Commuter rail forms a vital part of public transportation in major Australian cities.

Definitions

The Commonwealth government

Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Cities was an Australian Public Service department of the Government of Australia that existed between December 2017 and May 2019, charged with the responsibility for infrastru ...

and industry peak body Australasian Railway Association, who jointly publish the ''Trainline'' statistical report, do not define "commuter rail" networks, and instead categorise passenger systems as "urban" or "non-urban". Urban networks are further classified as "light rail" or "heavy rail". Light rail includes the tram networks in Melbourne and Adelaide continuously operating in various forms since the late 20th century, as well as networks in other cities newly constructed after the cessation of tram operation. Both types of light rail are described at

Trams in Australia The earliest trams in Australia operated in the latter decades of the 19th century, hauled by horses or " steam tram motors" (also known as " steam dummies"). At the turn of the 20th century, propulsion almost universally turned to electrificat ...

and are not included in this article. Heavy rail networks primarily describe passenger operations over parts of mixed-traffic rail systems centred on capital cities, but also include the independent

Sydney Metro The Sydney Metro is a fully automated rapid transit system serving the city of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Currently consisting of one line that opened on 26 May 2019, it runs from Tallawong to Chatswood and consists of 13 stat ...

system. Non-urban passenger networks are classified according to their passenger task. "Inter-city" or "regional" networks are defined to be those whose primary market "...include daily commuting or day return business or leisure travel" and are thus included in this article. Other markets, such as long-distance operations between cities and regional centres, tourist-focused and heritage services, are excluded.

Summary of commuter rail systems

Average daily patronage, where possible, is taken from the last calendar or financial year. System lengths are given in route kilometres. The largest, most extensive urban (as distinct from interurban) system is found in Melbourne, while the systems with the highest and most dense patronage are found in Sydney.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Commuter Rail In Australia Passenger rail transport in Australia