Premier Gladys Berejiklian promises to provide eight extra express train services
Rail commuters in Western Sydney could wipe an hour a week off their journey with the Coalition vowing to provide eight extra express services if it is returned to government.
Rail commuters in Western Sydney could slash an hour a week off their journey with the Coalition vowing to provide eight extra express services if it is returned to government.
The services, which were promised today less than three weeks out from the NSW election, will be added to the T1 Western Line from Penrith to Central Station via Parramatta each weekday.
Three will operate in the morning peak from 6-9am while five will run in the evening from 4-6pm.
Transport for NSW data showed train loads on the T1 Western Line from Penrith hit 155 per cent at 8am — 135 per cent is the benchmark beyond which passengers experience crowding.
Announcing the extra services in the marginal seat of Penrith this morning, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said commuters who catch the train from there will save 14 minutes across the morning and afternoon peaks.
The NSW Liberal Party will launch its campaign in the electorate on Sunday.
The Premier denied the announcement was the government’s attempt to play catch up at election time.
MORE NEWS:
Panthers star charged over sex tape scandal
Shock 24 hours in showbiz: Three celebrities dead
Daley threatens to sack Alan Jones
“We know how important it is to reduce travel times but also to reduce congestion — and yes we’re building new railway lines, we’re building new metro lines but we also appreciate that we need to improve the existing network,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“I know for many people in Greater Western Sydney what a bug bear it is to be stuck in traffic and we hope this will incentivise more people to use the train network.”
Transport Minister Andrew Constance said he believed the extra services would encourage more people to catch public transport.
“We’re a government that’s delivered an extra 1,500 services to the people of Western Sydney and a far more reliable and stronger railway than Labor ever did,” he said.
“Very pleasingly in terms of these eight additional express services, three in the morning peak, the remainder in the afternoon peak, what we are seeking to do is to continue to drive people on to public transport.”
Penrith MP Stuart Ayres said: “We’re seeing our community grow around us and public transport has to meet that growth and that’s exactly what these additional services will supply.”
Protesters from the Penrith Valley Community Union Group attempted to interrupt the press conference but were asked to step aside by police officers.
If elected premier, Opposition Leader Michael Daley will commit $8 billion to fast-track the Western Metro, which will slash travel times between Parramatta and Sydney’s CBD, and invest $3 billion in Sydney’s rail network.
The Coalition has also made the rail line a priority, vowing to accelerate construction to begin next year.
Metres from hell: Photos show how close fires came to homes
Chilling aerial photographs show how NSW fireys saved homes from almost certain destruction. Residential developments once hidden in hinterland now look like islands among an ocean of flattened and charred trees 335km north east of Sydney.
‘We have a religion problem’: Chris Bowen
Australians of faith believe the Labor Party has abandoned them, Chris Bowen warned yesterday as he withdrew from the ALP leadership contest just 29 hours after announcing that he was a candidate.