Penrith Station major upgrade begins, buses replace trains

BUSES will replace trains this weekend at Penrith Station, to allow major station upgrade works to get underway.

Penrith train station has been voted the worst station in the area by commuters in the NRMA Seeing Red survey.

• The trains of Western Sydney: Time to solve the missing link
• Budget 2016: Rail plans take flight for Western Sydney airport
• Federal election 2016: The war for Western Sydney begins
• Daily struggle to find commuter parking is strangling Western Sydney

BUSES will replace trains this weekend at Penrith Station, to allow major station upgrade works to get underway.

Penrith state Liberal MP Stuart Ayres today announced that demolition work, excavation on the station platforms and concreting would take place this Saturday and Sunday.

“Penrith Station customers deserve the best facilities when it comes to public transport,” Mr Ayres said.

He said the weekend work would be undertaken during a scheduled rail close down, to ensure the safety of customers.

Stuart Ayres MP with Gladys Berejiklian and Roza Sage making the Penrith Station upgrade announcement in 2014. Picture: Matthew Sullivan

Transport for NSW says this will involve temporary traffic changes between 2am tomorrow and 4am on Monday to the taxi rank, which will be temporarily relocated to the parking bay outside the station on Belmore Street.

There will also be temporary traffic changes for buses entering and exiting the bus interchanges on the northern and southern side of the station.

“Today’s news shows that we’re full steam ahead to deliver this much needed upgrade as quickly as possible for customers,” Mr Ayres said.

The station sits on the T1 Western Line which achieved 89.7 per cent punctuality in March, while trains across the network achieved 93.8 per cent peak punctuality, Sydney Trains’ Chief Executive Howard Collins said.

“The reason for the delays on these lines in March included trespassers in the rail corridor at Blacktown and Waitara and wet weather conditions at Hornsby,” Mr Collins said.

Once the upgrade at Penrith Station is complete, there will be new lifts and stairs to the platforms, an upgraded station concourse, improved bus, taxi, and kiss and ride areas, and upgrades to lighting and CCTV.

An NRMA survey has found commuter parking is under enormous pressure because so many workers in the west have no choice but to drive to the station. Pictured is Penrith Station of a morning. Photo: Chris Pavlich

The then NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian announced major changes to the station in July 2014, as part of a $150 million refurbishment package for six western Sydney train stations.

At the time the Western Line was named the worst in Sydney for late trains, as well as overcrowded services and platforms, and crime.

Planning is also underway to build a 300-space, multistorey car park on the same block of land where the existing commuter car park on Lord Sheffield Circuit is located.

More than 50 car spaces were recently reopened for Penrith customers, near the corner of Jane Street and Castlereagh Road, following work to resurface the existing gravelled area and install new lighting, fencing and drainage.

Project overview

Penrith Station changes include:

■ new paid concourse

■ upgraded bus interchange, relocated kiss and ride, taxi rank and new car parking spaces

■ three new lifts, stairs and canopies

■ family accessible toilet

■ new lighting, CCTV cameras, Passenger Information Display boards and Opal card readers.

Ongoing out of hours works

According to Transport for NSW, until the end of May the following work will be undertaken between 8pm and 5am:

■ services investigation and relocation on the station platforms, concourse and surrounding areas

■ removal of materials from the concourse roof

■ installation of hoarding, fencing and construction materials on station platforms

■ application of surface finish on existing concourse floor

■ excavation, installation of formwork, reinforcement and concreting work on the station platforms