Paul Nicolaou opinion: Sydney rail woes will continue if government doesn’t address connection issues

It’s a problem that was recognised by the Transport Minister 20 years ago, but still it remains. There’s a solution to Sydney’s rail woes, but it is going to be costly, writes Paul Nicolaou.

Business Sydney executive director Paul Nicolaou has outlined a solution to the rail fail. Picture: Richard Dobson

We have to face up to some hard facts about Sydney’s meltdown-prone rail network.

No amount of fare-free days to atone for days of commuter chaos will do the job.

We must come to terms with solving a structural problem where one rail line wobbles and the rest of the system gets the shakes.

It’s going to be a costly fix but without it Premier Chris Minns and Transport Minister John Graham will endure more sleepless nights.

And it’s not as though Sydney’s structural problem, where multiple interconnected lines

converge on the city, is a surprise.

Michael Costa identified it 20 years ago when he was transport minister.

Even then, he was alarmed that an incident — like the one last week at Homebush — could strangle the system.

There are still no adequate workarounds to stop a rolling wave of operating chaos.

The issue was never properly addressed but needs to be.

Connecting the Sydenham to Bankstown heavy rail section to Metro is a step in the right direction.

It will achieve some needed line separation.

But last week’s catastrophic incident shows there are still choke points that can bring Sydney to its knees.

Every possibility of making the network a series of separate stand-alone lines must be examined and costed.

Premier Chris Minns, whose government will need to be willing to spend to fix the issue. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

The Government will need to be prepared to make significant investment for this to happen.

Last week’s meltdown was a big setback to the recovery of the city because it has shaken confidence so badly.

We need to give commuters a rail network they can rely on where trains that turn up on time, real-time updates when things go wrong and clean, comfortable journeys that make public transport an easy choice.

Every investment and improvement is about rebuilding confidence because Sydneysiders deserve a service that works.

The way people use our wonderful city has changed. Hybrid work, weekend travel, and event days all play a role now and transport has to adapt.

We’re seeing strong demand when the network delivers and that tells us commuters will come back if the experience is dependable, affordable, and easy to navigate.

A fare-free Monday is a nice gesture but not enough on its own.

What we really need is targeted, long-term investment and incentives to encourage public transport use.

Platform 23 at Central Station was packed last week as commuters waited for trains for hours. Picture: Jonathan Ng

It might be time to examine the impact on patronage in Brisbane where the government embraced the 50-cent fare regime introduced by its predecessors.

It’s worth a try.

Paul Nicolaou is executive director of Business Sydney

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