Bankstown to Sydenham train commuters warned to brace for delays as South West Metro project blows out

Passengers on a key western Sydney railway line are being warned to brace for longer commute times with buses to replace trains for an entire year.

Western Sydney commuters have been warned to brace for the 12 month shutdown which will hit the popular T3 train line from next year, while an extra $1.1 billion will have to be tipped into the project to finish it.

The total price for the blighted South West Metro project is now set to soar above $21b – from its original budget of $12b.

The line shutdown between Sydenham to Bankstown will begin once the City Metro, linking Sydenham to the Sydney CBD, is up and running – which is forecast to be between July to October next year.

The closure, while the rail is converted to Metro standards, will force thousands of passengers on to a new bus fleet.

“It will be a big undertaking and require 12 months for the lines we shut down, causing inconvenience to this community, but (providing) a much needed and important improvement to transport services to this part of metropolitan Sydney,” Premier Chris Minns said.

“We haven’t taken this decision lightly.”

Commuters have been told to brace for the 12-month shutdown which will force them on to buses. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Initial forecasts for the shutdown of the Bankstown to Sydenham stretch predicted a timeline ranging from six to 15 months, with Transport Minister Jo Haylen saying the current timeline was taken based on an interim report from an independent review of Sydney Metro.

“What we’ve done is taken that independent advice we are delivering on a strategy that will ensure that there is the least disruption to passengers but I don’t want to sugar-coat it, because it will be disruptive, and it will take time,” she said.

MAJOR SYDNEY TRAIN LINE TO BE CLOSED FOR A YEAR

Commuters on the T3 line will be catching buses instead of trains for a year, with the line to be shut between Bankstown to Sydenham for the Metro South West conversion.

Premier Chris Minns will on Tuesday announce that a section of rail will close from the middle of next year.

Dedicated buses will replace trains for around a year.

The bus services will be more “comprehensive” than just straight rail replacement buses, which simply drive station to station.

Train passengers from Bankstown to Sydenham will be left to catch buses while part of the heavy rail line is upgraded to Metro standards. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Simon Bullard

The shutdown will impact stations stretching from the T3’s Birrong train station, as well as all stops in-between Bankstown to Sydenham including Wiley Park, Punchbowl, Lakemba, Campsie, Canterbury, Hurlstone Park and Dulwich Hill.

Closing the T3 line for up to a year means southwest Sydney won’t get driverless Metro trains until 2025 at the earliest.

Sydney Metro's new trains for the City & Southwest line have undergone safety testing, marking a major milestone in the multibillion-dollar project. Picture: Supplied by NSW Government

The Daily Telegraph revealed earlier this year the T3 line could be shut for up to 15 months between Bankstown and Sydenham, under plans presented to the former government.

The shutdown was always scheduled to hit commuters in 2024, with the only question being the length of the delay while the track is converted from heavy rail to Metro standards.

In November 2020 Sydney Metro stated the section would have to be shut for only six months for work.

Earlier this year the new government also claimed the line had also blown out by another $2b to a total of $20.11b – $8b above earlier projections.