Your guide to Sydney trains

Trip tips

Here are simple ways to make your journey safe and enjoyable. For more tips visit our safety and education webpage.

Customers standing behind the yellow linePeak periods

Our busiest services are those arriving in the Sydney CBD between 6.00am and 9.00am and departing the Sydney CBD between 4.00pm and 7.00pm on weekdays.

Around one million trips are made each weekday on the CityRail network, and around two-thirds of these occur during the peak periods. We understand that peak capacity is a major concern for our customers. CityRail is working to increase capacity across the network, but there are a few things you can do to avoid the crowds:

Spread out along the platform

The middle carriages of a train tend to be the most crowded - the ratio of seats to passengers can vary by as much as 50% within a single train. If your train is crowded, try boarding nearer each end of the train.

Consider using an all-stops service

Express and limited-stops services are more likely to be crowded. For example, customers travelling from Strathfield to the City will find that seats are more likely to be available on Inner West Line services than South Line services. Check the timetable for your line to see what options are available.

Consider avoiding the busiest part of the peak

More seats are available on services arriving in the Sydney CBD before 8.00am and after 9.00am. Find out when seats are more likely to be available on your line, and consider travelling earlier or later in the day to avoid the busiest part of the peak.

For your personal safety

  • Arrive at your station a few minutes earlier than your timetabled service to allow sufficient time to board your train. Train doors may begin closing up to 20 seconds before the scheduled departure time to assist with on-time running
  • Take care on steps and platforms, always stand behind the yellow line and mind the gap between the train and platform when boarding the train
  • If you are travelling with a pram or stroller, keep a firm hold and apply the brakes when waiting. When possible, board the train near the guard's carriage, marked with a blue light
  • When moving around the train, please ensure you are holding on at all times to avoid falling
  • If you feel unwell, don't get on a train. Ask a member of staff for help. If you are on a train and feel unwell, alight at the next station, where help can be called upon more easily.

For the comfort of others

  • Keep to the left on stairs, escalators and ramps
  • Vacate priority seating for elderly or less mobile passengers
  • Do not sit on steps or put feet on seats
  • Keep stairs and entrances clear and do not block passageways used by CityRail staff and customers
  • Assist in keeping stations and trains clean by taking rubbish with you or placing it in station bins where provided.

Help us get you there on time

  • Stand aside when doors are opening and allow others to alight first before boarding the train
  • Board the train as quickly as possible and move inside the carriage to allow others to board behind you
  • Do not hold the doors open or attempt to board the train after the whistle and 'doors closing' warning has been given
  • Report problems or potential problems to station staff. This will help our train controllers minimise delays by re-routing trains, or getting an incident response team on site quickly.