Railway electrification in Australia

Later Australian systems used 25 kV 50 Hz AC electrification, which had been introduced in the 1950s in France, and by the 1980s become the international standard.

There has also been extensive non-urban electrification in Queensland using 25 kV 50 Hz AC, mainly during the 1980s for coal routes.

[2] Conversion to DC was by rotary converters, but Melbourne extensions in the 1920s from Croydon and Ringwood used mercury arc rectifiers.

John Bradfield recommended using 1,500 V DC, and this was supported by a conference of Railway Commissioners in 1922 who were anxious to avoid a repeat of the different track gauges used in each state.

The entire Sydney metropolitan area, and the intercity lines to Kiama (south), Lithgow (west) and Newcastle (north) are electrified, and services are provided by EMU trainsets.

It includes the entire Brisbane metropolitan area, the North Coast Line to Rockhampton and the central Queensland coalfields.

Electrification for the heavy rail lines is at 25 kV 50 Hz AC, while the G:link is at 750 V DC, the Sea World Monorail System was at 500 V AC via third rail, and the previous Brisbane tram network was at 600 V DC via overhead wire.