Sydney commuters brace for bus chaos with Metro shake-up to go ahead despite train delay

North Sydney will get its first major test of an overhauled bus timetable on Monday, even though Sydney’s long awaited Metro opening date has been put on ice. See the changes here.

Passengers have been warned to brace for commuter chaos on Monday, with an overhauled bus timetable to still-shuttered Metro stations kicking off despite no new opening date for the line announced.

Even with the eleventh-hour delay to the Metro City, a new timetable aimed at funnelling passengers to stations will still be put in place, with five bus routes axed, two new ones introduced, and extra services on certain lines across Sydney’s north.

Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins defended the decision to forge ahead with the new bus timetable and urged commuters to check their trips ahead of jumping on buses this week.

“If you use your bus service around the Metro areas, please check before you travel – although your route may not have changed, the times may have,” he said.

Staff were at the closed Metro Station in Crows Nest on Monday morning to provide information to commuters. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Passengers were forced to take the bus instead of the Metro after the new station failed to open on time. Picture: Tom Parrish

“We can’t turn on and off these bus changes – five weeks ago there was a reasonable amount of confidence (the Metro would open, so we) did all the rosters … if we pulled it now it would take another three or four weeks to get it back again.

Mr Collins added “I really believe we’re a few days away from an announcement being made (on a Metro opening date)” and said Sunday – the first day of the new timetable – hadn’t resulted in “a switchboard jammed with people not being able to find or get their bus”.

Deputy Liberal leader Natalie Ward lashed the new bus timetable coming in while the Metro remained closed beyond its previously forecast launch date of August 4.

Information staff at St Leonards train station on Monday morning. Picture: Rohan Kelly

“(Sunday) should be a celebration of the future of Sydney, and instead it’s all about Labor’s incompetence,” she said.

“Bungled buses, bungled Metro … this is the story of this Labor Government.”

A spokeswoman for Transport Minister Jo Haylen said “We’re disappointed Metro City couldn’t open to the public on Sunday as planned, but safety comes first”.

The Minister was locked in meetings over the weekend, with herself, operators Sydney Metro, Transport for NSW and Fire and Rescue NSW attempting to resolve outstanding hurdles.

“We won’t be pushed into opening a new railway without approval from the national independent safety regulator. All agencies are working together, around the clock, to get this new railway up and running. We know it’s been a long wait, and we’re asking people to wait just a little bit longer,” she said.

Transport NSW’s Howard Collins. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

Passengers who had been expecting to catch the bus to the Metro’s new stations at Crow’s Nest and Victoria Cross are instead urged to get on existing heavy rail services at nearby train stations at St Leonards and North Sydney.

Staff will be on hand at the Crows Nest and Victoria Cross sites to direct commuters on their trips.

Extra bus services include the 610X on the M2 from Castle Hill to the City, as well as the 119 on the Pacific Highway between Gore Hill and North Sydney.

Services axed from Sunday include the 259 (replaced by a 516 route between North Ryde and Chatswood), 294 (replaced by 288, 292 and 506), 602X (replaced by 607X connecting to 612X), 200 (replaced by extra 328 services) and 619 (substituted for 610X or 612X interchanging with the 611).