After five years of delays, Sydney Trains' new Mariyung fleet has finally chugged into operation – with the first trains leaving Newcastle Interchange this morning. The first Mariyung (the Darug word for Emu) train began its journey from Newcastle to Sydney at 8.21am on December 3 – marking the start of a new inter-city service that’s set to change the way we move along the NSW coast.
With wider, more spacious two-by-two seating featuring armrests, tray tables, and high seat backs, charging ports for mobile devices, dedicated spaces for luggage, prams and bicycles, plus modern heating and air conditioning, these trains are set to make commuting up and down the coast a whole lot smoother. So far, 15 of the flash Mariyung train sets have been completely modified with relocated CCTV viewing screens and passenger door controls, changes to the digital radio system, adjustments to fire detection management and new emergency door release functions. Two of those sets began service today, with the rest due for safety testing before being progressively rolled out along the Central Coast and Newcastle Line. From there, the Mariyung trains will eventually be rolled out on the Blue Mountains Line and the South Coast Line.
This morning's service stopped at 20 stations along the route, including Newcastle Interchange, Hamilton, Broadmeadow, Cardiff, Fassifern, Morisset, Wyee, Warnervale, Wyong, Tuggerah, Gosford, Point Clare, Tascott, Koolewong, Woy Woy, Berowra, Hornsby, Epping and Strathfield before terminating at Sydney Central.
The contract for bringing these trains into operation was awarded back in 2016, but delays in signing off the operating model meant that we’ve been waiting a while to see them in motion.
Each comprising ten carriages, the shiny new trains can seat more than 820 passengers, with Minister for Transport, Jo Haylen saying that the new fleet will “provide a massively improved level of comfort for all our passengers travelling between Newcastle, the Central Coast and Sydney.”
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