Bankstown braces for travel chaos when trains stop for Christmas holidays
Thousands of commuters who use the Bankstown to Sydney train services will have to travel by buses during the Christmas holidays with the line being shut down for the Sydney Metro upgrade.
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Christmas will not be as jolly for commuters travelling between Bankstown and Sydney’s CBD by train, with the line’s services closing briefly for the Sydney Metro upgrade.
The closure was announced by Transport for NSW Coordinator General Marg Prendergast.
The T3 Bankstown Line will close between Campsie and Sydenham after the afternoon rush on Christmas Eve — Tuesday, December 24 — to Sunday, January 5.
“On our busiest days, when both the Illawarra and Bankstown lines are closed we will run more than 200 buses each day for T3 line,” a Transport for NSW spokeswoman said.
“We expect that up to 30,000 customers on the T3 line and up to 70,000 customers on the T4 line will be impacted by the temporary line closures each day.
“However, there will be plenty of replacement bus services running to keep customers moving.
“Final transport plans will be shared with the community well in advance of any shutdown to give customers plenty of time to plan ahead.”
Early works to convert the T3 Bankstown Line between Sydenham and Bankstown have started, with a new concourse being constructed over the Sydnenham station.
Ms Prendergast said during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, patronage of this service goes down by around 35 per cent.
“It’s important that we balance the need to convert the T3 Bankstown Line as quickly as possible, with getting people where they need to go at a time when less people are using the network,” she said.
Canterbury state Labor MP Sophie Cotsis, whose electorate covers Campsie, one of the affected stations, said it will be chaotic for the residents.
She wants an Upper House inquiry into the conversion of the Bankstown to Sydenham line.
“I am appalled by the Liberal Government’s decision to close the Bankstown to Sydenham line and force 100,000 local residents to use buses,” Ms Cotsis said, pointing out that Beamish St is already congested and there were no bus bays near Campsie station.
“This will be a disaster. There will be chaos for 100,000 commuters, and the extra buses on our roads will make local traffic congestion even worse.
“The government claims that closing the line at Christmas will mean fewer commuters will be affected is rubbish.
“Campsie is one of the busiest stations. This will make life much harder for my community especially the workers and families.”
As part of the Metro conversion between Sydenham and Bankstown, all 11 stations will be made fully accessible with lifts for the first time at Punchbowl, Wiley Park, Canterbury, Hurlstone Park and Dulwich Hill.
Bankstown state Labor MP Tania Mihailuk criticised the plans and called for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the government’s Sydenham to Bankstown Metro plans.
“The stations west of Bankstown have already lost their direct service and with this Metro, now all Bankstown and the suburbs to Sydenham will lose the remaining service to the city circle,” she said.
According to Transport for NSW, there will be changes to bus stops, space on footpaths, parking arrangements, loading zones and other kerbside uses.
The T3 Bankstown Line will remain open during the majority of Sydney Metro upgrade work.
Several temporary shutdowns will take place when more complex work needs to be carried
out ahead of Metro services starting in 2024.
Even though these rail closures will occur at a quieter time of the year, it will still have a significant impact on our residents and commuters,” Mayor Khal Asfour said.
“This is why Transport for NSW needs to work with us to ensure there is the least amount of disruption for our community.”
“In coming weeks, we’ll start the next phase of robust community consultation by briefing
local councils on our plans to keep customers moving during the staged shutdown to get a
better understanding of local impacts,” Ms Prendegast said.
A Transport for NSW spokeswoman said when Sydney Metro is extended from Chatswood, through to Sydney CBD and out to Bankstown, there will be a new fully airconditioned Metro train every four minutes in the peak in each direction.
Frequent bus services will replace trains on parts of the T3 Bankstown and T4 Illawarra lines to ensure a good alternative transport service for customers, with extra bus services operating for New Year’s Eve.
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Roydon Ng, the spokesman for the Save T3 Bankstown Line, which has been campaigning against the Sydney Metro south west, said the closure could have been avoided.
“It’s important not to forget that the Sydenham to Bankstown Metro causes permanent damage to the Bankstown Line, as it dislocates nine stations west of Bankstown from the entire Sydney Trains network,” Mr Ng said.
“There is no overall long term gain for the Bankstown Line community, with at least 19,000 commuters having to interchange twice every day.
“The government seems to have something to hide by delaying the release of the Temporary Transport Plan for the Sydenham to Bankstown Metro and not providing specific costings for the Sydenham to Bankstown section of the project.”
The Christmas closure of the T3 Bankstown Line was announced in 2017.
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