Australia’s Urban Rail Lines Modernize to Serve Spreading Cities
The 5.1 million residents of Sydney, Australia will soon be zooming around the city on a new section of Sydney Metro’s underground rail network. Electric driverless trains will carry commuters from North Sydney’s new Victoria Cross Station, through a newly-bored tunnel under the harbour, to the south end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in three minutes.
The 5.1 million residents of Sydney, Australia will soon be zooming around the city on the new section of the Sydney Metro underground rail network. New electric driverless trains will run beneath Sydney Harbour carrying commuters from North Sydney’s new Victoria Cross Station, through a tunnel under the harbour, to Barangaroo at the southern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in three minutes.
The pollution-free trains on the new 16 km section of track will stop at six new underground stations including Macquarie University and a superhub in the Central Business District beneath Martin Place, where passengers will ride the longest escalators in the southern hemisphere.
This new Sydney Metro City portion of the network had been scheduled to open on August 4, but lack of final safety approvals delayed the launch. Then, on August 15, the project was cleared to open by the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator. A launch date will be set by the New South Wales Government.
Sydney’s new 132 new train cars are made by Alstom, a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer of high-speed, suburban, regional and urban trains.
Alstom is supplying its latest electric Metropolis trains, with electric traction motors built into the carriages instead of separate locomotives, and some cars fitted with mechanical linkages that connect to specialized overhead wires to feed the train high voltage current.
The Alstom equipment for the new Sydney Metro section includes a communications-based train control (CBTC) signaling system that provides “continuous, automatic train control,” the company says. Trains continuously calculate and communicate their exact position, speed, travel direction and braking distance via radio to equipment placed at intervals along the line. The trains, travel up to 100 km/h (60 mph), continuously receiving information about the distance to the preceding train, allowing them to adjust their safety distance if necessary.
Back in June, the launch of the new Sydney Metro section was scheduled for this month, August 2024, but less than a week before opening day, it was delayed, with no new opening date set.
Still, now there is hope in Sydney’s western suburbs for faster transportation to the rest of the city. After years of waffling, the government has confirmed that Sydney Metro West will get the green light, with an estimated completion date of 2032. Sydney Metro West will connect Sydney’s central business district with the new city center adjacent to Sydney’s new airport, and with new and affordable housing along the route.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns authorized an extensive A$97 million track repair program in June 2023. He is pleased with the results.
“MONTHS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, OVER 29,000 DEFECTS ON OUR RAIL SYSTEM INCLUIDNG 1,916 HIGH-PRIORITY DEFECTS HAVE BEEN REPAIRED AS A RESUL OF THE NSW GOVERNMENT’S RAIL REPAIR PLAN.” – Chris Minns, Premier, New South Wales, Australia
In the past year, train faults have increased 28 percent compared with the last financial year, resulting in 595 service cancellations and 2445 delays, according to Sydney Trains.
In July, Premier Minns authorized a parallel A$35 million train repair program for the city’s existing fleet. Staffers will focus on improving technology, communications and operating systems, and critical repairs to doors, brakes, windows, air conditioning, and CCTV cameras.
Disruptions have affected some 600,000 passengers on the weekends, Sydney Trains estimates. During the trackwork, buses have replaced trains.
“This critical work to repair our train network will make it safer and more resilient for millions of people who catch a train in our city, with peak on-time-running the best it’s been since 2021,” the Premier said.
For the most part, Sydney passengers have shown patience and understanding about the disruptions. Public rail passengers across the world are doing the same as rail companies and governments expand their rail networks.
Around the World, Urban Transit Networks Expand
Alstom has delivered high-profile metro systems in 16 countries, from Panama and Mexico City to Lausanne, Singapore, and Delhi. The company accommodates customer needs for heavy or light trains that run on steel wheels or rubber tires, operated with or without a driver, and relying on electricity of hydrogen for fuel.
Alstom is one of many corporations manufacturing electric, high-speed trains that cities around the world are buying.
Yonah Freemark compiles an annual list of all the rail transit projects scheduled to launch each year. The list for 2024 is lengthy, especially in China.
Freemark, principal research associate at the Washington, DC-based Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center of the Urban Institute and its Land Use Lab research director, shared his list of planned new rail lines in 2024. The list shows in detail that while most countries are putting in two lines, or five, or even 10, China is scheduling completion of the installation and launch of operations for 73 lines, as follows:
Beijing: Line 1 Pingguoyuan–Fushouling 3.1 km (Heavy Rail)
Beijing: Line 3 Dongsi Shitiao–Dongbabei 15 km (Heavy Rail)
Beijing: Line 12 Sijiqing–Dongbabei 29.4 km (Heavy Rail)
Beijing: Line 13A Dazhongsi–Chegongzhuang 3.9 km (Heavy Rail)
Beijing: Line 17 Workers’ Stadium–Shilihe 7.8 km (Heavy Rail)
Beijing: Changping Line Xitucheng–Jimenqiao 0.9 km (Heavy Rail)
Changchun: Line 6 Shuangfeng–Changchun Movie Wonderland 28.1 km (Heavy Rail)
Changsha: Line 6 Huanghua Airport T1–Huanghua Airport T3 4.2 km (Heavy Rail)
Changsha: Line 1 Kaifu District Government–Jinpenqiu 10.7 km (Heavy Rail)
Chengdu: Line 8 Lianhua–Longgang 1.1 km (Heavy Rail)
Chengdu: Line 8 Shilidian–Guilong Road 6.4 km (Heavy Rail)
Chengdu: Line 10 Taipingyuan–Luomashi 7 km (Heavy Rail)
Chengdu: Line 13 Longan–Wayaotan 30.4 km (Heavy Rail)
Chengdu: Line 17 Jitouqiao–Gao Hong 24.6 km (Heavy Rail)
Chengdu: Line 18 South Railway Station–North Railway Station 10.7 km (Heavy Rail)
Chengdu: Line 27 Stone Buddha–Shuxin Road 25.7 km (Heavy Rail)
Chengdu: S3 Ziyang North Railway Station–Futian 38.5 km (Heavy Rail)
Fuzhou: Line 4 Fenghuangchi–Banzhou 5.1 km (Heavy Rail)
Fuzhou: Binhai Express 62.2 km (Heavy Rail)
Harbin: Line 3 Taipingqiao–Sports Park 9.9 km (Heavy Rail)
Hefei: Line 6 Longtang–Xiaoshu Mountain 29.3 km (Heavy Rail)
Hefei: Line 7 Songlin Lu–Chaohu Nanlu 20.2 km (Heavy Rail)
Hefei: Line 8 Hefei Beicheng Railway Station–Yilijing 23 km (Heavy Rail)
Hefei: Line 4 Longtang–Xiaoshu Mountain 13.1 km (Heavy Rail)
Hong Kong: Extension to T2 3 km (Light Metro)
Jinan: Line 3 Tantou–Yaoqiang Airport 12.5 km (Heavy Rail)
Kunming: Line 2 South Ring Road–Haidong Park 13 km (Heavy Rail)
Liuzhou: Line 2 Xianglanxincun–Bailian Airport 19.6 km (Heavy Rail)
Macau: Taipa Line Taipa–Barra 3 km (Light Metro)
Macau: Seac Pai Van Line 1.1 km (Light Metro)
Nanjing: Line 10 Andemen–Shiyangdonglu 12.9 km (Heavy Rail)
Nanjing: Line 3 Mozhoudonglu–Molingjiedao 3 km (Heavy Rail)
Nanjing: Line 5 Fangjiaying–Jiyindadao 37.5 km (Heavy Rail)
Nanjing: Line 6 Qixiashan–Nanjing South Railway Station 32.8 km (Heavy Rail)
Nanjing: Line 7 Mufuxilu–Yingtiandaji 10.7 km (Heavy Rail)
Ningbo: Line 5 Buzheng–Camel Bridge 10.7 km (Heavy Rail)
Pearl River Delta: Guangzhou Metro Line 3 Panyu Square–Haibang 8.8 km (Heavy Rail)
Pearl River Delta: Guangzhou Metro Line 10 Xilang–Shipaiqiao 18.7 km (Heavy Rail)
Pearl River Delta: Guangzhou Metro Line 11 Huajing Lu–Pazhou 42.3 km (Heavy Rail)
Pearl River Delta: Guangzhou Metro Line 12 Xunfenggang–Higher Education Mega Center South 38.2 km (Heavy Rail)
Pearl River Delta: Shenzhen Metro Line 7 Xili Lake–Xuefu Hospital 2.2 km (Heavy Rail)
Pearl River Delta: Shenzhen Metro Line 8 Yantian Road–Xiaomeisha 8.2 km (Heavy Rail)
Pearl River Delta: Guangqing Intercity Railway Qingcheng–Provincial Vocational Education City 19.6 km (Regional Rail)
Shanghai: Line 2 East Xujing–Panxiang Road 1.5 km (Heavy Rail)
Shanghai: Line 17 Oriental Land–Xicen 8.1 km (Heavy Rail)
Shanghai: Airport Link Line Hongqiao–Shanghai East Railway Station 70.3 km (Regional Rail)
Shaoxing: Line 1 Branch Huangjiu Town–Exhibition and Convention Center 7.2 km (Heavy Rail)
Shenyang: Line 3 BMW New Factory–Xintai Street 41.9 km (Heavy Rail)
Shijiazhuang: Line 1 Fuze–Dongyang 4.1 km (Heavy Rail)
Suzhou: Line 6 Suzhou Xinqu Railway Station–Xinqing Lu 35.3 km (Heavy Rail)
Suzhou: Line 7 Moyang–Hongzhuang 31.8 km (Heavy Rail)
Suzhou: Line 8 Xijinqiao–Chefeng 35.8 km (Heavy Rail)
Taiyuan: Line 1 Xishan Mining Bureau–Wusu Airport 27.4 km (Heavy Rail)
Tianjin: Line 4 Hebeidajie–Xiaojie 21.2 km (Heavy Rail)
Tianjin: Line 8 Lushuidao–Lushuigongyuan 19 km (Heavy Rail)
Tianjin: Line 7 Saidalu–Xifengdao 25.5 km (Heavy Rail)
Tianjin: Line 11 Dongjiangdao–Wenjielu 14.2 km (Heavy Rail)
Tianjin: Z4 Yincheng Street–Metro Six 43 km (Heavy Rail)
Tianjin: B1 Xinjia Garden East–Metro Four 33 km (Heavy Rail)
Urumqi: Line 2 Nanmen–Huashan Street 13.3 km (Heavy Rail)
Wuhan: Line 11 Wuhandong Railway Station–Jiang’an Road 17.9 km (Heavy Rail)
Wuhan: Line 12 Science Park–Qingling 21.7 km (Heavy Rail)
Wuxi: Line S1 Yanqiao–Jiangyin Waitan 31.1 km (Heavy Rail)
Xiamen: Line 6 Longjiangmingzhu–Dong’an 31 km (Heavy Rail)
Xian: Line 8 loop 49.9 km (Heavy Rail)
Xiongan: R1 Daxing Airport-Xiongan Terminal 86.7 km (Regional Rail)
Zhengzhou: Line 6 Changzhuang–Tsinghua High School 32.1 km (Heavy Rail)
Zhengzhou: Line 7 Eastern Zhao–Houzhai 29.7 km (Heavy Rail)
Zhengzhou: Line 8 Green Expo Garden–Tianjian Lake 58.5 km (Heavy Rail)
Data for this compilation can be viewed freely on Transit Explorer or purchased for use in Shapefile, GeoJSON, and CSV formats. Transit Explorer has been expanded since last year, and now covers metros, as well as many other types of lines, around the world. In addition, the interactive website for the first time allows users to turn back the time by seeing what transit in each city looked like in the past.
“IN 2023, 1,760 KM OF URBAN TRANSIT- FIXED-GUIDEWAY RAIL AND BUS PROJECTS OPENED FOR SERVICE AROUND THE WORLD. 1,100 NEW STATIONS OPENED ALONG THOSE LINES, ALTHOUGH MANY OTHER ALREADY EXISTING STATIONS GOT NEW SERVICE TOO.” – Jonah Freemark, Principal Research Associate, Metropolitan Housing and community Policy Center, Urban Institute, Washington, DC
He views the trends in 2023 as a continuation of recent trends – in 2022, 1,819 kilometers of new urban transit lines opened, and in 2021, 1,795 kilometers opened.
The majority of the new services are in the form of metro lines, including subway, elevated, and monorail services, which accounted for 64 percent of the total new route mileage. New light rail options added another 10 percent; commuter rail and regional rail another 16 percent; and bus rapid transit routes about six percent, Freemark says.
In 2023, the new lines were concentrated in China, where 45 percent of new route kilometers opened, almost all of which were in the form of metros. Other countries, too, Freemark reports, advanced new transit lines. Russia (11 percent), the United States (five percent), Thailand (four percent), and India (three percent) added substantial new transit options. Overall, European Union countries added about five percent of new routes.
As the days, months and years roll on, cities around the world are investing in transit infrastructure to improve mobility and support sustainable development.
Back in Australia, Navigating Melbourne
Melbourne is the second-largest city, home to 4,246,375 people as of 2024. But as the Melbourne population grows and lower-income residents move to the more affordable outlying neighborhoods, they endure long waits, particularly in off-peak hours, due to frequent train line disruptions or bus delays, resulting in longer commutes and delayed access to essential community amenities.
Melbourne’s inadequate public transport forces reliance on car ownership, compounding financial strain in already disadvantaged areas. Households with two or more cars are concentrated in the outer suburbs and beyond, while areas with no car ownership are concentrated in the central business district and neighbouring suburbs, with greater access to trams, trains, and buses, according to a report by the Melbourne Microfinance Initiative, started at the University of Melbourne in 2010 to help less advantaged residents cope with basic needs.
In the State of Victoria, where Melbourne is located, the Department of Transport and Planning has been engaged in a transportation analysis and now is inviting residents to offer their opinions through a program called Engage Victoria. Much of the state’s planning has to do with matching housing growth to the transit lines that will serve the new homes.
“We will need 1.8 million new homes in metropolitan Melbourne by 2051. Making sure that new homes are well-located will allow us to maximise use of existing infrastructure and transport. The starting point is to look for places where more homes can be built, and the types of homes we need to suit all kinds of Victorians in all kinds of places,” explains Engage Victoria on its website. This program is the Victorian Government’s Online Consultation platform, provided through the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
As part of the Victorian Government’s housing plan, the city is working to deliver 60,000 new homes close to services, jobs, and public transport in an initial 10 activity centers across Melbourne.
The project to supply modern trains to Australia’s second-largest city has been in the works since 2016. The Victorian Government ordered 65 High Capacity Metro Trains (HCMTs) as part of a $2.3 billion investment, including a new train maintenance facility in Pakenham East and a light service facility in Calder Park. The project is being delivered under a public-private partnership between the Victorian Government and Evolution Rail. The full fleet of 70 HCMTs has now been delivered.
An additional five High Capacity Metro Trains were ordered in 2021 to service the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, bringing the total HCMT fleet to 70. The Department of Transport and Planning is considering options for how to best use the additional HCMTs until Melbourne Airport Rail is delivered.
Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said on August 21, “Victorians want more quality homes in areas close to jobs, close to transport, and close to where they grew up. Busy areas with heaps of transport options like Camberwell shouldn’t be locked up, they should be opened up.”
Victoria’s Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny said, “Through these plans, we’re looking at how to deliver more homes – and more affordable homes – within walking distance of local shops, schools, services, parks and public transport.”
As work progresses, an important portion of that work includes a history-making act. On August 21, 2024, Victoria’s Labor Government led by Premier Jacinta Allan, announced that
in a world first, an all-woman tunnel boring machine crew will help build the Allan Labor Government’s Suburban Rail Loop East twin tunnels between Cheltenham and Glen Waverley, with expressions of interest in the unique crew now being accepted.
Minister for Suburban Rail Loop Danny Pearson said, “This is an example of the incredible opportunities a project like Suburban Rail Loop can deliver – an all-female tunnelling crew is a global first that will break down barriers and create new pathways for women.”
“Suburban Rail Loop will not only transform our public transport network, but it will create a long pipeline of jobs and opportunity for all Victorians,” Minister Pearson said.
At least 10 percent of total labor hours on the tunnels will be worked by women. Tunneling is expected to start in 2026 and trains are scheduled to begin taking passengers by 2035.
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