Transport Heritage NSW in partnership with Transport for NSW and Historic Electric Traction marked a century since Sydney’s first electric train service last weekend.

More than 1,000 people took part in commemorative journeys between Central Station and Oatley, retracing the extent of the original electrified line. The first service of the day left Central’s Platform 22 at 7.54am—exactly 100 years to the minute since the inaugural electric train departed.

Sydney Trains CEO Matt Longland said the milestone was an opportunity to recognise the people behind the network.

“We are proud to honour the workers who maintain, operate and protect this network every day,” he said. “The F1 Red Set running today is a reminder of our history, but it also symbolises our commitment to delivering reliable, safe, modern services for generations to come.”

When Sydney’s first electric passenger train departed Central in 1926, it did so with little fanfare. As The Sydney Morning Herald noted the following day, “Things that would gather round them excited and curious crowds in other parts of the world, Sydney passes by impassive and disinterested.”

Yet the impact was immediate: electric trains offered faster, quieter and more frequent services, while removing the constant need for coal and water. Later that year, the opening of St James and Museum stations brought rail directly into the CBD, transforming how the city moved.

A century on, Sydney’s electric network—vastly expanded and continually modernised—remains the backbone of the city’s transport system, moving millions safely every day.

THNSW CEO Andrew Moritz said the anniversary was a powerful reminder of the value of preserving and operating historic rolling stock.

“THNSW is proud to be working with Sydney Trains to celebrate this historic occasion,” he said. “Thanks to volunteers and staff from Sydney Trains, THNSW and Historic Electric Traction, we’re able to take people on a trip down memory lane with the beautifully maintained F1 Red Set.”

Opportunities to showcase this history within a live, operating environment create a unique connection between past and present. By preserving these assets and operating them on the modern network—particularly in partnership with government—THNSW helps strengthen community pride and reinforce the deep sense of identity shared by railway workers and the public.