Australian Infrastructure and Transport Statistics Yearbook 2023 and Rail chapter
Chapter 7
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Chapter 7 provides information on rail lengths, rail interstate non-bulk freight, public transit patronage on rail and rail related expenditure. The data is sourced mainly from BITRE and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
- People in Melbourne use light rail more than any other city with 205 million passengers in 2018-19 (before COVID impacts).
- People in Sydney use heavy rail more than any other city with 379 million passengers in 2018-19 (before COVID impacts).
- 18.2 billion dollars was spent by all government on rail related projects in 2021-22.
Figure 1 Australia’s railways, by gauge
The lines shown in Figure 1 are the railways that were open for traffic at October 2022. The only change since 2021 was the opening of the Forrestfield-Airport Link (Metronet) line in Perth.
Figure 2 Public transit patronage on heavy rail, Australian capital cities
Figure 2 shows rail public transport patronage by million passenger movements. Passenger movements were trending upwards in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide before starting to fall sharply in 2019-20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Melbourne’s passenger numbers began to recover in 2021-22, Sydney’s continued to decline rapidly, recording a larger proportional fall than in each of the two preceding years. This refers to all trips on suburban rail networks and is based on reporting from train operators.
Chapter 7
Chapter 7 aims to give an understanding of Australia's rail characteristics. This chapter provides information on rail lengths, rail interstate non-bulk freight, public transit patronage on rail and rail related expenditure. The data is sourced mainly from BITRE and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
- People in Melbourne use light rail more than any other city with 148 million passengers in 2022–23.
- People in Sydney use heavy rail more than any other city with 271 million passengers in 2022–23.
- In 2022–23 there were 35 billion dollars of public rail-related expenditure.
Figure 15 shows Australia's network of railways by gauge, breaking it down into different classifications. The lines shown here are the railways that were open for traffic at October 2022. The only change since 2021 was the opening of the Forrestfield-Airport Link (Metronet) line in Perth.
Figure 15 Australia's railways, by gauge
Figure 16 shows rail public transport patronage by million passenger movements. Passenger movements were trending upwards in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide before starting to fall sharply in 2019–20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Melbourne's passenger numbers began to recover in 2021–22, Sydney's continued to decline rapidly, recording a larger proportional fall than in each of the two preceding years. This refers to all trips on suburban rail networks and is based on reporting from train operators.
Figure 16 Public transit patronage on heavy rail, Australian capital cities
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- Rail—Yearbook 2024 (105 KB) - Download Excel file
- Australian Infrastructure and Transport Statistics—Yearbook 2024 - Download PDF
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Chapter 5
This chapter provides information on rail expenditure, activity and network lengths. Estimates of passenger kilometres up to 2024-25 can be found in Chapter 2 - Passengers.
- People in Melbourne use light rail more than any other city with 155 million passengers in 2023–24.
- People in Sydney use heavy rail more than any other city with 352 million passengers in 2023–24.
- In 2023-24 there were $36 billion of public rail-related expenditure.
Figure 10 shows Australia’s network of railways by gauge and Figure 11 shows rail public transport patronage by million passenger movements. This refers to all trips on suburban rail networks and is based on reporting from train operators. Passenger movements were trending upwards in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide before starting to fall sharply in 2019–20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2023–24 patronage numbers had generally still not returned to 2018–19 levels.
Figure 10 Australia’s railways, by gauge
Source: BITRE (2025), Trainline 12
Figure 11 Public transit patronage on heavy rail, Australian capital city networks
Sources: BITRE (2015), Long-term trends in urban public transport
BITRE (2025), Trainline 12
Prior Trainline publications
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- Rail—Yearbook 2025 (99 KB) - Download Excel file
- Australian Infrastructure and Transport Statistics Yearbook 2025 - Download PDF
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Understanding Australia's urban railways
Understanding Australia's Urban Railways provides an overview of the urban passenger and freight railways in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide. For passenger rail, the report explores service provision; patronage trends; recent and planned network expansion; and the key challenges facing each system. In addition, the report examines the main characteristics of each city's rail freight network including: the extent of the freight/passenger rail interface; recent and planned network expansion; and the principal freight task on each system.
- Understanding Australia's urban railways
Development of a Rail Freight Terminal at Acacia Ridge
This is a Report on the proposed terminal facility at Acacia Ridge. It is becoming increasingly apparent that terminal facilities are a key to the efficient operation of the Australian railway system. In many cases, however, the layout and structures do not permit modern. Methods to be employed effectively, so that serious delays occur. As the problems are so serious at Acacia Ridge, this report was compiled in 3 months.
- Development of a Rail Freight Terminal at Acacia Ridge
Economic Evaluation of a Canberra to Yass Rail Link
Subsequent growth in Canberra, particularly in the post-war period, and projections suggesting continued rapid growth, prompted the Minister for Shipping and Transport in 1964 to request from the Commonwealth Railways Commissioner a report on the proposed rail link between Canberra and Yass.
That report stated that when the considerable savings are taken into account that would accrue to the various instrumentalities and people located in the Australian Capital Territory as the result of lower freight rates and passenger fares consequent upon the direct linking of Canberra with Yass, construction of the Canberra-Yass railway could be justified on economic grounds.
In April this year, the Minister for Shipping and Transport requested the Bureau of Transport Economics to carry out a detailed economic evaluation of the link.
- Economic Evaluation of a Canberra to Yass Rail Link
Economic Evaluation of Timber and Concrete Sleepers for Three Railway Lines
The evaluations presented in this Report have been made to determine the least cost sleeper alternative for each of three railway projects. They are the proposed new railway line from Tarcoola to Alice Springs, the standard gauge connection from Adelaide to Crystal Brook, and the re-sleepering of the Trans-Australian Railway.
- Economic Evaluation of Timber and Concrete Sleepers for Three Railway Lines
Consumer Preferences in Urban Rail Carriage Design: Results of a Survey Conducted in Brisbane During May and June, 1973
This Report presents the results of a consumer preference survey in urban rail carriage design. The survey was carried out by the BTE in Brisbane in May and June, 1973, with the cooperation of Queensland Railways.
- Consumer Preferences in Urban Rail Carriage Design: Results of a Survey Conducted in Brisbane During May and June, 1973
Mainline Upgrading: Evaluation of a Range of Options for the Melbourne to Sydney Rail Link
The majority of Australia's intercapital railway lines are single track and these all experience some degree of congestion. Various combinations of capital investment and improved operating practices are evaluated in this report, with a view to eliminating the growing congestion on the Melbourne Sydney rail link.
- Mainline Upgrading: Evaluation of a Range of Options for the Melbourne to Sydney Rail Link
Mainline Upgrading: Evaluation of a Range of Options for the Melbourne to Serviceton Rail Link
The majority of Australia's intercapital railway lines are single track and these all experience some degree of congestion. Various combinations of capital investment and improved operating practices are evaluated in this report, with a view to eliminating the growing congestion on the Victorian portion of the Melbourne to Adelaide rail link.
- Mainline Upgrading: Evaluation of a Range of Options for the Melbourne to Serviceton Rail Link