• Sydney will be saying goodbye to its S-Set trains, as NSW Transport retires the fleet which for nearly five decades have moved Sydneysiders and visitors alike around the city.
• Friday will be the last day the old trains will be in service as the transport authority updates the current fleet to the more modern Waratah Series 2, some of which are already running.
• When the S-Set were first introduced in 1972, they were considered state-of-the-art, with some now to be preserved as part of Sydney’s history.

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Summers in Sydney won’t be the same without sticky blue, graffitied seats and the smell of hot metal and sweat.

Friday marks the last day Sydneysiders will be able to ride the old S-Set trains which have serviced the city for almost half a century. The screech of a train approaching has now been filled with the sound of smooth silence.

“After more than 40 years of serving millions of train customers in NSW, tomorrow will mark the end of an era in the state’s rail history,” NSW minister for transport Andrew Constance said in a media statement on Thursday.

The news will be welcomed by anyone who was unlucky enough to jump into a steamy carriage in the midst of a January heatwave.

“The great news is this means 100 per cent of the train fleet will now be air-conditioned, ensuring our customers don’t feel the heat during summer,” Constance added.

If you want a last glimpse of these historic beauties, the final run of them will take place on the T7 Olympic Park line at midnight on Friday night before they are taken out of service.

The now out-dated trains will be remembered by almost anyone who has visited the city in the last four decades.

“When the S-Sets were introduced in 1972, they were among the first double-deck trains in the world and considered state-of-the-art,” Constance said.

Just fourteen will be preserved as part of the city’s history.

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