Question: Dear TM, on the new Sydney rail map, Homebush station is situated on a spur all by itself. Could you perhaps explain why?

Answer: Yeah, the map doesn’t make the reasoning behind this very clear, does it?

It’s because Homebush is a terminus for all T2 “all stations” trains from the city. However, limited stops trains that are heading further west (almost) always bypass Homebush without stopping, hence the “gap” in the main line dots there.

It’s one of the few places on the map where there’s been an attempt to show a service pattern – something Sydney maps have never really done – and it’s a little weird and awkward, as there’s no other visual indicator of the station being a terminus station.