pattern 6: Gosford, all to Berowra, Hornsby, Epping, Eastwood, Strathfield, Central and vice-versa (late afternoon off-peak and early evening peak hour) ²
*Pattern 7: The former "Newcastle Flyer" service: Newcastle, Hamilton, Broadmeadow, Cardiff, Fassifern, Morisset, Gosford, Hornsby, Strathfield, Central and vice-versa (One peak hour morning service to Central; one peak hour evening service to Newcastle) ³

ee also

*Main Northern Line- for details of history and construction.
*Newcastle Branch line- for the branch line between Broadmeadow and Newcastle.

Further reading

* "The Short North" Singleton C.C. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, May "et seq", 1965

References