The first passenger service of the new intercity Mariyung train on the South Coast Line depart Kiama Station at 7:56am today, bound for Central Station.
The introduction of the Mariyung in the Illawarra will be followed later in the year by a service uplift that will deliver a train every 15 minutes in the peak between Wollongong and Sydney – up from the current three an hour in the peak – as part of the new 2026 Sydney Trains timetable.
The inaugural journey on Tuesday marked the beginning of the final phase of the rollout of theMariyung fleet which entered service on the Central Coast & Newcastle Line in December 2024 and the Blue Mountains Line in October last year.
Mariyung trains offer more spacious two-by-two seating, a quieter journey with modern air-conditioning, spaces for luggage, prams, bicycles and wheelchairs, enhanced safety and improved accessibility.
Seating includes tray tables, arm rests, high seat backs and charging ports for mobile devices. On-board digital screens are easier to read, and CCTV throughout the new trains will enhance the safety and security while helping deter anti-social activity.
The Mariyung trains are the first new intercity fleet in almost 20 years and have an expected service life of 35 years. They will gradually replace the Oscar trains that entered service in 2006.
Following 12 months of testing and enabling track and station works, the South Coast Line is getting a phased rollout of the Mariyung fleet, starting with seven new train sets this month, increasing to 16 trains by 2027.
The first phase will involve 4-car and 6-car sets, the second phase will see 8-car sets later this year,followed by 10-car configurations in 2027.
The new train timetable, to be introduced later in the year, will add a fourth service an hour in peak.
There will be a service every 30 minutes outside the AM and PM peaks.
As part of the new timetable changes, South Coast Line services will operate to and from Central and will no longer run on the Eastern Suburbs railway to Bondi Junction.
South Coast passengers wanting to access T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line stations from Town Hall to Bondi Junction will be able to interchange at Hurstville, Sydenham, Redfern or Central or change to Metro at Sydenham.
Under the new timetable to be introduced later this year, South Coast Line trains will no longer stop at Wolli Creek Station – affecting about 2% of current passengers. They will need to change at Hurstville or Central to access services to the Domestic and International Airport stations.
Trains will continue to stop at Wolli Creek until the new timetable is introduced
