Railway Digest – September 2018

Sydney Metro Northwest update
Originally conceived as a conventional suburban railway operating double-deck trains as used on the rest of the Sydney rail network, the line to serve Sydney’s rapidly growing north western suburbs has now become the first part of a stand-alone automated metro style operation using single-deck, three-door trains that will eventually operate from Tallawong to Bankstown via a cross-harbour tunnel and the Sydney CBD on what is now called the Sydney Metro City & Southwest project. The sight of test trains crossing the impressive 270-metre long cable-stayed suspension bridge over Windsor Road at Rouse Hill in north west Sydney from mid-July was a reminder to local residents that Metro Northwest had reached another milestone towards the expected opening in the middle of next year. John Hoyle reports.

Grain train at Warracknabeal
John Griffin describes an unusual grain loading arrangement that takes place at Warracknabeal, on the Murtoa to Hopetoun line, in western Victoria.

An afternoon in WA’s South West
Living in Geraldton, Phil Melling doesn’t get to visit the ‘South West Main’ – running from Perth via Mundijong to Bunbury – very often. However, in May this year, he was able to combine a family visit with a day spent chasing trains on the line, that yielded some interesting results.