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North Shore & Western Line
TfNSW T1.svg
A50 at Wentworthville Station, T1 Line.jpg
An A set at Wentworthville
Overview
Service type Commuter rail service
Status Active
Locale Sydney
Current operator(s) Sydney Trains
Annual ridership 142 853 000 (2017-18)
Route
Line used
Technical
Rolling stock T, H and A sets
Timetable number(s) T1

The North Shore & Western Line (numbered T1, coloured orange) is a commuter rail line operated by Sydney Trains in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It serves the North Shore, parts of the Inner West and Western Suburbs.

It was previously the North Shore, Northern & Western Line (also numbered T1) until April 2019, when the T9 Northern Line was spun off from the original T1 line.

History

Following victory in the 2011 New South Wales election, the O'Farrell Government embarked on reform of transport in New South Wales. In November 2011, Transport for NSW was created to improve planning and coordination of transport projects and services. The organisation developed a new rail timetable and branding, which was put into effect on 20 October 2013. This saw the merger of the North Shore Line and Western Line () with the Northern Line () to form the North Shore, Northern & Western Line. A new numbering system was also introduced and the line was given the number T1.

The North Shore, Northern & Western Line formerly ran along the Epping to Chatswood line until it closed in September 2018 to be converted to metro standards as part of the Sydney Metro Northwest project. As a result, the traditional Northern line route from Hornsby to Central via Strathfield was reinstated. The closed section was replaced by Station Link bus services until it reopened as metro. On 28 April 2019, this route became a separate T9 Northern Line, with the T1 renamed the North Shore & Western Line.

Railway line history

The T1 uses a number of different railway lines and is the result of various schemes to link the lines together. The line is centred around the Main Suburban railway line which runs from Central to Granville, which continues as the Main Western line at Granville. The Richmond railway line branches from the Main Western line at Blacktown.

In the other direction from Central towards the North Shore, the T1 uses the North Shore Line towards Hornsby, then continues along the Main North Line towards Berowra.

Main Western and Richmond railway lines

The Main Western railway line opened to Penrith in 1863 as a branch from the junction with the Main South line at Granville. Electrification reached Parramatta in 1928 and Penrith in 1955.

A branch line was opened to Richmond in 1864 under the stewardship of engineer James Moore. Electrification from Riverstone to Richmond opened in August 1991. Through running to and from Sydney commenced in 1992.

North Shore railway line

The North Shore railway line was opened on 1 January 1890 between Hornsby and St Leonards. The line was extended to the Sydney Harbour foreshore at Milsons Point in 1893. Transport between this original Milsons Point station and central Sydney was by ferry boat. The line was electrified in 1927.

When the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened in 1932 a new Milsons Point station (on the bridge approach) came into operation and the North Shore Line was extended through it and over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to link with the underground lines of central Sydney. The result is that the two ends of the North Shore Line link to the Sydney railway system at Central and Hornsby.

Main North railway line

The T1 uses the section of the Main North railway line between Hornsby and Berowra, which was opened in 1887 and electrified in 1959.

Route

The route passes through a number of business districts and major centres, namely Hornsby, Chatswood, North Sydney, the Central Business District, Parramatta, Blacktown and Penrith.

The line heads south from Berowra to Hornsby using the Main North Line. Trains then divert onto the North Shore Line, eventually passing through North Sydney station before heading across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, through the western limb of the City Circle and the stations of Central and Redfern. Services then run along the Main Suburban Railway, usually using the middle 'Suburban' pair of the six tracks between Redfern and Strathfield. Services do not stop at intermediate stations between Redfern and Strathfield.

Services continue west from Strathfield to Granville where trains join the Main Western Line. After passing through Parramatta, trains reach Blacktown, where the line divides in two. A western branch continues along the Main Western Line as far as Emu Plains and a north-western branch heads to Richmond using the Richmond Line. <mapframe width="500" height="400" longitude="150.9721" latitude="-33.7629" zoom="10" align="left" text="T1 interactive map">

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T1 stations
Name Distance from
Central
Opened
Railway line Serving suburbs Other lines
Berowra 44.7 km 1887 Main North Berowra none
Mount Kuring-gai 40.7 km 1901 Mount Kuring-gai
Mount Colah 37.7 km 1887 Mount Colah
Asquith 35.7 km 1915 Asquith, Hornsby Heights
Hornsby 33.9 km 1886 North Shore Hornsby, Waitara
Waitara 24.2 km 1895 Waitara none
Wahroonga 22.6 km 1890 Wahroonga
Warrawee 21.9 km 1900 Warrawee, Wahroonga
Turramurra 20.8 km 1890 Turramurra, North Turrmarra, South Turramurra
Pymble 18.9 km 1890 Pymble
Gordon 17.1 km 1890 Gordon
Killara 15.9 km 1899 Killara, East Killara
Lindfield 14.6 km 1890 Lindfield, East Lindfield
Roseville 13.3 km 1890 Roseville
Chatswood 11.7 km 1890 Chatswood
M
Artarmon 10.3 km 1898 Artarmon
St Leonards 8.4 km 1890 St Leonards, Naremburn,
Crows Nest, Greenwich, Artarmon
Wollstonecraft 7.2 km 1893 Wollstonecraft, Greenwich
Waverton 6.1 km 1893 Waverton
North Sydney 5.1 km 1932 North Sydney, Lavender Bay
Milsons Point 4.4 km 1932 Milsons Point, Kirribilli
Wynyard 2.1 km 1932 Sydney CBD, Barangaroo
T3
T8
Town Hall 1.2 km 1932 Sydney CBD
T3
T4
T8
Central 0 km 1855 Haymarket, Chippendale,
Ultimo, Surry Hills
T3
T4
T8
Redfern 1.3 km 1878 Main Suburban Redfern, Waterloo,
Darlington, Eveleigh
T3
T4
T8

(T8 peak hours only)
Strathfield 11.8 km 1876 Strathfield, Burwood
Lidcombe 16.6 km 1858 Lidcombe
T3
T7
Auburn

(Only during weekends)

18.7 km 1877 Auburn
Clyde

(Only during weekends)

20.6 km 1882 Clyde, Granville
Granville

(Only during weekends)

21.4 km 1860 Granville
Harris Park

(Only during weekends)

22.6 km After 1883 Main Western Harris Park, Rosehill
T5
Parramatta 23.2 km 1860 Parramatta
T5
Westmead 25.1 km 1883 Westmead
T5
Wentworthville 26.7 km 1883 Wentworthville
T5
Pendle Hill 28.3 km 1924 Pendle Hill
T5
Toongabbie 29.9 km 1880 Toongabbie
T5
Seven Hills 32.1 km 1863 Seven Hills
T5
Blacktown 34.8 km 1860 Main Western
Richmond
Blacktown
T5
At Blacktown, the line branches. The western branch is towards Emu Plains, and the northwestern branch is towards Richmond.
To Emu Plains
Doonside 38.6 km 1880 Main Western Doonside none
Rooty Hill 40.9 km 1861 Rooty Hill
Mount Druitt 43.3 km 1881 Mount Druitt
St Marys 47.4 km 1862 St Marys, North St Marys
Werrington 49.1 km 1868 Werrington
Kingswood 52.7 km 1887 Kingswood, Cambridge Park
Penrith 55.1 km 1863 Penrith
Emu Plains 57.4 km 1868 Emu Plains, Emu Heights
To Richmond
Marayong 37.4 km 1922 Richmond Marayong, Kings Park
T5
Quakers Hill 40.1 km 1872 Quakers Hill
T5
Schofields 43.8 km 1870 Schofields
T5
Riverstone 46.0 km 1864 Riverstone
T5
Vineyard 49.2 km 1935 Vineyard
T5
Mulgrave 52.6 km 1864 Mulgrave, McGraths Hill
T5
Windsor 55.0 km 1864 Windsor, South Windsor
T5
Clarendon 57.2 km 1870 Clarendon
T5
East Richmond 60.0 km 1939 Richmond
T5
Richmond 60.7 km 1864 Richmond, Hobartville
T5

Patronage

The following table shows the patronage of Sydney Trains network for the year ending 30 June 2021.

2020–21 Sydney Trains patronage by line
T1
57 173 000
32 462 000
T3
16 580 000
T4
38 199 000
T5
5 052 000
T7
657 000
T8
21 503 000
14 488 000