About us

Historic Electric Traction (HET) is a non-profit established in 1997 to assist Sydney Trains in the preservation of State-owned vintage electric trains in working condition. HET operates closely with Sydney Trains under custodial agreements through Transport Heritage, using volunteer labour supplied by generous railway enthusiasts. Our dedicated volunteers allow HET to effectively provide 'trafficable' carriages to Sydney Trains, enabling them to certify and operate the cars, rather than have them as static exhibits 

At HET, our volunteers carefully restore and repair carriages  to showcase the electric trains of the past. This includes activities such as paint prepping/painting, rust repairs, cable restoration, light refitting and many other tasks required to run the cars in a workable, presentable condition. Whilst running tours, our volunteers assist in the safe operation of manual train doors, as well as looking after passengers needs to ensure a positive and safe experience. We often run tours using multiple train sets around the electrified network, click on the tours tab to find out more.