Central Coast & Newcastle Line

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Central Coast & Newcastle Line
A NSW TrainLink H set approaching Tascott station
Overview
Service typeIntercity rail
LocaleCentral Coast and Newcastle, New South Wales
Current operator(s)NSW TrainLink
Route
TerminiSydney Central
Newcastle Interchange
Stops36
Distance travelled165.60 km (102.90 mi)
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
Electrification1,500 V DC from overhead catenary
Track owner(s)Transport Asset Holding Entity
Route map
Map

The Central Coast & Newcastle Line (CCN) 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.

Description of route[edit]

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 traverses the Main West route 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 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.

Services primarily operate to and from Central (Sydney Terminal) via Strathfield. During morning and afternoon peak periods on weekdays, some services will operate in the peak direction from either Wyong or Gosford to Central via the North Shore Line, then continuing on as a T1 service from the Central suburban platforms to Blacktown.[1]

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

History[edit]

Prior to electrification of the route, steam hauled passenger trains were varied.[2] From November 1929 until April 1988, the Newcastle Flyer operated on the route. 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. After electrification to Newcastle, 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.

The last electric locomotives were withdrawn in March 1998[3] with all services operated by electric multiple unit stock.

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 served as the temporary northern terminus.[4] The closed section between Wickham and Newcastle was replaced with the Newcastle Light Rail that opened on 17 February 2019.[5][6]

Services[edit]

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.

Services via Strathfield depart from Central (Sydney Terminal) and are operated by 4- or 8-car H sets (OSCARs) and 8-car V sets.

From 2024, all services are to be taken over by 4- and 6-car D sets. That will allow H sets to be transferred to the suburban Sydney Trains network.

Upgrades[edit]

Completed[edit]

The line was electrified to Gosford in January 1960, Wyong in April 1982[7] and Newcastle in June 1984.[8]

As part of the Northern Sydney Freight Corridor project the following projects were completed:[9] The projects were:[10][11]

Project Description Start date Completion date
North Strathfield underpass Grade separation for southbound freight trains heading to Flemington 2013 June 2015
Epping to Pennant Hills third track Third track for northbound trains climbing 1 in 40 grades 2013 Mid-2016
Gosford passing loops One passing loop in each direction to allow fast trains to overtake slower trains 2013 April 2015

Proposed[edit]

Glendale station[edit]

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. However, construction of the station has not commenced.

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

New Warnervale station[edit]

A new station is proposed for Warnervale.[12][13] The draft Central Coast Transportation Strategy stated that construction of the new railway station was to be completed by 2016.[14] In October 2014 there were some differences between the former Wyong Shire Council (now Central Coast Council) and the State Government over how a strategic piece of land should be developed at Warnervale.[15]

Stations[edit]

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 North 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[edit]

The following table shows the patronage of each line of the NSW TrainLink Intercity network for the year ending 30 June 2022, based on Opal tap on and tap off data.[16]

2021–22 NSW TrainLink Intercity patronage by line
3 179 000
6 015 000
418 000
3 013 000
334 000


See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "CCN Central Coast & Newcastle Line - Transport NSW" (PDF). Transport NSW. 8 July 2023.
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ "Electric Locos" Railway Digest June 1998 page 35
  4. ^ Owen, Brodie (15 October 2017). "All stops to Wickham: transport interchange opens". Newcastle Herald. Archived from the original on 16 October 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  5. ^ "Light rail construction". Archived from the original on 3 October 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  6. ^ Light rail in Newcastle opening from Monday 18 February Archived 4 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine Transport for NSW 3 February 2019
  7. ^ Railway Sign Official Opening Gosford - Wyong Electrification 3 April 1982 Archived 27 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine Powerhouse Museum Collection
  8. ^ "The Official Opening of Newcastle Rail Electrification" Railway Digest July 1984 page 218
  9. ^ Northern Sydney Freight Corridor Locked In Archived 10 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine Minister for Infrastructure & Transport 7 December 2011
  10. ^ "Sydney's mega rail upgrade gets green light". The Construction Index. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  11. ^ Industry Briefing Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine Transport for NSW 24 January 2012
  12. ^ A new Central Coast Regional Growth and Infrastructure Plan Archived 27 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine New South Wales Planning & Environment Retrieved 27 December 2014
  13. ^ Warnervale Town Centre Development Control Plan 2012 Archived 30 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine New South Wales Planning & Environment
  14. ^ Warnervale Town Centre Archived 27 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine Wyong Shire Council 19 February 2014
  15. ^ NSW Government and Wyong Council in row over plans for key Warnervale land Archived 30 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine Daily Telegraph
  16. ^ "Train Patronage – Monthly Figures". Transport for NSW. Retrieved 20 August 2022.

Further reading[edit]

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