Daily commuting times will double today, as a Sydney train line closes for upgrades – and won’t reopen for at least 12 months.
The conversion of the 130-year-old T3 Bankstown line to a metro will force thousands of commuters onto buses and lengthen their trips into the city’s CBD.
A fleet of pink buses, known as the South West Link, will replace trains across south-west Sydney and the inner west for the duration of the upgrades.
The difficulty involved in the conversion could see the upgrade take even longer than its scheduled year, too.
Wearing pink as she spoke on Sunday, NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen acknowledged the closure will be tough for affected commuters.
‘The line’s closure marks the end of an era, but the beginning of a new one,’ she said.
‘This T3 transformation will see the line continue to serve our city throughout the century to come.’
Ms Haylen added: ‘There’s no sugar-coating it – this closure will be an incredibly tough time for these communities, and we’ve been upfront that it could take longer than a year.’
‘Please allow plenty of extra travel time, check your trip planner apps, or transportnsw.info,’ she said.
The final T3 service will run out of Circular Quay at 12.06am and be replaced by free bus services.
The carriages are expected to be packed with hundreds of train enthusiasts to mark the final journey.
The SW1 all stops service will cover Sydenham, Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Canterbury, Campsie, Belmore, Lakemba, Wiley Park, Punchbowl and Bankstown.
The SW2 limited stops service will cover Sydenham, Belmore, Lakemba, Wiley Park, Punchbowl and Bankstown.
And the SW3 limited stops service will cover Sydenham, Canterbury and Campsie.
Travel will take longer, especially in peak hour – doubling journey times in some cases, according to modelling.
When it’s finished, the Metro service will be known as the M1 Northwest & Bankstown Line, connecting 30km between Bankstown and Tallawong.
Ms Haylen said ‘The Bankstown line has been a stalwart of NSW railways – faithfully serving communities for over a century.
‘Today we want to honour the past, as we look to our city’s bright public transport future.
‘We’ve seen this line move from steam trains, to electrification – now it’s time for its latest upgrade to allow for modern metro trains.
‘T3 deserves a fitting farewell and we know many Sydneysiders will be taking one last heavy rail ride today.’
Though the Transport Minister is upbeat about the changes, some commuters are very unhappy at how long it’s going to take, with one suggesting Sydney Trains employees spend too much time on social media.
‘How long is the Bankstown line closing for again? 2 years, is it? Stop meming and do your jobs,’ they wrote.
While the exact cost of the free replacement bus service has not been revealed, when unions previously threatened to delay the plans, Ms Haylen said that would cost an estimated $100million per month, or roughly $3.6million a day.