Owner Queensland Rail Transit type Commuter Rail Number of stations 152 | Locale South East Queensland Number of lines 13 | |
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Annual ridership 52.44 million (2015/16) | ||
The Queensland Rail City network (formerly known as Citytrain prior to the split of Queensland Rail) provides urban, suburban and inter-urban electric passenger railway services in South East Queensland, Australia.
Contents
History
The first railway in Queensland did not actually run to Brisbane, but ran from Ipswich to Grandchester. Opened in July 1865, the line into Brisbane was not completed until the opening of the Albert Bridge in July 1875.
A start on electrification of the suburban network was approved in 1950 but a change of state government in 1957 saw the scheme abandoned in 1959. It was not until the 1970s that electrification was again brought up, with contracts let in 1975. The first part of the new electric system from Darra to Ferny Grove opened on 17 November 1979. The network was completed by 1988, with a number of extensions made since and additional rolling stock purchased. Services were initially operated under the Queensland Rail brand, with the Citytrain name established in 1995.
In June 2009 as part the split of Queensland Rail's commuter rail and the freight business, The Citytrain brand was dropped in favour of using the redesigned Queensland Rail brand. Since then almost all traces of the Citytrain brand have been removed from rolling stock and station signage.
Network
The Queensland Rail City network is made up of ten suburban lines and three interurban lines. Centering in the Brisbane City, it extends as far as Gympie in the north, Varsity Lakes in the south, Rosewood in the west, and Cleveland in the east to Moreton Bay.
In 2015/16, 52.44 million passenger journeys were made.
Urban
Services that connect Metropolitan Brisbane to the Brisbane CBD. These are all-stop services with the Caboolture, Cleveland & Ipswich/Rosewood lines having express services during on-peak times.
Interurban
Express services which stop only at major stations linking the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Gympie with Brisbane. The trains used on these lines typically more designed for long distance travel with more comfortable seating, luggage racks and onboard toilet facilities.
RailBus
To relieve congestion on the single track North Coast line north of Beerburrum, the rail service is supplemented by a bus service operated by Kangaroo Bus Lines on weekdays between Caboolture and Nambour as route 649.
Fleet
All of the Queensland Rail City Network rolling stock is electric, air conditioned, were constructed locally in Maryborough, and are no older than 38 years:
All trains are electric multiple units with a driver cabin at both ends, with the exception of EM60 through to EM79 having a cab at one end. These units also have only 3 powered bogies (per 3 car set) compared to the 4 powered bogie arrangement for the remaining EMUs. All EMU, SMU and IMU units consist of 3 cars, giving a fleet total of 621 cars, plus the 20 ICE cars. The ICE sets are usually configured as four, five or six car trains.
Due to increasing patronage, suburban trains may be scheduled on interurban lines. The Sunshine Coast line occasionally requires the use of suburban rolling stock on some services, substituting for an ICE or IMU set. The Gold Coast line, predominately serviced by IMU trains, is less likely to have services operated by suburban sets. While using suburban trains on interurban lines increases operational flexibility, the trains are not provided with the facilities of the IMU or ICE sets, such as toilets or high-backed seats.
As of 28 October 2012, 64 trains in the South East Queensland fleet have free Wi-Fi installed. It is planned for Wi-Fi internet access to be installed in older units as they are upgraded. The Wi-Fi usage is limited to 20MB.
75 new six-car New Generation Rollingstock trains were ordered in January 2014 for delivery between late 2015 and late 2018. A new maintenance facility for these trains was built at Wulkuraka.