Railway electrification in Australia

Electrification of Melbourne routes was considered as far back as 1896, and in 1903 and 1907. In 1908, British engineer Charles Merz of Merz and McLellan recommended a system to St Kilda, Port Melbourne, Sandringham and Broadmeadows using 800 V DC from a third rail. However his later 1912 report recommended from overhead catenaries, although at the time the system was not used anywhere in the world. This proposal was approved, and his firm was appointed to supervise the work. Conversion to DC was by rotary converters, but Melbourne extensions in the 1920s from Croydon and Ringwood used mercury arc rectifiers. Electrification of the Sydney network had been recommended by a Royal Commission in 1909, and in the Bradfield plan of 1915. John Bradfield recommended using 1,500 V DC, and this was supported by a conference of Railway Commissioners in 1922 who were anxious to avoid a repeat of the different track gauges used in each state. By this time, the 1,500 V DC system was used on railways in England, the Netherlands, France and America. The same system was also recommended for the Brisbane suburban system in 1947-1950, although this proposal was abandoned in 1959. In the 1950s with the standardisation of Australian industrial power generation at 50 Hz, Melbourne substations were converted to 50 Hz within the life of the 25 Hz power station at Newport (originally of output). In Sydney, the substations were converted between 1960 and 1963. == New South Wales ==

Rail electrification in Sydney commenced in 1926 (see Sydney electrification). From 1956, regional lines, to a radius of approximately around Sydney, were progressively electrified. The entire Sydney metropolitan area, and the intercity lines to Kiama (south), Lithgow (west) and Newcastle (north) are electrified, and services are provided by EMU trainsets. Although NSW did use electric locomotives from the 1950s onwards, this practice has largely ceased since privatisation of rail freight transportation. The heavy rail lines are powered by 1,500 V DC, while the light rail lines use . The former Sydney tram system used 600 V DC. The defunct single-loop Sydney Monorail, which operated between 1988 and 2013, used 500 V AC, provided by a third rail. == Queensland ==

Queensland has the most extensive electrification in Australia. It includes the entire Brisbane metropolitan area, the North Coast Line to Rockhampton and the central Queensland coalfields. Electrification for the heavy rail lines is at 25 kV 50 Hz AC, while the G:link is at 750 V DC, the Sea World Monorail System was at 500 V AC via third rail, and the previous Brisbane tram network was at 600 V DC via overhead wire. == South Australia ==

Rail electrification in South Australia did not become a reality until the 21st century. Plans were announced in 2008 to have all four suburban lines electrified by 2018, but were delayed and later scrapped. The Seaford and Tonsley lines were the first to be electrified with services commencing in 2014, while original plans to electrify the Gawler line first were delayed in various forms until partial electrification was finalised, which began construction in late 2018 and, following significant delays and a full 18-month shut-down of the line, was completed along the entire line in June 2022 with the first service running on 12 June 2022 Electrification for the heavy rail lines is at 25 kV 50 Hz AC, while that for the tram routes is at . == Australian Capital Territory ==

Canberra currently only has one electrified light railway, opening in 2019 with of track with traction from a 750V DC sourced from an overhead catenary. The ACT never previously had electrified rail. == See also ==