Environmental Impact Statement released for Sydenham to Bankstown Metro conversion

EIGHT train stations in Canterbury-Bankstown will be upgraded from 2020 — four years before the metro line is converted to a driverless turn-up-and-go service.

Danielle Buckley and Jim O’Rourke

2 min read

September 18, 2017 - 4:11PM

Canterbury-Bankstown Express

What the proposed underground railway station in Bankstown would look like

The Express

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THE details of the Sydenham to Bankstown metro conversion have been laid bare in an environmental-impact statement, released last week.

All of the stations, including eight in Canterbury-Bankstown, will be upgraded from 2020 — four years before the line is converted to a driverless turn-up-and-go service.

Construction will start as early as next year on Hurlstone Park, Canterbury, Campsie, Belmore, Lakemba, Wiley Park, Punchbowl and Bankstown stations.

An artist’s impression of what Belmore station will look like once it is upgraded to accommodate the metro line.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian boasted last week that the metro would shave one hour from the working week for commuters.

“Customers will have a new airconditioned metro train every four minutes in the peak, delivering a new quality of railway service,” Ms Berejiklian said.

The EIS overview states that all stations will be accessible, with lifts and level access between trains and station platforms.

An artist’s impression of Lakemba station.

But not everybody is sold on the plans.

The Sydenham to Bankstown Alliance said this would create “commuter hell” as thousands of new residents were forced onto replacement bus services or into coping with disrupted train timetables during construction of the metro.

The line will be shut for up to six months in 2023 for the line to be turned into Metro.

Buses will also replace trains for two weeks in the winter break school holidays and for six weeks in the summer break.

Alliance spokesman Peter Olive said an analysis showed 35 million trips on the Sydenham to Bankstown line would be delayed during the period the line was gradually shut down.

“Existing commuters will be joined by 30,000 new residents by 2024 as the Government pushes development, putting developers’ interests ahead of those of the community,” Mr Olive said.

The EIS will be open for public feedback until November 8.

Submissions: sydneymetro.info/station/sydenham-bankstown