This report has been produced by the Australian Transport Safety
Bureau (ATSB) using data supplied by the rail safety regulators in
each State and the Northern Territory of Australia since 2001. The
ATSB does not collect the data itself and depends entirely on the
efforts of the rail safety regulators to provide accurate and
reliable information.
Train kilometres
| Year | NSW | NT | Qld | SA | Tas | Vic | WA | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 53,086,392 | 157,051 | 36,238,151 | 13,604,617 | - | 36,830,251 | 16,205,715 | 156,122,177 |
| 2002 | 60,015,964 | 178,007 | 39,004,733 | 14,785,344 | - | 37,903,716 | 18,779,675 | 170,667,439 |
| 2003 | 60,668,790 | 184,094 | 41,539,098 | 14,196,407 | 969,752 | 37,789,278 | 20,334,815 | 175,682,234 |
Note: Excludes tram kilometres. Figures for
Tasmania are not available.
Passenger train kilometres
| Year | NSW | NT | Qld | SA | Tas | Vic | WA | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 40,251,865 | 52,710 | 13,777,812 | 7,517,081 | - | 30,595,328 | 6,967,291 | 99,162,087 |
| 2002 | 44,159,057 | 52,459 | 14,011,180 | 8,758,313 | - | 32,136,314 | 7,041,493 | 106,158,816 |
| 2003 | 45,982,809 | 55,524 | 18,517,934 | 8,375,046 | 67,558 | 32,586,645 | 7,533,332 | 113,118,848 |
Note: Excludes tram kilometres. Figures for
Tasmania are not available.
Freight train kilometres
| Year | NSW | NT | Qld | SA | Tas | Vic | WA | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 12,834,527 | 104,341 | 25,353,607 | 6,087,536 | - | 6,234,923 | 9,238,424 | 59,853,358 |
| 2002 | 15,856,907 | 125,548 | 25,031,437 | 6,027,031 | - | 5,767,402 | 11,738,182 | 64,546,507 |
| 2003 | 14,685,981 | 128,570 | 26,819,316 | 5,821,361 | 902,194 | 5,202,633 | 12,801,484 | 66,361,539 |
Note: Figures for Tasmania are not
available.
Tram kilometres
| Year | NSW | NT | Qld | SA | Tas | Vic | WA | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 903,669 | - | - | 766,071 | - | 21,792,576 | 8,986 | 23,471,302 |
| 2002 | 830,671 | - | - | 776,296 | - | 22,430,950 | 7,795 | 24,045,712 |
| 2003 | 818,458 | - | - | 790,160 | 100 | 22,298,561 | 6,258 | 23,913,537 |
Train passenger journeys
| Year | NSW | NT | Qld | SA | Tas | Vic | WA | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 294,595,914 | 48,123 | 46,797,064 | 8,795,436 | - | 140,330,029 | 24,209,487 | 514,776,053 |
| 2002 | 282,701,053 | 54,708 | 47,023,067 | 9,022,577 | - | 140,676,459 | 30,647,672 | 510,125,536 |
| 2003 | 277,397,915 | 44,798 | 49,025,838 | 9,581,692 | - | 141,214,222 | 30,440,368 | 507,704,833 |
Note: The railways providing passenger journey
figures to the rail safety regulators are currently able to provide
only estimates. Figures for Tasmania are not available. Excludes
tram passenger journeys.
Tram passenger journeys
| Year | NSW | NT | Qld | SA | Tas | Vic | WA | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 6,714,452 | - | - | 1,984,565 | - | 120,429,352 | 16,011 | 129,144,380 |
| 2002 | 6,202,864 | - | - | 2,043,076 | - | 132,834,424 | 18,864 | 141,099,228 |
| 2003 | 5,427,628 | - | - | 2,050,327 | - | 124,804,608 | 18,069 | 132,300,632 |
Notes
The definitions provided below are selected excerpts from the
definitions of terms used by State and NT rail safety regulators in
Australia. The definitions have been developed by them, in
consultation with the rail industry, as part of their
administrative role in providing government oversight of the safety
of the rail industry in Australia.
Train kilometres: the number of kilometres travelled by
trains, both freight and passenger.
Train: one or more units of rolling stock coupled
together, at least one of which is a locomotive or other self
propelled unit that is designed to run on a railway. Both track
maintenance machines and trams (streetcars or light rail) are
included in this definition. However, in this national report
tramway activity is disaggregated from railway activity as a whole
since most of the tramway activity in Australia is concentrated in
Melbourne, Victoria.
Passenger train kilometres: the number of kilometres
travelled by passenger trains (in this national report, excluding
trams).
Freight train kilometres: the number of kilometres
travelled by freight trains.
Tram kilometres: the number of kilometres travelled by
trams.
Train passenger journey: a journey made by a passenger,
all or part of which was on a train. A passenger journey is
calculated as follows: urban areas - a point to point journey
irrespective of the number of vehicles or modes used for the trip;
non-urban areas - a point to point journey but each change of
vehicle along the route is counted as a separate journey. In this
national report, tram passenger journeys are excluded.
Tram passenger journey: a journey made by a passenger,
all or part of which was on a tram. A passenger journey is
calculated as follows: urban areas - a point to point journey
irrespective of the number of vehicles or modes used for the
trip.
Railway employees: persons (whether full or part time)
who work for or at the direction of a railway organisation,
including contractors and volunteers. In this national report,
excludes tramway employees.
Tramway employees: persons (whether full or part time)
who work for or at the direction of a tramway organisation,
including contractors and volunteers.
Additional statistics on Australian railways are available from
the Australasian Railway Association (see http://www.ara.net.au).
Disclaimer
The data in this report are supplied to the ATSB by State and NT
rail safety regulators. Data quality and national consistency, in
particular, thus depend on the efforts of these regulators. The
ATSB accepts no liability for any loss or damage suffered by any
person or corporation resulting from the use of these data.