Sydney public transport: Train, bus services with most delays in 2019-20
Sydney’s public transport network has been given its annual punctuality report card - revealing the train and bus lines hit with the worst delays. It comes as transport services are put to the test with capacity limits increased from July 1.
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New public transport performance data has revealed the Sydney train and bus services plagued with the worst delays over the past year. It comes as COVID-19 capacity limits are doubled across the network.
The Transport for NSW data shows, on average, 7.5 per cent of services on the Sydney Train network were delayed by more than five minutes in the 2019-20 financial year.
Commuters on the T1 North Shore, T9 Northern and T2 Inner West slogged through the worst delays, with more than one in 10 services late on the North Shore line.
The result is a 1.2 per cent improvement on the previous year despite the network recording its worst month on record at the height of the outbreak in February, when a whopping 17 per cent of trains failed to arrive on time.
Since then, train punctuality has gradually improved as COVID-19 lockdowns eased with June faring as the best month all year - just 2.2 per cent of trains arrived late during that period.
Bus performance data similarly showed a divide in performance by region, with services in Strathfield, Bondi, Hunters Hill, Sutherland and Bankstown scoring highest for tardiness.
The new data comes as more commuters are allowed on public transport from July 1 as COVID-19 capacity limits are eased.
Most services can now accommodate double capacity, with train carriages allowed to carry 68 customers and most buses able to squeeze in 23.
Last month, data seen by The Daily Telegraph showed a surge in public transport use as lockdowns were lifted, sparking concerns about how the system would cope in the future.
MOST DELAYED TRAINS
T1 North Shore line commuters experienced the most delays in 2019-20, with 10.2 per cent of services arriving late.
Following closely behind was the T9 Northern Line, which saw 9 per cent of services arrive late.
On the T2 Inner West Line and T3 Bankstown Line commuters faced hefty wait times, with almost 8 per cent of trains delayed.
It was commuters on the T8 Airport and South Line that had the best transport experience, with just 6 per cent of services arriving late, followed by the T4 Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line, which had a near-perfect score with just 5 per cent of services arriving late.
A Sydney Trains spokesman said everything from severe weather events to sick customers, urgent repairs, and incidents on the network including people trespassing can cause delays.
The interdependent nature of the 165-year-old network meant some services were harder hit by these circumstances than others, he said.
“Interconnected train lines such as the T1 North Shore and Western, T2 Inner West and Leppington, and T8 Airport and South, take longer to recover from an incident than others.”
It is hoped the NSW Government’s $4.3 billion More Trains, More Services program will help bolster the network’s performance.
MOST DELAYED BUSES
Across Sydney’s metro bus network, services in Strathfield, Bondi, Ingleburn, Hunters Hill, Sutherland and Bankstown were the most likely to be delayed while those in Campbelltown and surrounds had the highest punctuality score.
Transport for NSW bus performance data for the year to May 2020 shows one delay-plagued service was late so frequently that it failed to meet its punctuality KPIs for the year.
Transit Systems West - the operator behind services in Strathfield and Earlwood - had the worst delays in Sydney, with 6.5 per cent of buses arriving more than five minutes late.
This stooped to a record low in May 2019, when a whopping 11 per cent of the operator’s buses were late.
The State Transit Authority’s eastern suburbs line travelling through Bondi, Eastgardens and Vaucluse also underperformed, with 5 per cent of services turning the corner late.
Buses travelling through Ingleburn, Hunters Hill, Sutherland and Bankstown had less delays with just 4 per cent while those near Mosman, Manly, Hornsby and Ku Ring Gai followed closely with 3 per cent.
It was commuters in Blacktown, The Hills, Campbelltown, Punchbowl and Liverpool that were the most likely to arrive at their destinations on time, with just 1.5-2.5 per cent of services arriving late.
A Transport for NSW spokesman said meeting the network’s on time running target of 95 per cent was especially challenging given the variable traffic conditions across Sydney.
“It pushes our operators to deliver the best possible service for customers and pleasingly, we’ve seen the vast majority of operators either meeting or exceeding this target throughout 2019 and 2020," he said.
Sydney’s east and inner west roads were “the most challenging” for drivers because of their congested roads, he said.
The spokesman also said Transport for NSW would work closely with all operators to ensure they met and improved their KPIs, including on-time running targets.
“This may include reviewing routes, timetables and operating practices to ensure that services are delivered efficiently and benefit the maximum number of customers,” he said.