Excitement was in the air as the first passengers of the long-awaited Blue Mountains Line Maryung trains boarded for the fleet's maiden voyage to Sydney.
A crowd of eager train enthusiasts and commuters joined the train at Lithgow Station at 6.24am, bound for Central.
NSW Transport Minister John Graham joined the service at Springwood Station for its inaugural trip along with Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle and Penrith MP Karen McKeown.
Two 10-car trains will be operating from October 13 with another two 10-car trains and three six-car trains expected to be rolled out by the end of the month.
The full fleet of 12 10-car trains will be in operation by the end of 2026, with the V-sets gradually phased out.
Named after the Darug word for Emu, the Mariyung can operate in four-car, six-car, eight-car or 10-car configurations, and seat more than 820 passengers in a 10-carriage train.
The trains have the latest state-of-the-art safety technology including CCTV to monitor platform-train interfaces.
They feature two-by-two seating, better accessibility for less mobile customers, digital screens and announcements, charging stations for mobile devices, and dedicated space for luggage, prams, bicycles and wheelchairs.
The Mariyung trains made their maiden passenger journey from Newcastle in December 2024, where the fleet was always planned to enter service first.
The reaction from Newcastle commuters was largely positive.
Plans for the new intercity train fleet have been dogged by controversy since they were announced by the previous Coalition government in 2015. The Blue Mountains rail line had to be modified to fit the Korean-built trains while fixed seating on the trains also upset commuters.
Transport for NSW defended the decision to abandon reversible seating at the time, stating: "Reversible seating could only have been accommodated by significantly compromising on comfort and seating amenities. Customer feedback indicated that comfort was a key priority."