Sydney metro northwest: travel costs increase in comparison to bus fares

Opal customers are calling for the NSW Government to fast-track an election promise to introduce a $50 weekly cap on travel, after it was revealed commuters along a soon-to-be-opened Sydney Metro line could be forced to pay almost 50 per cent more for trips.

Preparations for opening day of the Sydney Metro Northwest at Kellyville station. Kellyville station will provide rail access and a public transport interchange for people living at Kellyville, Beaumont Hills and Stanhope Gardens. Picture: Supplied by Transport for NSW

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Opal customers are calling for the NSW Government to fast-track an election promise to introduce a $50 weekly cap on travel, after it was revealed commuters along the Sydney Metro northwest line could be forced to pay almost 50 per cent more for their trip from The Hills to the city.

Kellyville resident Steve Gibbons said commuters currently pay an average of $4.62 to travel from The Hills to the Sydney CBD using the Opal bus network.

However, once the Sydney Metro northwest opens on May 26, fares would rise to cost between $6.96 to $8.62 each way according to Transport for NSW fare calculators.

Metro Trains prepare for opening day of the Sydney Metro Northwest at Rouse Hill station. Located directly outside the Rouse Hill Town Centre and above the existing T-way, the new Rouse Hill Station will service this growing retail and entertainment precinct.

The NSW Government has currently imposed a weekly opal cap of $63.20, meaning commuters in The Hills could be slugged with an maximum of $17 extra using the Metro and bus network, until the promised $50 cap is introduced.

Mr Gibbons said the NSW Government need to ensure the reduced weekly Opal fare cap is installed “to avoid the full effect of the price increase imposed on residents”.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (right) and Minister for Transport and Roads Andrew Constance (left) watch as a tunnel boring machine breaks through the Metro Rail Tunnel. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

“I am excited and very positive about the seeing the new Metro starting to operate in a few weeks time,” Mr Gibbons told the Times. “The importance of having lower daily and weekly price caps on Opal journeys will be significant to encourage commuters to leave their car at home and take the bus and metro.”

Mr Gibbons said the fare increase represents a 47 to 79 per cent increase in the single journey cost to the city, “depending on the number of bus connections are required to get to the Metro at the desired time”.

The Premier Gladys Berejiklian along with Minister for Transport Andrew Constance announce the opening date of the Sydney Metro Northwest on May 26.Picture: TransportNSW

A spokeswoman for NSWTransport Minister Andrew Constance said the reduced $50 weekly cap would be introduced on July 1.

“This has not changed and we never gave any indication it would be introduced before Metro opened,” she said.

In March, Mr Constance announced the reduced weekly cap as an election promise in order to make public transport more affordable for commuters.

The fare cap reduction will see a benefit for 55,000 people using the network and save commuters as much as $686 per year.

At the time, Mr Constance said reducing the cap would encourage more people to leave their cars at home

and catch a train, bus, ferry or tram.