Epping to Chatswood rail line temporary closure for Sydney Metro will reap huge benefits
THIS week we have made the single biggest change on Sydney’s rail network in a century. The temporary closure of the rail line between Epping and Chatswood will impact around 20,000 people, every day for seven months.
NSW
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THIS week we have made the single biggest change on Sydney’s rail network in a century.
The temporary closure of the rail line between Epping and Chatswood will impact around 20,000 people, every day for seven months.
It will change the way people get to and from work, study and school. People will need to make adjustments to their routines, maybe allow a little longer to get to where they’re going, do some extra planning.
Macquarie Park, Macquarie University and North Ryde stations are now closed.
We’ve done the best we can to keep people moving and have been planning for this change for four years. This includes a high frequency turn-up-and-go bus service called Station Link between Epping and Chatswood.
124 dedicated buses will run every six minutes during the morning and evening peaks — more than 110 services per hour in the busiest parts of the day.
We’re also prepared for the extra traffic on the roads. More CCTV cameras around the Macquarie Park precinct will help staff in the Transport Management Centre monitor and adjust traffic conditions. There have been extensive road and intersection upgrades, as well as additional bus lanes installed.
The closed stations have been transformed into hot pink information hubs. We’ve had hundreds of dedicated ‘Pink Shirt’ staff on the ground, educating people about the changes and advising them about their travel options over the next seven months.
We’ve gone to every business affected — as well as schools and unis. This has all been in conjunction with a high profile awareness campaign.
Let me assure you, there is an amazing light at the end of the tunnel called Sydney Metro. Sydney Metro North West will run from Rouse Hill to Chatswood, via Macquarie Park, Macquarie Uni and North Ryde.
We know people get frustrated with construction and the impacts that come from that. But we also know all too well the frustration people feel when there are delays and crowds on Sydney trains network.
Five years ago Sydney Trains was carrying 308 million passengers per year. Today that number stands at 406 million passenger trips.
There isn’t a railway in the world which has seen a 30 per cent patronage demand increase, yet Sydney Trains has met this challenge head on. That’s a huge testament to drivers, guards, station staff and management and they deserve to be recognised.
Now we have to act.
This is why the Berejiklian government has bought 24 new Waratah trains, with the first two of these now in service. It’s why the government had no choice but to introduce a new timetable to carry those 100 million extra customers. It’s why the government invested $1.5 billion in new rail infrastructure, including new signalling and substations. It’s why the government has invested in an incredible new Rail Operations Centre, which will open soon, to better control the network.
We acknowledge and apologise for the disruption and inconvenience passengers are going to experience over the next seven months. But we have no choice, we need to do it.
Sydney Metro is around the corner, and it’s going to change our lives for the better.
Andrew Constance is NSW Minister for Transport and Infrastructure.
Originally published as Epping to Chatswood rail line temporary closure for Sydney Metro will reap huge benefits
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