North Shore T1 line revealed as least punctual train line in Sydney

The performance report reveals that more than one in five trains along the North Shore line ran late in the 2025 financial year.

Huw Bradshaw
May 27, 2025

Recent performance reports published by Transport for NSW have revealed that among the six suburban train lines, the T1 line covering the North Shore is the least punctual. The T1 line stretches from Berowra down to Central, as well as out along the western lines to Richmond and Emu Plains.

While data for the 2025 financial year shows the North Shore line services have been punctual 78.8 percent of the time, for the last two weeks, the line has been running at a punctuality rate of 42.7 and 33.1 percent.

On the 21st of May, last Wednesday, no trains ran on time at all.

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Sydney Trains’ stated target is to have all train networks operating at 92 per cent punctuality. In the last seven years, the only time this target was achieved was during the 2021 financial year period, which includes the majority of the Covid-19 lockdowns. The performance reports do not include data for trains operating on weekends.

For many, the news is unsurprising. Heavy rainfall in the past week has resulted in major delays across all train networks: in some areas, floodwater rose above the rail line.

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In a statement released on Sunday 25 by NSW Transport Minister John Graham, it was stated the “reliability of Sydney Trains has not been up to the mark”, and as such fare-free travel would take place on Monday 26 May.