Editorially reviewed
CityRail in Sydney: history and what replaced it
CityRail was Sydney's former passenger train brand. On 1 July 2013 Sydney Trains took over metropolitan services and NSW TrainLink took over intercity services.
What was CityRail?
CityRail was a name used for New South Wales passenger train services in and around Sydney before 2013. It covered suburban travel and intercity connections, but CityRail is no longer the operator to consult for a current train journey. The NSW Auditor-General described the 2013 change as a split between metropolitan services and intercity services, rather than simply renaming every train Sydney Trains.
Was CityRail established in 1997?
No. The earlier version of this article gave 1997 as CityRail's starting year, but contemporary NSW government records show the name was in use well before then. The State Rail Authority's 1996–97 annual report records CityRail operating costs and 268.2 million passenger journeys for that financial year, with earlier years in the same series. NSW parliamentary material also discusses CityRail services in the early 1990s. Those records establish that a 1997 start is incorrect without requiring an uncertain exact launch date.
What replaced CityRail in 2013?
On 1 July 2013, Sydney Trains replaced CityRail as the provider of metropolitan train services in Sydney. NSW Trains, operating as NSW TrainLink, took on the intercity services formerly operated by CityRail. NSW TrainLink also replaced CountryLink for regional train and coach services. This division matters: a commuter looking for suburban services and a traveller looking for intercity services may need different current information.
Where can I find current Sydney train times and alerts?
For a journey today, use Transport for NSW's trip planner and service information at transportnsw.info. The former Sydney Trains information website was integrated there in 2018, including train timetables and alerts. This CityRail article describes the historical brand; it does not publish live departures, disruptions or fares.
Sources and scope
This account uses the NSW Auditor-General's 2013 transport report for the 2013 service split, the State Rail Authority's 1996–97 annual report for the earlier CityRail record, and Transport for NSW's own guidance for current journey information. It does not treat the historical CityRail brand as an active service or an official source for live travel advice.