Urban Public Transport
As well as rural passenger and freight services, the government railways perform urban public transport (UPT) tasks. In the past, UPT operations were an integral aspect of the State rail systems. Recent rationalisation has resulted in many UPT operations being managed as a component of a coordinated urban transport function involving other modes. In some cases, the operation of trains, buses and ferries are conducted under a common management and trading group.
The UPT operations of the government owned railways are as follows:
New South Wales suburban train services are run by CityRail.
The CityRail network extends beyond greater Sydney to Newcastle, the Southern Highlands, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong, and has become one of the world's largest urban passenger rail systems. The New South Wales Government has announced that CityRail is to be combined with the State Transit Authority, which is responsible for buses and ferries.
For maps and timetable information go to Australian Rail Maps.
Suburban train services in Melbourne are run as part of the The Met, a management and trading group that includes train, tram and bus networks.
More information is available at VicTrip.
Queensland Rail operates the Brisbane suburban trains as Citytrain. A common electronic ticketing system incorporating trains, buses and ferries is being developed.
An interactive rail map of Brisbane is available Australian Rail Maps.
Perth suburban rail services are operated as part of the Transperth network and are conducted in conjunction with the bus services. For detailed information see Your Guide to Perth and Fremantle , and
In South Australia, TransAdelaide runs Adelaide's suburban trains and buses.
Trams/Light rail
The first horse-drawn tram ran between 1861 and 1866, from Circular Quay to Central Station in Sydney, Australia's largest city. In 1879, steam-powered trams were introduced especially to coincide with an international exhibition held in Sydney.
In 1886, a cable car was developed for the steep hills of North Sydney, but has since been decommissioned. The cities of Melbourne and Brisbane introduced tram services in 1885, Adelaide from 1878, Hobart from 1893 and Perth from 1899.
The first regular electric trams ran between Box Hill and Doncaster in Victoria in 1889. During the following 15 years most trams in Australia gradually converted to electricity.
Today, the only trams used for urban purposes are those in Melbourne (330 km of track) and one 11 km route between Adelaide and Glenelg in South Australia.
There are two 'light rail' services, one operating in Adelaide, South Australia, and another serving inner suburban areas of Sydney
The Australian Federal Government has offered to assist in funding reintroduction of trams to Brisbane (Bristrams), operating initially on a 14 km inner-city circuit. The $230 million project, planned for commissioning in late 2001, is intended to be a joint venture involving the Federal and State governments, the Brisbane City Council and the private sector. For the system to come to fruition, private groups must be prepared to put up at least $100 million and help build and operate Bristrams.
Trams disappeared from the streets of Brisbane in the 1960s.
Monorail
On 21 July 1988, a monorail system operated by a private company was opened in Sydney which links the city's central business district with Darling Harbour. There are eight stations connected to its network.
The rolling stock is of Australian/Swiss manufacture and the monorail can achieve a maximum speed of 33 km/h. No accidents have been recorded since the opening.