Sydney’s Beloved V-Set Trains Are Officially Retiring After 55 Years

The very last V-set passenger train service to Newcastle will depart Central Station at 9:20pm on Friday, marking the end of its 55-year-long service. 

The Sydney Trains v-sets have worked the Sydney to Central Coast line every day since June 1970, and then to Newcastle from 1984. 

During its five decade long service, it has covered an estimated 140 million kilometres. 

The double-decker V-sets were built in Granville by Commonwealth Engineering – known as Comeng – between 1970 and 1989 and were described as ‘the most luxurious commuter stock in the world’ when they first arrived. 

However, after five decades, the V-sets have been gradually phased out as the new Mariyungs have entered service. 

From 30 June, 19 Mariyung trains will have entered service and be fully deployed on the Central Coast and Newcastle Line, with all 38 local stations able to accommodate a longer 10-car configuration.

Out with the old and in with the new: About the Mariyung Trains

The Mariyung fleet has cost taxpayers $4.03 billion and experienced delays of around five years. Last December, the first revenue service of the Mariyung fleet took place on the Central Coast and Newcastle Line with sets D54 & D53, operating the 8:21 service from Newcastle Interchange to Central.

The Mariyung trains have extra leg room, high seat backs, tray tables for laptops and charging ports for mobile devices. 

Minister for Transport John Graham said, “They were space age for their time and it’s almost unfathomable that they have made it to the moon 17 times each in equivalent kilometres during more than five decades on the tracks.

“Today is a moment to say thank you to the workers who built these trains in Sydney that lasted so long in work, with some upgrades along the way. In farewelling the V-sets we reaffirm our commitment as a government to rebuilding a local rail manufacturing industry here in NSW.”

Goodbye V-set trains

Chief Executive of Sydney Trains Matt Longland described the end to the V-set trains as a “proud chapter in our transport history”. 

“Today we honour the legacy of the old V-set trains which have carried generations of passengers up and down the line, as we step into a new era with our Mariyung fleet,” Longland said. 

“It’s the beginning of a new one — one that will deliver a more comfortable travelling experience for passengers,” he added. 

The Minns Labor Government has announced its commitment to revitalising rail manufacturing in the region, recently launching industry engagement for the Future Fleet Program. This initiative aims to reinvigorate domestic manufacturing, create thousands of jobs, and stimulate economic growth.

As part of this commitment, the Government has pledged to begin procuring replacements for the aging Tangara fleet of suburban passenger trains by 2027. A key goal is to ensure that 50% of the design, construction, and maintenance of the new fleet is sourced locally.

V-sets will continue to operate on the Blue Mountains line until they are replaced by Mariyungs, which will also be introduced to the South Coast line after their deployment on the Blue Mountains.