List of urban rail systems in Australia
Urban rail transport forms a vital part of transportation in major Australian cities.
Definitions
[edit]The Commonwealth government Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics and industry peak body Australasian Railway Association, who jointly publish the Trainline statistical report categorise Australian passenger systems as "urban" or "non-urban".[1]
Urban networks are further classified as "light rail" or "heavy rail".[1] Light rail in Australia includes established tram networks in Melbourne and Adelaide continuously operating in various forms since the 19th century, as well as networks in other cities newly constructed after the cessation of tram operation. Heavy rail networks primarily describe passenger operations over parts of mixed-traffic rail systems centred on capital cities and also includes the Sydney Metro system, which operates on its own dedicated corridor.
Non-urban passenger networks are classified according to their passenger task. "Inter-city" or "regional" networks are defined to be those whose primary market "...include[s] daily commuting or day return business or leisure travel" to major cities and are therefore included in this article. Other markets, such as long-distance operations between cities and regional centres, tourist-focused and heritage services, are excluded from this list.[1]
Urban rail systems
[edit]Average daily patronage, where possible, is taken from the last calendar or financial year (FY). System lengths are given in route kilometres. The largest, most extensive urban (as distinct from interurban) system is found in Melbourne, while the system with the highest patronage is found in Sydney. Patronage figures are for 2018–19 unless otherwise stated.
| Primary City | System | Other cities served | Type | Average daily boardings | Lines | Stations/ stops | Length | Average daily boardings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km | mi | per km | per mi | |||||||
| Sydney | Sydney Trains | Commuter rail | 955,089 (2024) [2] | 9[3] | 161 | 355.5 | 220.9[4] | 2,686 | 4,323 | |
| Sydney Metro | Rapid transit | 242,678 (2024)[5] | 1 | 21 | 52 | 32 | 4,666 | 7,509 | ||
| Sydney Light Rail | Light rail | 128,171 (2025)[6] | 3 | 42 | 24.7 | 15.3 | 5,189 | 8,351 | ||
| Parramatta Light Rail | Light rail | 12,096 (FY 2025) | 1 | 16 | 12 | 7.5 | 1,008 | 1,622 | ||
| NSW TrainLink (commuter services) | Newcastle, Wollongong, Scone, Dungog, Goulburn, Bathurst, Nowra (Bomaderry) | Commuter rail | 97,103 (2024) [7] | 5 | 156 | 977 | 607 | 99 | 159 | |
| Newcastle | Newcastle Light Rail | Light rail | 2,732 (2024)[8] | 1 | 6 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 1,011 | 1,627 | |
| Melbourne | Metro Trains Melbourne | Commuter rail | 554,276 (FY 2026) [9] | 17 | 227 | 430 | 270 | 1,289 | 2,074 | |
| Yarra Trams | Tram | 425,489 (FY 2026)[10] | 24 | 1,763 | 250 | 160 | 1,701 | 2,737 | ||
| V/Line (commuter services) | Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Seymour, Latrobe Valley | Commuter rail | 57,500[11] | 5 | 66 | 610 | 380 | 94 | 151 | |
| Perth | Transperth | Mandurah | Commuter rail | 202,053 (FY 2026)[12] | 8 | 86 | 244 | 152 | 828 | 1,333 |
| Brisbane | Queensland Rail Citytrain | Gold Coast, Ipswich, Sunshine Coast | Commuter rail | 150,500 (2025) [13] | 13 | 154 | 689 | 428 | 218 | 351 |
| Gold Coast | G:link | Light rail | 1 | 19 | 20 | 12 | ||||
| Adelaide | Adelaide Metro | Commuter rail | 42,880[14] | 6 | 81 | 126 | 78 | 340 | 550 | |
| Glenelg trams | Tram | 3 | 33 | 15 | 9.3 | |||||
| Canberra | Canberra Light Rail | Light rail | 1 | 14 | 12 | 7.5 | ||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Trainline 7 (PDF). Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. December 2019. pp. 44, 52. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 March 2020. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
- ↑ "Public Transport Trips - All Modes". transport.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ Sydney Trains Network Map Archived 14 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine Transport NSW
- ↑ Train Statistics 2014 Archived 28 February 2020 at the Wayback Machine Transport for NSW page 6
- ↑ "Public Transport Trips - All Modes". transport.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ "Public Transport Trips - All Modes". transport.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ "Public Transport Trips - All Modes". transport.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ "Public Transport Trips - All Modes". transport.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
- ↑ {{cite web|url=https://opendata.transport.vic.gov.au/dataset/monthly-average-patronage-by-day-type-and-by-mode/resource/2606a765-88f0-41c9-9b7c-76d3f2626a67?filters=Year%3A2025%7CMode%3AMetroTrain%7CDay_type%3ANormal%2520Weekday
- ↑ Planning, Department of Transport and. "Patronage". dtp.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
- ↑ "Annual Report 2018-2019". V/Line. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
- ↑ "Transport Performance". www.pta.wa.gov.au. Public Transport Authority. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ "Annual and Financial Report 2024-2025" (PDF). www.queenslandrail.com.au. Queensland Rail. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ "Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure 2018–19 Annual Report" (PDF). Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
