Central Coast & Newcastle Line

The Central Coast & Newcastle Line is a NSW TrainLink passenger train service that runs along the Main North railway line in New South Wales, connecting the state's two largest cities, Sydney and Newcastle. The service runs from Central through to Broadmeadow on the Main North railway line to Newcastle Interchange on the Newcastle railway line, and services the Hawkesbury River region, the Central Coast and the city of Newcastle.

Central Coast & Newcastle Line
Overview
Service typeIntercity rail
LocaleCentral Coast and Newcastle, New South Wales
Current operator(s)NSW TrainLink
Route
StartCentral
Stops36
EndNewcastle Interchange
Distance travelled165.60km
Line(s) usedMain North railway line
Newcastle railway line
Technical
Rolling stockNSW TrainLink H and V sets
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Track owner(s)Transport Asset Holding Entity

Description of route
The Hawkesbury River separates Sydney and the Central Coast. The bridge over the river is one of the major engineering structures on the line.

The route traverse 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. To Newcastle Interchange The line is electrified at 1500 V DC throughout, and is primarily double track, although there are refuge loops at Hawkesbury River, Gosford, Wyong, Awaba, and Sulphide Junction (between Cockle Creek and Cardiff). Some services terminate at Gosford and Wyong.

Sometimes when there is trackwork between Strathfield and Hornsby, trains will operate via the North Shore line to Hornsby, then follow the Main North railway line as normal.

Partial closure of Newcastle Line

The section of the Newcastle railway line between Hamilton and Newcastle was closed on 25 December 2014. Until the opening of Newcastle Interchange in 2017, Hamilton formed a temporary terminus.[1] The closed section between Wickham and Newcastle was replaced with the Newcastle Light Rail that opened in February 2019.[2][3]

Services

Prior to electrification of the route, steam hauled passenger trains were varied and interesting.[4] From November 1929 until April 1988, the Newcastle Flyer operated on the route. After electrification, services were taken over by U and V sets. Later the U sets were replaced by K and G sets which in turn were replaced by H sets.

From the time the line was electrified, services to Gosford were hauled by 46 class locomotives, their sphere of operation increasing as the wires were extended.

The last electric locomotives were withdrawn in March 1998[5] with all services since hauled by diesel locomotives. Today Aurizon, Pacific National and Southern Shorthaul Railroad all regularly operate freight trains on the line.

Most all-stations trains have four carriages, with the first and last car being quiet carriages. Peak-hour and most express services usually have eight cars, with quiet carriages on the first, last, and the two middle carriages.

Upgrades

Completed

The line was electrified to Gosford in January 1960, Wyong in April 1982[6] and Newcastle in June 1984.[7]

As part of the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor project the following projects were completed:[8] The projects were:[9][10]

Project Description Start date Completion date
North Strathfield underpassGrade separation for southbound freight trains heading to Flemington2013June 2015
Epping to Pennant Hills third trackThird track for northbound trains climbing 1 in 40 grades2013Mid-2016
Gosford passing loopsOne passing loop in each direction to allow fast trains to overtake slower trains2013April 2015

Proposed

Glendale station

A railway station is proposed to be constructed in Glendale as part of the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange project. The station will be located between Cockle Creek and Cardiff railway station and will have connections to buses. An extension of Glendale Drive leading to the proposed station has been built and completed in June 2017. The station, however, has not commenced construction.

A NSW TrainLink H set. H sets, along with V sets, service the line.

New Warnervale station

A new station is proposed for Warnervale.[11][12] The draft Central Coast Transportation Strategy stated that construction of the new railway station was to be completed by 2016.[13] In October 2014 there were some differences between Wyong Council and the State Government over how a strategic piece of land should be developed at Warnervale.[14]

Stations

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

Central Coast & Newcastle Line stations
Name Railway line Serving town/suburbs Notes
Central Main Suburban Haymarket, Chippendale, Ultimo, Surry Hills Transport hub featuring Sydney Trains, other Intercity trains,
Regional trains, buses and light rail
Redfern
(peak hours only)		 Redfern, Waterloo, Darlington Interchange with most Sydney Trains lines
Strathfield Strathfield, Burwood Interchange with the Blue Mountains Line, Sydney Trains and Regional trains
Epping Main Northern Epping, North Epping, Carlingford, Interchange with Sydney Trains and Sydney Metro
Hornsby Hornsby, Waitara Interchange with Sydney Trains and Regional trains
Asquith
(limited service only)		 Asquith Usually served by Sydney Trains
Mount Colah
(limited service only)		 Mount Colah Usually served by Sydney Trains
Mount Kuring-Gai
(limited service only)		 Mount Kuring-Gai Usually served by Sydney Trains
Berowra Berowra, Berowra Heights End of the Sydney Trains network
Cowan Cowan
Hawkesbury River Brooklyn
Wondabyne Wondabyne
Woy Woy Woy Woy
Koolewong Koolewong
Tascott Tascott
Point Clare Point Clare
Gosford Gosford Intermediate terminus, primarily during peak hours. Interchange with Regional trains
Narara Narara
Niagara Park Niagara Park
Lisarow Lisarow
Ourimbah Ourimbah
Tuggerah Tuggerah, Mardi, Chittaway Point, Kangy Angy
Wyong Wyong, Wattanobi Intermediate terminus, primarily during peak hours and on weekends. Interchange with Regional trains
Warnervale Warnervale, Woongarrah, Hamlyn Terrace
Wyee Wyee
Morisset Morisset
Dora Creek Dora Creek, Myuna Bay, Eraring
Awaba Awaba
Fassifern Fassifern, Blackalls Park, Fennell Bay Interchange with Regional trains
Booragul Booragul, Marmong Point
Teralba Teralba
Cockle Creek Cockle Creek, Boolaroo, Argenton
Cardiff Cardiff, Cardiff Heights, Glendale
Kotara Kotara, Kotara South
Adamstown Adamstown, New Lambton
Broadmeadow Broadmeadow Interchange with Regional trains
Hamilton Newcastle Hamilton, Islington Interchange with the Hunter Line
Newcastle Interchange Wickham, Newcastle Interchange with the buses, Hunter Line trains and Newcastle Light Rail

Patronage

The following table shows the patronage of each line of the NSW TrainLink Intercity network for the year ending 30 June 2020, based on Opal tap on and tap off data.[15]

2019-20 NSW TrainLink Intercity patronage by line
7 670 000
14 197 000
818 000
7 729 000
817 000
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See also

References
  1. Owen, Brodie (15 October 2017). "All stops to Wickham: transport interchange opens". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  2. "Light rail construction". Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  3. Light rail in Newcastle opening from Monday 18 February Transport for NSW 3 February 2019
  4. 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
  5. "Electric Locos" Railway Digest June 1998 page 35
  6. Railway Sign Official Opening Gosford - Wyong Electrification 3 April 1982 Powerhouse Museum Collection
  7. "The Official Opening of Newcastle Rail Electrification" Railway Digest July 1984 page 218
  8. Northern Sydney Freight Corridor Locked In Archived 10 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine Minister for Infrastructure & Transport 7 December 2011
  9. "Sydney's mega rail upgrade gets green light". The Construction Index. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  10. Industry Briefing Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for NSW 24 January 2012
  11. A new Central Coast Regional Growth and Infrastructure Plan New South Wales Planning & Environment retrieved 27 December 2014
  12. Warnervale Town Centre Development Control Plan 2012 Archived 30 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine New South Wales Planning & Environment
  13. Warnervale Town Centre Wyong Shire Council 19 February 2014
  14. NSW Government and Wyong Council in row over plans for key Warnervale land Daily Telegraph
  15. "Train Patronage - Monthly Figures". Transport for NSW. Retrieved 7 August 2020.

Further reading
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