Commuters could be without a train service for months while work is carried on the Sydenham to Bankstown line

COMMUTERS from Bankstown to Sydenham will be without a train service when the rail line is converted to single deck and link to Chatswood as part of the Sydney Metro project.

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COMMUTERS from Bankstown to Sydenham will be without a train service for months when the rail line is refitted as part of the Sydney Metro project.

The rail line, which includes 11 stations, will be converted to single deck and link to Chatswood via a second harbour crossing by 2024.

The State Government will introduce a temporary transport plan to reduce the impact on commuters while the line is closed.

When the Epping to Chatswood line is refitted in 2018, it will be closed for seven months.

Buses will replace trains during this period and there could be changes to the train timetable prior to this.

But a Transport for NSW spokeswoman said a decision had not been made on how long the Bankstown line would be closed.

The Sydenham to Bankstown line will be converted to a single-deck metro line.

“These are two separate pieces of infrastructure and have to be treated appropriately,” the spokeswoman said.

Details of the temporary transport plan would be released in the future as part of the planning process, she said.

The Metro project is expected to reduce travel times by up to 10 minutes and provide up to 15 metro trains an hour when completed.

But Lakemba state Labor MP Jihad Dib said the changes would need to be well planned to cover peak hour services.

“I also hope that any buses provided have adequate access for disabled people and those travelling with prams and small children,” Mr Dib said.

He has also called on the government to fast-track the upgrade of Punchbowl station – which does not have a lift or ramp.

As part of the conversion to metro standards, there will be lifts at all stations and platform screen doors that act as physical barriers to prevent falls on to the tracks.