About This Site |
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The web site is developed by Australian Rail Maps.
The site aims to promote rail travel in Australia by providing an integrated and easily accessible source of information spanning all rail operators. The site which was first developed in 1996, and has been maintained and updated continuously since, is not affiliated with any rail operator or tourism operator.
Australian Rail Maps (ABN 18 607 855 177) offers map development services for rail and other public transport modes. All maps on this website are copyright Australian Rail Maps. The maps on this web site may be used for non-commercial purposes. To enquire about commercial use of any maps on this web site, or for more information about map development, contact Australian Rail Maps by email |
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Unlike other transport modes such as road and air, rail travel is highly fragmented across the nation. There are numerous operators, each with their own fare and ticketing systems, booking agents, web sites, agents, technical and other practices. This means that for the average consumer it can be a mysterious and daunting task merely to travel by train outside his or her own region. When travelling by car or air no such problems arise because providers realise that familiarity of access is a key attraction - we have standard road rules, traffic management, navigation aids etc, we also have consistent boarding, ticketing and airport procedures nationally - if not internationally! So why is it such a drama to get a national view of rail travel? This web-site aims in its own small way to redress this problem, by at least providing a single nationally consistent and complete source of information on rail travel in Australia. All passenger train routes are illustrated, and all passenger stations are shown. The conventions are consistent so that whether you are looking for a trans-continental train or a suburban tram - you can be sure its here in a form you will recognise - even if you're not familiar with the region you're looking at. The site is intended as a first port of call for the travel planner. It doesn't include timetables - it does link to sites where timetables can be viewed - but this site does enable you to determine whether or not there is a train or tram that goes where you want to go, roughly how long it will take you to get there, and about how often trains come along. If you find the route you want - then click to view the detailed timetable. This site is based on the premise that most people are more attuned to graphical representations than tabular, and that a train timetable is virtually indecipherable without some way of visualising it graphically. The aim is to enable the potential passenger to select his route and travel mode without having to look at a timetable - then to refer to the timetable for the simpler task of selecting the time of travel. |
| Maps are designed using Corel Draw and Corel PhotoPaint. All maps are drawn as vector graphics using Corel Draw (v12). This enables re-sizing and easy production of printer friendly pdf files. HTML is developed using Notepad! |
| Basic Design Principles for the maps: |
| 1. Use solid dark colours for all lines |
| 2. Use plain sans-serif fonts |
| 3. Station names MUST ALWAYS be shown as strictly horizontal |
| 4. Display all station names in Black |
| 5. Route lines are shown as vertical, horizontal or 45 degree diagonal only. |
| 6. Junctions and corners are shown as consistent radius smooth curves |
| 7. Scale is less important than clarity |
Since October 2001 this site has been hosted by 
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| Railpage is the best source of on-line information on Australia's Railways. |
RailMaps Site Reviews and feedback:
Network Rail Magazine, April 1997 A colourful site entirely about rail in Australia. The home page features a large map of Australia with links to the greater detail of train services nationally and in major cities. The site directs you to the main rail provider in the State you are interested in and provides links to useful sites with information about each capital city.Netweek Magazine - 1st issue, September 1999 Excellent interactive map displaying metropolitan, rural and interstate railways throughout Australia, along with tram/light rail systems, and selected ferry/catamaran services. Includes regional rail news updates and fares and ticketing information.
Australian Map Circle Newsletter No 80 - March 2000. Excellent site covering the whole country, showing passenger trains, suburban and intercity, ferries, airport shuttles, tourist railways etc, with frequencies, some timetable information and much more. Check out the Melbourne city map for its veritable cornucopia of information. Beats the London Tube map hands down. One of my favourite sites, and frequently updated.
Sydney Morning Herald - Saturday 2nd June 2001This super-helpful and informative hub appears to be the work of a rail transport enthusiast who has put together details of every local and national train service around the country. It's very easy to explore with point and click navigation that provides regional overviews or more localised information. So you'll have no trouble finding what you're looking for - be it suburban services in Adelaide or the twice-weekly rattler in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Australian Map Curiosities
1. Australia as it isn't - but nearly was. How confusing!
2. State Borders: I bet you didn't know that Tasmania has a land border with Victoria!
3. You can zoom into a map of any street, suburb or town at this wonderful site.