Closure of busy Sydney rail line might be worse than first thought

The NSW government is warning that a shutdown of a busy Sydney rail line, which will more than double journey times for thousands of commuters each day when it starts on September 30, could last longer than earlier estimates of 12 months.

In a bid to temper frustrations, commuters will get free trips on replacement buses along the corridor between Sydenham and Bankstown during one of the biggest rail disruptions in Sydney in years.

The government has previously said the shutdown will last 12 months but is now warning that, due to the project’s complexity, it could take longer to complete major works to convert the line to metro train standards.

Commuters face significantly longer trips on replacement buses during the Bankstown line’s shutdown.Credit: Kate Geraghty

The 13-kilometre stretch of the T3 line will become the final part of the M1 metro line between Tallawong in the city’s north-west and Bankstown.

Dubbed “Southwest Link”, about 100 pink buses will start replacement services for up to 60,000 commuters on three main routes on September 30, which coincides with the start of school holidays. There will be a mix of all-stops and express buses, and they will run every two to four minutes in peak periods.

However, early works mean that part of the T3 rail line between Campsie and Bankstown will be closed on September 21.

The shutdown of the rail line will more than double daily journey times for thousands of commuters to almost an hour for a one-way trip along the corridor when buses replace trains.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the fair thing to do was not to charge for trips on the dedicated Southwest Link bus services because it would be a “really tough time” for passengers in the Canterbury-Bankstown and inner west areas.

“We absolutely acknowledge this is going to be a disruptive time,” she said. “But there is light at the end of the tunnel. When this section of the metro is complete, they will get a train every four minutes.”

Under the transport plans, a T6 shuttle train service will operate between Lidcombe and Bankstown stations during the shutdown. Regents Park will be the main interchange point for passengers travelling to Bankstown, Liverpool and the Sydney CBD.

The 12-month closure of the Bankstown line will start in late September, forcing commuters to take replacement buses.Credit: Kate Geraghty

For commuters west of Bankstown, trains now running between Liverpool and the City Circle via Bankstown will instead operate to the CBD via Regents Park and Lidcombe.

Transport officials have also opted for an all-stops service on the T8 Airport and South Line between the CBD and Sydenham via Erskineville and St Peters in off-peak periods.

Taxpayers will fork out well over $73 million to put on replacement buses during the Bankstown line’s closure. Despite a shortage of drivers across Sydney, the government said all positions to support 100 replacement buses during the rail shutdown had been recruited.

Coalition transport spokeswoman Natalie Ward said free fares was a sensible decision by the government but a delayed completion date for the conversion of the Bankstown line to metro train standards was another example of spin before substance for Labor.

“Sydney Metro was delayed, Parramatta light rail was delayed, [An extra train station on the Metro West line at] Rosehill was a thought bubble and now the metro conversion is delayed,” she said.

The looming shutdown follows the opening early last week of the $21.6 billion city section of the M1 line between Sydenham and Chatswood.

Services on the new line’s city section will end at 10.30pm from Monday to Thursday for the next four weeks, which Sydney Metro said was for “essential engineering and maintenance works during the early phases of operation”.

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