Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line

Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line
Overview
OwnerTransport Asset Holding Entity
LocaleSydney, New South Wales
Termini
Stations33
Service
TypeCommuter rail
Operator(s)Sydney Trains
Depot(s)Mortdale
Rolling stockT, H sets (peak hours only)
History
Opened15 October 1884 (1884-10-15)
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Sydney rail services
Metro North West & Bankstown
North Shore & Western
Leppington & Inner West
Liverpool & Inner West
Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra
Cumberland
Lidcombe & Bankstown
Olympic Park
Airport & South
Northern

The Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line (numbered T4, coloured azure blue) is a commuter railway line on the Sydney Trains network in the eastern and southern suburbs of Sydney. The line was constructed in the 1880s to Wollongong to take advantage of agricultural and mining potentials in the Illawarra area. In March 1926, it became the first railway in New South Wales to run electric train services.

Today, the railway consists of three connected lines:

Operationally and historically, the entire line from the Illawarra Junction at Redfern to its terminus in Bomaderry on the South Coast was known as the Illawarra Line. However, since 1989, the suburban services to Waterfall and Cronulla have been marketed as the Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line and interurban services south to Wollongong and Bomaderry as the South Coast Line. The line is coloured an azure blue on Sydney Trains timetables and other promotional materials.