New South Wales Metropolitan Rail Area
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name = New South Wales Metropolitan Rail Area
| logo = Coat of Arms of New South Wales.svg
| logo_width = 60px
| logo_alt = New South Wales coat of arms
| image = New South Wales metropolitan rail area.svg
| image_width = 300px
| image_alt = New South Wales metropolitan rail area
| caption = Suburban portion of the New South Wales metropolitan rail area, showing terminal locations
| type = Commuter rail
| status = Active
| locale = {{Plainlist|
| start = {{rwsa|Central|S}}
| end = {{Plainlist|
- {{rwsa|Newcastle Interchange}}
- {{rwsa|Bowenfels}}
- {{rwsa|Macarthur}}
- {{rwsa|Bomaderry}}}}
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| open = 1 January 2004 (as MRA)
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| owner = Transport Asset Holding Entity
| operator = Sydney Trains
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| gauge = Standard gauge
| electrification = Overhead 1500 V DC{{cite book|url=http://www.asa.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/asa/asa-standards/t-hr-el-00001-ti.pdf|title=RailCorp electrical system general description, version 1.0|date=19 March 2014|author=Asset Standards Authority|access-date=24 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623043249/http://www.asa.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/asa/asa-standards/t-hr-el-00001-ti.pdf|archive-date=23 June 2015|url-status=dead}}
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| website = [http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/railcorp RailCorp]
}}
The New South Wales Metropolitan Rail Area (MRA) is the government-operated railway network centred on Sydney and bounded by Newcastle Interchange in the north, {{rwsa|Bowenfels}} in the west, and Glenlee and {{rwsa|Bomaderry}} in the south. The MRA contains the entirety of the state's electrified rail network (save for the isolated Skitube Alpine Railway). The MRA is owned by Transport Asset Holding Entity and maintained by Sydney Trains.{{cite book|url=http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/b2b/publications/annual_reports/railcorp-annual-report-2013-14.pdf|title=RailCorp 2014 annual report|year=2014|author=Transport for New South Wales}}
Background
Prior to 2004, the entire NSW Government-owned rail network was operated by the then Rail Infrastructure Corporation (RIC). In preparation for the planned lease of the interstate and Hunter Valley networks to the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), the Transport Administration Act 1988 was amended in 2003 to define a "metropolitan rail area", to be managed by a new agency called RailCorp.{{Cite Legislation AU|NSW|act||Transport Administration Act, 1988}} The residual non-metropolitan, non-ARTC network remained with RIC as the Country Regional Network, and is now managed directly by Transport for NSW.
Boundaries
At its northern extent, the MRA is bounded by the terminal station Newcastle Interchange, and previously by the former terminal station at {{rwsa|Newcastle|N}}. The northern section of the network extends 165 kilometres from {{rwsa|Central|S}} and is electrified for its entire length. The Main North railway continues north from {{rwsa|Broadmeadow}} into the ARTC-operated Hunter Valley network.{{cite web|url=http://www.asa.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/asa/asa-standards/ts-toc-3.pdf|date=30 April 2015|title=Train Operating Conditions (TOC) Manual – Track Diagrams (version 3.0)|author=Asset Standards Authority|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923174359/http://www.asa.transport.nsw.gov.au/sites/default/files/asa/asa-standards/ts-toc-3.pdf|archivedate=23 September 2015}}
At its western extent, the MRA is bounded by the former station at Bowenfels, a few kilometres west of the town of Lithgow. In practice, the last MRA station is {{rwsa|Lithgow|N}}. The western section of the network extends 158 kilometres from Central and is electrified for its entire length. The Main West railway continues west from Bowenfels into the Transport for New South Wales operated Country Regional Network.
At its south-western extent, the MRA is bounded by the rural locality of Glenlee. The last metropolitan station is {{rwsa|Macarthur}}, in Campbelltown. The south-western section of the network extends 58 kilometres from Central and is electrified for its entire length. The Main South railway continues south from Glenlee into the ARTC-operated interstate network.
At its south-eastern extent, the MRA is bounded by Bomaderry station. The south-eastern ("Illawarra") section of the network extends 154 kilometres from Central and is electrified as far south as {{rwsa|Kiama}} (119 kilometres from Central). Bomaderry is also the terminus of the South Coast railway. The ARTC-operated interstate network joins the South Coast railway at {{rwsa|Unanderra}}, south of Wollongong.
The Southern Sydney Freight Line and Sydney Freight Network are physically within, but do not form part of, the MRA. These are reserved for use by freight trains and are operated and maintained by ARTC.
Operations
All Sydney Trains services operate within the MRA. NSW TrainLink intercity and regional services operate within and beyond the MRA.
See also
External links
- [https://www.tahensw.com.au/ Transport Asset Holding Entity]