South railway line, Sydney

Public transport infrastructure in Sydney
logo=
name=South Line
transport_mode=Commuter rail line
line_owner=CityRail
operation_area=
map_colour=Light blue
stations_number=28
interchange_names=Museum
Town Hall
Central
Strathfield
Clyde
Liverpool
Glenfield
Campbelltown
operator_names=CityRail
fleet_names=C, R , S, T, M sets
depot_names=Flemington
Eveleigh
Mortdale
date_1=1855
event_1=OpenedThe South Line (line colour: light blue, originally green) is a railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the CityRail suburban network. This line conveys passengers between stations on the City Circle and the south-western suburbs of Sydney, including Fairfield, Liverpool and Campbelltown, travelling via Granville.

Description of route

What is marketed by CityRail as the 'South Line' branches from the Main Western Line at Granville. A flyover carries the 'down' (southbound) line over the 'Y Link' tracks (which carry the Cumberland Line services) between Merrylands and Harris Park. The line proceeds south through Merrylands, Guildford and Yennora stations which all have side platforms. North of Yennora station is a connection to a non-electrified goods siding to a Wool Store. The next station is Fairfield, where a set of trailing points at the north of the station allow southbound trains to terminate on platform 2 and return to the city. The line then continues south through Canley Vale station (2 side platforms) before joining the line from Lidcombe via Regents Park at Cabramatta. This junction is at-grade. This line thus described is known technically as the 'Old Main South' line ["The Genesis of the Main Southern Line - Granville to Campbelltown" Singleton, C.C. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin May, 1968 pp97-127] . It is the original alignment of the Main South Railway Line before a more direct route was constructed between Lidcombe and Cabramatta via Regents Park (what CityRail now markets as part of the Inner West Line).

The line continues as a two track electrified line south through Warwick Farm (2 side platforms) station. South of Warwick Farm, a former line to Warwick Farm Racecourse branched off in an eastbound direction. This line is now closed and the tracks lifted, however the platform face remains at the racecourse station site. The line continues south to meet the East Hills line at-grade at Glenfield Junction. Three platforms are provided at Glenfield to allow southbound trains to terminate and return to the city. The line continues south to Campbelltown, where three platforms are also provided. The final station is Macarthur, south of Campbelltown. This is the current limit of electrification and of suburban services. Three platforms are provided here to allow suburban trains to terminate clear of the mainlines which continue south through the Southern Highlands to Albury and ultimately to Melbourne.

ervices

Most trains services operate from the City Circle in an anticlockwise direction, their origin is most commonly the Airport and East Hills Line. Services then continue south from Central and along the Main Suburban Railway between Redfern and Strathfield usually utilising the 'local' or southern-most set of the six tracks between these two stations. From Strathfield, South Line trains operate on the southern pair of the four tracks to Granville, services then branch off heading south. Most South Line trains terminate at Campbelltown, however during peak hours many trains terminate at Liverpool and Glenfield instead. This is partially to relieve South Line trains of commuters travelling from the City to stations between Glenfield and Campbelltown who are encouraged to use the more direct Airport and East Hills Line instead.

The South Line is also particularly used by commuters travelling from the south-western suburbs to the regional business districts of Parramatta and Blacktown - especially when the part-time Cumberland Line is not in operation - by changing for the Western Line at Granville.

Nomenclature

The South line has had several different names. As mentioned, the section between Granville and Cabramatta is technically the 'Old Main South', and the section south of Cabramatta is technically the 'Main South' (which continues to Albury). Prior to 1991, the line was advertised as the "Macarthur Line", and it included the section from Lidcombe to Cabramatta via Regents Park, which is now known as part of the Inner West Line. From 1992-1996, the South Line was designated the "Campbelltown via Liverpool Line". From 1996-1999, the line was known as "Macarthur via Granville". The line is sometimes still known colloquially as the "Granville Line", due to announcements at some stations, particularly between Liverpool and Campbelltown, referring to city-bound trains as going to the "City via Granville". Since 1999, the line has carried its current designation of "South Line". The line has previously been coloured green and integrated with the East Hills line on promotional material and in directional signage. Since 2000, it has been coloured pale blue, and the section from Lidcombe - Cabramatta via Regents Park has been designated as part of the Inner West Line (and coloured first brown, and now purple). Despite all of these cosmetic changes, since 1987 when the Glenfield to East Hills line opened, the manner in which trains operate on the line has essentially remained unchanged.

South Line stations

Former Stations

* Rookwood (between Flemington and Lidcombe)

References