Tens of thousands of Aussies brace for the worst commute of their lives starting TOMORROW – and it’s going to last for an entire YEAR
Daily commute times will double from tomorrow when a very busy Sydney rail line closes for upgrades – and won’t reopen for another 12 months.
But converting the 130-year-old T3 Bankstown line to a subway will involve difficult upgrades, meaning it could be closed for even longer than the planned one year.
A fleet of pink buses, known as the South West Link, will replace trains across Sydney’s south-west and the inner west during the upgrades.
Speaking on Sunday, NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen wore pink as she acknowledged the closure will be difficult for affected commuters.
“The closure of the line marks the end of an era, but the beginning of a new one,” she said.
‘Thanks to this T3 transformation, the line will continue to serve our city for the coming century.’
Ms Haylen added: ‘There’s no sugar-coating it – this closure will be an incredibly difficult time for these communities, and we said in advance that it could last more than a year.’
“Please allow plenty of extra travel time, check your travel planner apps or transportnsw.info,” she said.
Daily commute times will double from tomorrow when a very busy Sydney rail line closes for upgrades – and won’t reopen for another 12 months (stock image)
The last T3 service will depart from Circular Quay at 12.06pm and will be replaced by free bus services.
The carriages are expected to be packed with hundreds of train enthusiasts on the occasion of the last journey.
The SW1 all-stops service covers Sydenham, Marrickville, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Canterbury, Campsie, Belmore, Lakemba, Wiley Park, Punchbowl and Bankstown.
The SW2 service with limited stops covers Sydenham, Belmore, Lakemba, Wiley Park, Punchbowl and Bankstown.
And the SW3 service with limited stops covers Sydenham, Canterbury and Campsie.
Travel will take longer, especially during peak hours, causing travel times to double in some cases, according to models.
When completed, the Metro service will be known as the M1 Northwest & Bankstown Line, connecting 30km between Bankstown and Tallawong.
Ms Haylen said: “The Bankstown line is a stalwart of NSW Railways, faithfully serving communities for more than a century.
“Today we want to honor the past while looking to the bright future of public transportation in our city.
‘We have seen this line evolve from steam trains to electrification. Now it’s time for the latest upgrade to enable modern metro trains.
But converting the 130-year-old T3 Bankstown line to a subway will involve difficult upgrades, meaning it could be closed for even longer than the planned one year (stock image)
The conversion of the T3 Bankstown line (colored orange) to a subway means that all stops between Bankstown and Sydenham will be closed for a minimum of 12 months
“T3 deserves a fitting farewell and we know many Sydneysiders will take one last ride on the heavy train today.”
While the Transport Minister is optimistic about the changes, some commuters are very unhappy about how long it will take. One of them suggests that Sydney Trains employees spend too much time on social media.
‘How long will the Bankstown line close again? 2 years, right? Stop memeing and do your job,” they wrote.
Although the exact cost of the free replacement bus service has not been revealed, when unions previously threatened to postpone the plans, Ms Haylen said it would cost an estimated $100 million a month, or about $3.6 million a day.