The T4 is the line tourists use most and know least about. It runs underground from Bondi Junction (your gateway to Bondi Beach) through Edgecliff, Kings Cross, Martin Place, Town Hall and Central, then south through Redfern, Sydenham, Wolli Creek and Hurstville before splitting at Sutherland toward Cronulla or Waterfall. For beach access, inner-city nightlife and the Sutherland Shire, T4 is the train. A new timetable starts on Sunday 15 November 2026, bringing more trains, two new stations on the line and some longer journeys. Details below.
Blue (dark)
Bondi Junction ↔ Cronulla / Waterfall
35 from 15 Nov 2026 (St Peters & Erskineville join)
Bondi Junction (Bondi Beach gateway)
Line Map
Sydney Train Map
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Overview
The Eastern Suburbs Line: Sydney’s Most Tourist-Relevant Train
The T4’s eastern section, the Eastern Suburbs Railway from Central through Town Hall, Martin Place, Kings Cross and Edgecliff to Bondi Junction, opened in 1979 after decades of stop-start construction. It was (and remains) a political controversy made concrete: critics argued the money should have gone to the western suburbs; supporters note that the line still carries enormous passenger numbers.
For visitors, the T4 matters because Bondi Junction is the closest train station to Bondi Beach. From there it’s a 10–15 minute bus ride, or a walk of around 2.5 km (allow 30–35 minutes) downhill to the sand. The T4 also serves Kings Cross and Potts Point, Edgecliff (for Double Bay), and the southern corridor through Hurstville, Sutherland and Cronulla.
The line is one continuous route rather than a branching one in the city: trains run from Bondi Junction through the CBD and Central, then south along the Illawarra corridor. The only split is at Sutherland, where trains continue either east to Cronulla or south to Waterfall. Always check the destination board if you’re heading beyond Sutherland.
Getting to Bondi Beach
Take T4 to Bondi Junction. Follow the signs to the bus interchange and catch bus 333 or 380, which run frequently to Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach. Total journey from Town Hall: around 30 minutes. Prefer to walk? It’s roughly 2.5 km downhill via Bondi Road, about 30–35 minutes. Opal transfers within 60 minutes count as one journey with a transfer discount.
New Timetable
What Changes on the T4 from Sunday 15 November 2026
Transport for NSW announced the biggest overhaul of the Illawarra corridor in more than a decade on 15 October 2026. The core change: T4 and South Coast Line trains will no longer share tracks between Arncliffe and Central. Each line gets its own track, which should mean fewer knock-on delays and room for more trains. You can plan trips on the new timetable in Trip Planner and the Opal Travel app from early November (Transport says from 1 November).
- More peak trains: citybound morning-peak trains every 4 minutes at Sutherland (up from 5) and every 3 minutes at Hurstville (up from 3.5). Kogarah, Allawah, Arncliffe, Banksia, Rockdale, Penshurst, Mortdale, Oatley, Kirrawee, Gymea, Miranda, Caringbah, Woolooware and Cronulla get a train every 7.5 minutes on average in peaks, up to a 33% increase.
- St Peters and Erskineville join the T4. They were moved to the T8 temporarily in 2024 when the T3 Bankstown Line closed for metro conversion, and now move to the T4 permanently. That gives them direct trains to Martin Place and Bondi Junction, with their trains using the underground platforms 24 and 25 at Central.
- Every T4 train stops at Sydenham, giving a direct interchange with Sydney Metro.
- Loftus, Engadine, Heathcote and Waterfall get direct trains to Kogarah (St George Hospital and TAFE). The government says it plans to restore Kogarah as an express stop in 2027.
- Late nights: Cronulla goes from a train every 30 minutes to every 15 minutes late at night (Waterfall stays at every 30). Sydenham, Wolli Creek, Rockdale, Kogarah, Hurstville and Sutherland get a late-night train every 10 minutes, and two extra late-night services run between the CBD and Cronulla.
- Weekends will run the same stopping patterns as weekday off-peak, so the timetable is more consistent across the week.
The Catch: Some Trips Get Longer
More trains stopping at more stations means slower trips for some. Transport for NSW’s own examples: Cronulla to Central goes from about 45–51 minutes to about 55–56 minutes in the morning peak, and Waterfall to Central from about 48 minutes to around an hour. Passengers from stations between Waterfall and Sutherland face the biggest increases, up to 12 minutes, because those trains will now stop all stations from Hurstville to Arncliffe plus Sydenham, St Peters and Erskineville. Transport’s advice: change at Sutherland or Hurstville in peaks to save around five minutes, or change to the Metro at Sydenham.
Knock-on changes for other lines: South Coast Line trains will end at Central and no longer run through to Bondi Junction, so South Coast passengers heading to Town Hall, Martin Place, Kings Cross, Edgecliff or Bondi Junction will change to the T4 at Central. All South Coast trains will stop at Sydenham, but they will no longer stop at Wolli Creek, and won’t stop at Waterfall, Heathcote, Engadine or Loftus in peak periods. T8 passengers from the south-west who used to ride direct to Sydenham, St Peters, Erskineville or Redfern will change to the T4 at Wolli Creek.
Key Stations
Stop by Stop: The T4’s Best Destinations
Town Hall
CBD · Shopping & George Street
The T4’s first CBD stop after Central. The Eastern Suburbs platforms sit deep beneath the main station, so allow a few extra minutes if you’re changing from another line. Exits lead to the Queen Victoria Building, Sydney Town Hall and the George Street light rail. For Darling Harbour, it’s a 10-minute walk west down Druitt or Bathurst Street.
Martin Place
CBD · Metro interchange
The T4’s main interchange with Sydney Metro, and the closest T4 stop to the Royal Botanic Garden, the State Library of NSW, Parliament House and the Art Gallery of NSW (about a 10-minute walk through the Domain). If you’re coming from Barangaroo, Victoria Cross or the North Shore by Metro, change here for Bondi Junction. From 15 November, St Peters and Erskineville passengers also get direct trains to Martin Place.
Kings Cross
Inner East · Nightlife & Potts Point
The station the T4 was built to serve. Kings Cross was Sydney’s red-light district for decades and is now an interesting hybrid: some of that edge survives, but the precinct has gentrified considerably. Potts Point, the residential neighbourhood immediately north, is genuinely beautiful: Macleay Street has some of Sydney’s best boutique restaurants, and the 1930s apartment buildings are architecturally stunning. Darlinghurst Road leads to the Coca-Cola sign at the top of William Street and the remaining nightlife strip.
Edgecliff
Eastern Suburbs · Upmarket dining
Edgecliff sits between Kings Cross and Bondi Junction and serves the upmarket residential enclave of Edgecliff and Double Bay. Double Bay, a 10-minute walk or short bus north, is the eastern suburbs’ most fashionable café and restaurant precinct, with harbour views and a concentration of designer boutiques. If you want a longer brunch without the Bondi crowd, Double Bay’s coffee culture is excellent, and the harbour foreshore is beautiful for a post-breakfast walk.
Bondi Junction
Eastern terminus · Bondi Beach gateway
The end of the line for most T4 users, and the jumping-off point for Sydney’s most famous beach. Westfield Bondi Junction sits directly above the station and is one of the largest shopping centres in the city. The real purpose is the buses outside: 333 and 380 run frequently to Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach. The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk, 6 kilometres along clifftops with some of the best coastal views in Australia, begins at Bondi Beach and passes Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly and Gordon’s Bay before reaching Coogee. Buses run back to Bondi Junction from Coogee.
Sydenham
Inner South · Metro interchange
An unglamorous station that matters more from 15 November 2026, when every T4 train will stop here. It’s the southern interchange with Sydney Metro, which gives a fast run north through the CBD to Barangaroo, Victoria Cross, Crows Nest and Chatswood. Shire and St George commuters bound for the northern CBD or North Shore can often save time by switching to the Metro here.
Hurstville
South · St George dining hub
A major southern Sydney centre with one of the most vibrant Chinese-Australian dining scenes in the city. Hurstville’s Forest Road and surrounding blocks are packed with Cantonese seafood restaurants, yum cha venues, hotpot chains and bubble tea, reflecting one of the highest concentrations of Chinese-born residents in Sydney. Hurstville is roughly 25 minutes from Central on the T4 and genuinely worth the trip for a dedicated yum cha outing. It’s also one of the line’s busiest interchanges, with a citybound train every three minutes in the morning peak from 15 November.
Cronulla
Southern terminus · Beach & ferry
The only Sydney ocean beach with its own train station, and for that alone it deserves more tourists than it gets. The beaches stretch north from Cronulla along Bate Bay for several kilometres, with a surf club and foreshore cafés. From Cronulla wharf, the Cronulla–Bundeena ferry crosses Port Hacking to Bundeena township, a gateway to Royal National Park and the start of the two-day Coast Track to Otford. The ferry runs roughly hourly and is privately operated, with its own fare that sits outside the normal Opal fare caps.
How to Use It
Making the T4 Work for You
Bondi Beach: T4 to Bondi Junction, then bus 333 or 380
The T4 doesn’t go to Bondi Beach; it goes to Bondi Junction, which is the suburb on the hill above the beach. From Bondi Junction station, follow the signs to the bus interchange and board 333 or 380. Both stop on Campbell Parade, steps from the sand.
Walk the Bondi to Coogee coastal track
One of the best free things to do in Sydney. Catch T4 to Bondi Junction, bus to Bondi Beach, walk 6km south along the clifftops to Coogee (approximately 2–2.5 hours depending on stops). At Coogee, route 373 runs back to the city, or take a bus back to Bondi Junction for the train. The track passes Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly and Gordon’s Bay, all of which have cafés and swimming spots. Go on a weekday morning to avoid the weekend crowds.
Coming by Metro? Change at Martin Place or Sydenham
The Metro doesn’t go to Bondi Junction. If you’re starting at Barangaroo, Victoria Cross, Crows Nest or Chatswood, ride the Metro to Martin Place and change to the T4 there for Bondi Junction. Heading south instead, to Hurstville, Sutherland or Cronulla? Stay on the Metro to Sydenham and change there. From 15 November 2026 every T4 train stops at Sydenham.
Cronulla day trip: allow a full day
Cronulla is about 50–55 minutes from Central on the T4 Cronulla branch (Transport for NSW’s estimate under the new timetable is around 55 minutes in the morning peak, with trains more often). Make sure your train says Cronulla, not Waterfall. To make the most of the trip: arrive by 10am, walk the beach, take a late-morning ferry to Bundeena (about 20–30 minutes across Port Hacking), explore the village and beach, and return mid-afternoon. Have dinner at one of Cronulla’s foreshore restaurants before the train home. From 15 November there’s a train every 15 minutes from the city to Cronulla late at night, so you can stay later.
Insider Tips
What Regular Riders Know
Bondi Junction station can get very crowded on summer weekend mornings as beach traffic peaks between 10am and noon. If you’re heading to Bondi, travel before 9:30am or after 2pm on a summer Saturday, and you’ll get a seat and the beach will be less frantic too.
If you’re travelling from the Sutherland Shire after 15 November, check your regular trip in Trip Planner before the switch. Departure times and platforms change across the line, and for some stations changing trains at Sutherland, Hurstville or Sydenham will now be faster than staying on board.
Kings Cross: Better Than Its Reputation
Many visitors write off Kings Cross based on its past reputation. Potts Point, accessed via the same station, is one of Sydney’s loveliest residential neighbourhoods, with Macleay Street’s outstanding restaurant strip, Victoria Street’s terrace houses, and the McElhone Stairs walking path down to Woolloomooloo Bay and the Harry’s Café de Wheels pie cart (a Sydney institution since 1938). A walk from Kings Cross station down to Woolloomooloo and back via the Domain takes two hours and shows you a slice of Sydney that tour groups rarely reach.