The Waratah was designed at the Downer EDI Rail design offices, then at Clyde, New South Wales.
The sets are formed of eight carriages – a break from the previous standard Sydney practice of four car sets, which are then coupled to form eight-car trains.
The configuration is: driving trailer car + motor car + motor car + trailer car + trailer car + motor car + motor car + driving trailer car.
This means that guards operate from the rear of the train rather than the centre and that commuters are able to walk through the entire train in an emergency.
The trains include external CCTV cameras to assist guards.

Carriage interiors were designed by Transport Design International.
The inside of the train includes additional Emergency Help Points and CCTV cameras compared to older classes.
Improvements to the DVAs (Digital Voice Announcements) with differential pitch of the voice allow more natural sounding speech. ‘
Smart’ air-conditioning automatically adjusts to the outside temperature and the number of passengers on board.
Accessibility features include 16 wheelchair spaces, portable wheelchair ramps in the end cars, red fabric on priority seating and additional handrails compared to older trains in the fleet.

The A set is the first passenger train in the world to use LED lamps for all lighting (except headlights).
In doing so, the designers managed to remove almost 800 kg in reflectors and ballasts associated with fluorescent units, as well as reducing power consumption to around a quarter of that used by fluorescents.
Woollen moquette fabric, a durable, vandal-resistant material, is used to cover the train's seats.
The seats use specially developed shock absorbers such that the reversing feature is damped - this was a safety feature added to allow reversible seats which would contain passengers in the event of an accident.
Detailed design of the train was completed in July 2009.

The Series 2 trains share more than 90 percent of their design with the original Waratahs.
The trains' exterior features the same silver and yellow design as the A sets, however, the trains entered service with a black, orange and silver wrap applied to the cabs, and additional black sections around the side windows.
The B sets also have upgraded technology in the interior, with an additional screen in the vestibule area.
The passenger information screens are also in a digital display instead of the LED used for the A sets.
The Waratah was designed at the Downer EDI Rail design offices, then at Clyde, New South Wales. The sets are formed of eight carriages – a break from the previous standard Sydney practice of four car sets, which are then coupled to form eight-car trains. The configuration is: driving trailer car + motor car + motor car + trailer car + trailer car + motor car + motor car + driving trailer car. This means that guards operate from the rear of the train rather than the centre and that commuters are able to walk through the entire train in an emergency. The trains include external CCTV cameras to assist guards.
Carriage interiors were designed by Transport Design International. The inside of the train includes additional Emergency Help Points and CCTV cameras compared to older classes. Improvements to the DVAs (Digital Voice Announcements) with differential pitch of the voice allow more natural sounding speech. ‘Smart’ air-conditioning automatically adjusts to the outside temperature and the number of passengers on board. Accessibility features include 16 wheelchair spaces, portable wheelchair ramps in the end cars, red fabric on priority seating and additional handrails compared to older trains in the fleet.
The A set is the first passenger train in the world to use LED lamps for all lighting (except headlights). In doing so, the designers managed to remove almost 800 kg in reflectors and ballasts associated with fluorescent units, as well as reducing power consumption to around a quarter of that used by fluorescents. Woollen moquette fabric, a durable, vandal-resistant material, is used to cover the train's seats. The seats use specially developed shock absorbers such that the reversing feature is damped - this was a safety feature added to allow reversible seats which would contain passengers in the event of an accident. Detailed design of the train was completed in July 2009.
The Series 2 trains share more than 90 percent of their design with the original Waratahs. The trains' exterior features the same silver and yellow design as the A sets, however, the trains entered service with a black, orange and silver wrap applied to the cabs, and additional black sections around the side windows. The B sets also have upgraded technology in the interior, with an additional screen in the vestibule area. The passenger information screens are also in a digital display instead of the LED used for the A sets.
Sydney Trains A & B sets