Sydney Metro

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Sydney Morning Herald --> Sydney metro line expected to open week after federal election

Sydney's first fully-automated metro train line is expected to be opened to passengers on May 26. a week after the federal election.

Starting passenger services almost five years after construction started, the $7 billion Metro Northwest line from Rouse Hill to Chatswood will be the city's first privately operated suburban line, along which single-deck trains will run every four minutes.

May 26 is understood to be the most likely date for the start of regular passenger services – to be operated by Hong Kong's MTR – partly because of time needed to inform commuters ahead of the resulting changes to rail and bus services in the city's north west.

The 36-kilometre line is the first stage of the Berejiklian government's plans for multiple metro train lines in Sydney. The second stage under construction comprises a line from Chatswood, under Sydney Harbour to the CBD and onto Sydenham and Bankstown, which is scheduled to be opened by 2024.

The private operator of Metro Northwest still needs final approval from the National Rail Safety Regulator before the first regular passenger services can start.

The state's transport agency said the operator had received necessary accreditation from the regulator for "all of its activities to date, and the accreditation process is ongoing".

The agency declined to give a date for the start of services, other than to say it would be in May.

"Customers will be given plenty of notice before services start," it said.

"The new generation of driverless trains have completed more than 180,000 kilometres of testing and final commissioning is underway."

Fares will be the same as those on Sydney's existing rail line. The journey time for commuters travelling from Tallawong Station at Rouse Hill to Chatswood is estimated at 37 minutes.

Last Sunday a new rail timetable was introduced for Sydney Trains services as part of the integration of the new metro line into the city's broader rail network.

Sydney Trains is now running a service every three minutes on the North Shore line for a 90-minute period during the morning peak – just over half an hour longer than at present – to help clear commuters who will switch from metro trains at Chatswood when the new line opens.

The new metro line comprises twin 15-kilometre tunnels, a 4.5-kilometre viaduct and a 270-metre cable bridge over busy Windsor Road at Rouse Hill. An existing rail line between Epping and Chatswood has also been converted to carry the single-deck metro trains as part of the project.

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Transport NSW --> Sydney Metro to open 26 May

Sunday 05 May 2019

Sydney Metro will open on Sunday 26 May, delivering a turn up and go rail service from Tallawong Station at Rouse Hill to Chatswood.

Sydney Metro is Australia's first fully accessible railway and will deliver fast, safe and reliable travel.

The metro stops at 13 stations along the Metro North West Line.

Along the Sydney Metro North West Line there will be over 4,000 car parking spaces, 138 Kiss and Ride spaces, 588 bike storage spaces and 80 taxi stands.

Over the first six months a late night turn up and go North West Night Bus service will run on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights from about 9.30pm as Sydney Metro grows to full operations.

Two new On Demand bus services will start in The Ponds and Norwest connecting you to metro services. On Demand buses can pick you up from an agreed point close to your home and drop you off at a nearby metro station.

To support the introduction of Sydney Metro, improvements and service adjustments have been made to the bus network in Sydney's North West so that customers can easily access the new metro stations. More than 1,500 additional weekly services have been added to the timetable and changes to some existing routes will be introduced to include stops at local metro stations and support growing residential areas.

Station Link bus services were introduced to keep customers moving so that the Epping to Chatswood train line could be upgraded to metro standards. When the new Sydney Metro North West Line opens on Sunday 26 May, Station Link services will end. Macquarie University, Macquarie Park and North Ryde stations will reopen as part of the new Metro North West Line on Sunday 26 May.

Plan your new trip to see how these changes might affect you.

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Sydney Morning Herald --> Crowd control risks for commuters when Sydney's new metro trains start

A delay of two to four minutes to Sydney Trains services risks causing platform crowding at Chatswood station during the morning peak as thousands of commuters switch from new driverless metro trains to get to the city, internal government documents reveal.

Internal modelling forecasts almost 4500 passengers to transfer from single-deck metro trains at Chatswood to Sydney Trains services on the North Shore Line between 8am and 9am – the busiest hour of the morning peak. The $7.3 billion metro line from Rouse Hill in Sydney's north to Chatswood will open to passengers on May 26.

The total number of passengers switching trains or exiting Chatswood station between 8 and 9am is set to more than double to 16,544 passengers – from 6913 – after the line opens.

The documents obtained by the Herald under freedom of information laws lay bare the challenges integrating the privately operated Metro Northwest train line into the existing network. Chatswood will be the station most under pressure, followed by Epping.

"The biggest challenge [at Chatswood] will be managing two train loads of Sydney Metro customers arriving on platform two to board one Sydney Trains service on platform one ... where the service on platform one is delayed by as little as 2-4 minutes," they warn.

Underscoring the test for rail staff in managing crowds, they say a metro train will arrive at Chatswood every four minutes during the morning peak, carrying between 350 and 450 passengers "seeking to meet the (mostly loaded) services" to the CBD.

Even if trains are running on time, the documents warn that eight Sydney Trains services – mostly from the Central Coast or Hornsby in Sydney's north – have a "high risk" of being packed or dwelling at platforms at Chatswood for longer than they should.

Packed or delayed double-deck trains risk causing further overcrowding on platforms at Chatswood.

Modelling marked "commercial in confidence" predicts about 1400 commuters could be left standing on platforms one and two if a single Sydney Trains service is late during peak hour – double the number of those expected to be on the platforms if trains are running on time.

If two trains are late, about 2000 passengers are predicted to be waiting.

Platform one has a maximum capacity of 1000 people.

Station staff are told that to meet a target of 60-second dwell times for trains, they need to spread customers evenly along the platform, stop people from congregating at the top of stairs and escalators and "prevent customers from running to the closing doors of trains".

Extra staff have been hired to manage crowds as part of a "fast-track team", which includes so-called door controllers.

"During the AM peak, eight metro ... services will arrive on platform two within 15 seconds of the scheduled departure times of Sydney Trains services on platform one," the documents state.

"The fast-track team will need to take particular note of the Sydney Trains services to ensure that they close their doors on time to prevent them from over dwelling."

In the event of delays and "over crowding", controllers may direct trains to skip stations immediately before Chatswood "to allow for more capacity"; put on an extra train from nearby Lindfield to clear crowds; or request metro trains be "held at a prior station".

Mathew Hounsell, a researcher at the University of Technology's Institute for Sustainable Futures, said the internal analysis indicated the rail system was finely balanced.

"Two [trains running late during peak hour] will put significant load on the platforms and cause significant crowding in key locations," he said.

But the state's transport agency said preparation for the opening of the metro line and its integration with the rest of the network had been years in the planning and, while there might be some initial challenges, it was confident of meeting customer needs.

"In addition to more services running on the North Shore Line, we've put in place a range of strategies to ensure customers can continue to make convenient connections on an expanded system," Transport for NSW said. "Comprehensive measures have been put in place to manage crowds and we will continue to monitor and streamline processes."

Sydney Trains is running services every three minutes on the North Shore Line during the morning peak hour – or 20 per hour – in preparation for the thousands of commuters who will switch from metro trains at Chatswood each day.

However, it is still fewer than the 24 trains an hour that Premier Gladys Berejiklian said – when she was transport minister – would be operating between the north shore and the CBD by the time metro trains started.

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Sydney Morning Herald --> Crowd control risks for commuters when Sydney's new metro trains start

A delay of two to four minutes to Sydney Trains services risks causing platform crowding at Chatswood station during the morning peak as thousands of commuters switch from new driverless metro trains to get to the city, internal government documents reveal.

Internal modelling forecasts almost 4500 passengers to transfer from single-deck metro trains at Chatswood to Sydney Trains services on the North Shore Line between 8am and 9am – the busiest hour of the morning peak. The $7.3 billion metro line from Rouse Hill in Sydney's north to Chatswood will open to passengers on May 26.

The total number of passengers switching trains or exiting Chatswood station between 8 and 9am is set to more than double to 16,544 passengers – from 6913 – after the line opens.

The documents obtained by the Herald under freedom of information laws lay bare the challenges integrating the privately operated Metro Northwest train line into the existing network. Chatswood will be the station most under pressure, followed by Epping.

"The biggest challenge [at Chatswood] will be managing two train loads of Sydney Metro customers arriving on platform two to board one Sydney Trains service on platform one ... where the service on platform one is delayed by as little as 2-4 minutes," they warn.

Underscoring the test for rail staff in managing crowds, they say a metro train will arrive at Chatswood every four minutes during the morning peak, carrying between 350 and 450 passengers "seeking to meet the (mostly loaded) services" to the CBD.

Even if trains are running on time, the documents warn that eight Sydney Trains services – mostly from the Central Coast or Hornsby in Sydney's north – have a "high risk" of being packed or dwelling at platforms at Chatswood for longer than they should.

Packed or delayed double-deck trains risk causing further overcrowding on platforms at Chatswood.

Modelling marked "commercial in confidence" predicts about 1400 commuters could be left standing on platforms one and two if a single Sydney Trains service is late during peak hour – double the number of those expected to be on the platforms if trains are running on time.

If two trains are late, about 2000 passengers are predicted to be waiting.

Platform one has a maximum capacity of 1000 people.

Station staff are told that to meet a target of 60-second dwell times for trains, they need to spread customers evenly along the platform, stop people from congregating at the top of stairs and escalators and "prevent customers from running to the closing doors of trains".

Extra staff have been hired to manage crowds as part of a "fast-track team", which includes so-called door controllers.

"During the AM peak, eight metro ... services will arrive on platform two within 15 seconds of the scheduled departure times of Sydney Trains services on platform one," the documents state.

"The fast-track team will need to take particular note of the Sydney Trains services to ensure that they close their doors on time to prevent them from over dwelling."

In the event of delays and "over crowding", controllers may direct trains to skip stations immediately before Chatswood "to allow for more capacity"; put on an extra train from nearby Lindfield to clear crowds; or request metro trains be "held at a prior station".

Mathew Hounsell, a researcher at the University of Technology's Institute for Sustainable Futures, said the internal analysis indicated the rail system was finely balanced.

"Two [trains running late during peak hour] will put significant load on the platforms and cause significant crowding in key locations," he said.

But the state's transport agency said preparation for the opening of the metro line and its integration with the rest of the network had been years in the planning and, while there might be some initial challenges, it was confident of meeting customer needs.

"In addition to more services running on the North Shore Line, we've put in place a range of strategies to ensure customers can continue to make convenient connections on an expanded system," Transport for NSW said. "Comprehensive measures have been put in place to manage crowds and we will continue to monitor and streamline processes."

Sydney Trains is running services every three minutes on the North Shore Line during the morning peak hour – or 20 per hour – in preparation for the thousands of commuters who will switch from metro trains at Chatswood each day.

However, it is still fewer than the 24 trains an hour that Premier Gladys Berejiklian said – when she was transport minister – would be operating between the north shore and the CBD by the time metro trains started.

https://youtu.be/TwYu18IL9OE

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Your guide to Sydney Metro stations Sydney Metro opens on Sunday 26 May. Here is a guide to using the new metro and information on your local station. Tallawong Rouse Hill Kellyville Bella Vista Norwest Hills Showground Castle Hill Cherrybrook Epping Macquarie University Macquarie Park North Ryde Chatswood For all trip planning information go here: transportnsw.info/metro Get in touch Sydney Metro Northwest | 1800 019 989 | info@metronorthwest.com.au | Privacy | Website © Sydney Metro 2019

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Daily Telegraph --> Opinion: Sydney Metro Northwest shows light at the end of the tunnel

In readying Sydneysiders for one of the biggest, and most ambitious, infrastructure agendas we've seen, the NSW Government has often spoken about being prepared for some "short-term pain".

Its attempts to combat our city's growth demands through investment in roads, rail, airports, hospitals and schools, while at the same time balancing community, business and environmental needs hasn't always been positively received, particularly by those who've had their lives directly impacted by some of these major, city-shaping projects.

Those in the West however, which has been a significant beneficiary of the Government's infrastructure roll-out, understand more than most, that the end can sometimes justify the means, especially if it delivers on the promise of improving liveability, accessibility and productivity.

While getting people to buy-into this big-city vision has proved a challenge, today's launch of the Sydney Metro Northwest, a project that has been under construction for more than five years (it was first announced as a transport priority by then-Premier Barry O'Farrell in 2011), is a clear, tangible sign that the Government's 'build-now' approach is on the right track.

This $7.3b project which has catalysed the development and growth of precincts along the corridor, in areas within Blacktown and the Hills, is the first stage of the Sydney Metro project, and with further lines promised, linking residents in Western Sydney with better access to jobs, services and education, you can understand why the region is optimistic.

Today's unveiling comes just one month since the Government launched another of its new developments, Parramatta's Bankwest Stadium, which, with only a handful of fixtures under its belt, has already been hailed as one of the nation's premium sporting venues.

The scepticism and concern that once surrounded this impressive piece of sporting infrastructure, has been drowned out by an ongoing chorus of acclaim, with everyone from players, commentators, and punters, singing its praise and applauding its arrival. And when you factor the effect it's had on the local economy, most notably Eat Street, on game days, there's little doubt that this stadium, while still in its infancy, has already kicked a number of goals.

What's pleasing for Western Sydney is that there's still a lot more to come.

The M4 East is expected to be open to traffic in a few months' time, with the NorthConnex tunnel, which hopes to take 5000 trucks off Pennant Hills Road each day, set to open next year.

Work has already started on the Parramatta Light Rail, with Stage 2, linking to Sydney Olympic Park, hopefully commencing in the next couple of years.

While the highly-anticipated Metro West (which will likely also require Federal Government funding support) linking Westmead to the CBD, and the North-South Rail, connecting St Marys to the Western Sydney Airport, are both due to be complete within the next 10 years.

Yes, this means we can expect more construction, more noise, and more disruption.

The hope, however, is that in addition to all of this drilling and digging, these projects also deliver a deep engagement, from the outset, with the communities they're set to impact.

Reassuringly, if today's launch of the Sydney Metro Northwest has shown us anything, it is that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

* Adam Leto is executive director of the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue

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First fault in ' revenue ' service .. bloody door issue!  Sound familiar ...   

https://twitter.com/SydneyMetro/status/1132492566828445697

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Sydney Morning Herald --> Thousands pour through gates to ride Sydney's first driverless trains


Hundreds of people line up at Chatswood to ride on the first driverless trains. CREDIT:EDWINA PICKLES

Sydneysiders have turned out in the tens of thousands to ride the city's first metro train line, leading to huge crowds at stations and longer than expected trips for some on a historic day.

In the first six hours after gates opened, 90,000 people rode on the new 36-kilometre Metro Northwest line from Chatswood to Rouse Hill in the north west on Sunday. On the opening day, the driverless trains were running to a weekend timetable of a service every 10 minutes.

While the new line was under pressure from a sea of people, the significance of the day was not lost on many – young and old. The moment was perhaps best summed up by 10-year-old Ryan Gates, who queued with his mum Sonya for several hours to ride on the driverless trains.

"It's super cool," said the young train spotter from Como in Sydney's south.

More than an hour earlier, Premier Gladys Berejiklian officially opened the line at Tallawong Station at Rouse Hill in Sydney's north west, describing it as a "taste of things to come".

"I am incredibly proud that we denied all of the cynics the opportunity to say it would never happen," Ms Berejiklian said. "I don't blame people for being cynical in those early days because this project had been promised for decades."

While signalling a change to the way Sydneysiders travel on public transport, the journeys proved to be unexpectedly long for some in the early afternoon. A train stopped at Macquarie Park for up to 20 minutes after a door failed to align correctly. The train was taken out of service but not before it caused flow on delays to other trains for a period.

The single-deck metro trains will run every five minutes on weekdays for the first six weeks, and then every four minutes thereafter. But Ms Berejiklian said it could eventually be increased to a service every two minutes if the demand required.

"The potential for this service to grow into the future is what I love about it. We are really building this for the next century," she said.

Transport secretary Rodd Staples said the metro line would be an "absolute game changer" for the city. "You have to go back to the 1920s and 1930s to find as big a change; as big an injection into public transport in this city," he said.

The Northwest line is the first stage of the Berejiklian government's plans for multiple metro train lines in Sydney. The second stage under construction comprises a line from Chatswood, under Sydney Harbour to the CBD and onto Sydenham and Bankstown, which is scheduled to be opened by 2024.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the metro lines would help alleviate pressure on the existing rail system, which has been straining under record growth in patronage.

"Life is about to change for so many," he said.

Among those riding the first trains was Tod Sarina, from Windsor Downs. "It is desperately needed. The [road] congestion out this way is ridiculous and this should ease it a bit," he said.

While travel on Sunday was free, fares from Monday are the same as those for the existing rail network, which are based on the distance travelled. The journey time for commuters travelling the 36km from one end to the other is about 37 minutes.

The first major test of the new rail line, and its integration into Sydney's broader train network, will occur during the morning peak on Monday.

Sydney Trains chief executive Howard Collins said the rail operator was ready for the integration of the metro services, especially at Chatswood station where the pressure would be greatest.

"We will have some early challenges but this is really exciting," he said. "This is the future of technology and how we will move people around Sydney."

Operated by Hong Kong's MTR, the metro line comprises twin 15-kilometre tunnels, a 4.5km viaduct and a 270-metre cable bridge over busy Windsor Road at Rouse Hill.

Outside peak periods, the metro trains will run at 10-minute intervals.

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Sydney Morning Herald --> More commuters than expected ride Sydney's new metro line in first test of peak-hour services

The integration of a $7.3 billion new metro line into Sydney's broader rail network passed its first test on Monday despite a greater number of commuters than expected riding on the driverless trains.

A day after about 140,000 people hopped on board for the first time, attention turned to how the system would handle high commuter volumes during the morning peak, especially at pinch points such as Chatswood and Epping stations.

About 21,000 people travelled on the Metro Northwest line between 4.45am and 10am on Monday, which was higher than government expectations of up to 17,000 passengers.

Half of the commuters using the 36-kilometre line from Rouse Hill to Chatswood on Monday morning travelled to destinations along the north-west corridor, instead of switching to other services to get into central Sydney.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the 21,000 people who had travelled on the metro trains on Monday morning had exceeded her expectations.

"People have confidence in the system and are using it," she said.

Figures show Chatswood had the highest number of people (9425) using their Opal cards to tap off, followed by Macquarie University (5875) and Epping (2368). Platform crowding was greatest at Epping, partly because an escalator funnels passengers to the centre of a platform.

Some commuters have been startled by metro trains slightly overshooting station platforms, and then reversing to line up carriage doors with the and glass-screen doors on the platform.

But Transport Minister Andrew Constance said the trains were "doing exactly" what they should. "The train is designed to make sure the doors align," he said. "It's a matter of seconds [to line up the doors]. That is the same with every system around the world."

With an initial frequency of a train every five minutes during peak periods, the metro line can carry about 17,000 passengers an hour. The frequency during the morning and evening peaks will rise to four-minute intervals in about six weeks.

While each driverless metro train will initially have at least one staff member on board, Rail, Tram and Bus Union state secretary Alex Claassens said he was concerned that the workers would be removed in the "very near future".

"We've long held real concerns about the Sydney Metro system," he said.

But Transport for NSW secretary Rodd Staples said the automated trains were built to operate successfully without a customer service attendant on board each train.

"While we bed the system down, we will have a customer attendant on board until we are comfortable," he said.

Asked when that was likely to be, he said: "We will wait and see."

Mr Staples said one of the lessons from the opening of the line on Sunday was that it took too long to remove a train from service after it suffered a door fault at Macquarie Park.

"But once [the line] started moving, the power of the system became obvious because we added more trains quickly. When we had that fault with the doors at Macquarie Park, we had 12 trains on the system. We inserted another three to four trains to clear the waiting customers," he said.

Epping resident Julia Hood gave the thumbs up to the new metro services on her first ride on Monday morning, saying the driverless train she rode on to get to Chatswood was smooth, quick and easy. "Once it goes all the way to the city it will be better," she said.

Other commuters were equally impressed. Paul Nijjar caught a metro train for the first time from Bella Vista on Monday morning. "It was awesome. It's up there with Japan now," he said.

Mr Nijjar said it used to take about an hour and 20 minutes to get to work at Rhodes, but the new line meant it should be less than an hour. "It's a huge difference," he said.

Sydney Trains chief executive Howard Collins said Chatswood and Epping stations were busy during the morning peak but passengers switched between metro and Sydney Trains services relatively smoothly.

"We are really pleased with the service and the loadings on the trains," he said.

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Daily Telegraph --> Andrew Constance: The Metro will change Sydney's community forever and there's more to come

There is no doubt Metro Mania is here and it is going to come to the rest of Sydney soon with the further stages being built and planned.

Metro's arrival in the North West has changed the game for our community forever and there is more to come.

Metro is now being built under the harbour to the City and South West along with the Metro West project, between the City and Parramatta. The NSW Government is also building the new Metro at Western Sydney Airport.

Sunday's fare free day went ballistic. Around 140,000 people came out to enjoy the Metro. We started the day with the plan of having around eight trains on the network and very quickly moved to 16 trains to combat the demand.

In essence we ran the equivalent of back-to-back peak hour services all day to cater for the huge crowds and I want to thank everyone for their patience during a historic day in the life of our State.

The first test came during Monday morning's peak period and very pleasingly Metro exceeded all expectations with 21,000 passengers experiencing a new commute to school and work. What is particularly interesting is many of those commuters travelled within the North West corridor and didn't travel all the way to the City.

University students and workers heading to the Macquarie Park precinct were able to enjoy Metro for the first time. It has already made a huge difference.

Commuters have enjoyed very significant time savings, some of more than half an hour, because Metro is now up and running.

The key element in all of this is Monday morning a train ran every six to seven minutes. We've always indicated this would be the case for the first few weeks and we will then move to a train every four minutes.

So guess what? It's only going to get better in terms of frequency of the trains which is great news for everybody. We saw a really pleasing first morning peak, and we're really excited with the best still to come.

We are catering for growth with this new system, it has the capacity for a train every two minutes. I think we will see people getting out of their cars and onto the Metro network in coming weeks as more people experiment on how to get around.

People will continue to change their plans and find a way that works for them. We will be keeping a very close eye on the data and we are of course encouraging people to use public transport and plan their trips.

The reality is a lot of people have the option of a train, for the very first time.

It was the Premier who must be recognised for the vision on this project — setting to work eight years ago and seeing it through to completion.

Sydney had been left to linger for so long under previous governments when it came to public transport and we are now heading in the right direction. We are starting to get ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to the building of a world class, innovative and technology focused transport network.

For too long we have spoken of Tomorrow's Sydney, but we now have Sydney Today. It is going to be so much better for everyone as we open all of this brand new roads and rail infrastructure.

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Sydney Morning Herald --> Technical glitch delays commuters on Sydney's new metro

Several incidents bedevilled Sydney's new North West Metro on Wednesday including a breakdown, a failure of live transport data and incorrect announcements that train doors were closing on a moving train.

The most severe hiccup on the metro's fourth day of operations occurred when a driverless train stopped moving between Epping and Cherrybrook after it lost communication with the network's control system at about 12.50pm.

A customer journey coordinator on board took control of the train and drove it to Cherrybrook.

When the train arrived at Cherrybrook, the doors initially failed to open, Nine News reported, but customers were eventually able to disembark and the faulty train was taken back to the depot at 1.14pm for testing.

A replacement train was dispatched about 20 minutes later, but a Transport for NSW spokesman said there were some delays as a result of the incident.

Frustrated commuters posted images of packed platforms and crowded trains as a result of the day's issues.

Passengers on another train travelling between Epping and Macquarie University heard a repeated announcement instructing them to "please stand back from the closing doors" while the train was in motion.

Commuters attempting to cope with the disordered metro system were given little information as live transport information went down in the afternoon.

Both station train arrival screens and transport apps showed no real time data for late-running trains.

When the data was available, commuters reported on social media that trains were running at intervals of up to about 30 minutes.

A Transport for NSW spokesman said at about 5pm the network was expected to have recovered in time for the afternoon peak.

The incidents were a far cry from the smooth operations the new metro enjoyed on its first few days, when it handled a greater than expected number of passengers without obvious strain.

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Delays cause frustration for commuters https://t.co/gp3SG7KP9t via @newscomauHQ #nswpol
" ... "You'd expect in the first few weeks and even months that it won't be perfect. ... "

— RAIL_BoT_Forum (@railbotforum) May 29, 2019

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Metro services are now running at their normal frequency, and congestion on platforms has eased. We apologise for any inconvenience, and thank you for your patience while we work through initial teething problems pic.twitter.com/zcc0o6czPO

— Sydney Metro (@SydneyMetro) May 29, 2019

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Turns out the new Sydney Metro has a fleet of battery-electric locomotives built by CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Institute. https://t.co/k9jcmPzCLO pic.twitter.com/MruaF2j6gu

— Marcus Wong (@aussiewongm) June 2, 2019

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Rail Express --> NSW commits $6.4bn to Sydney Metro West

Construction on Sydney Metro West is to start in 2020 after the NSW Government committed $6.4 billion to build the third stage of its Metro rail program, connecting the CBD with Parramatta via a new underground route.

Sydney Metro West received the funding commitment over the four-year forward estimates of the state budget, revealed on Tuesday.

The project represents the third stage of automated metro rail to be built in Sydney, following Sydney Metro Northwest, which opened last month, and Sydney Metro City and Southwest, currently under construction.

"We always said we would build Metro West as fast as possible. This commitment in the state budget shows that when we commit to doing something, we mean business," transport minister Andrew Constance said.

"We have worked our guts out to get the budget in a strong position and now we are able to deliver crucial rail projects like Metro West quicker than anyone thought was possible."

The construction timeframe for Sydney Metro West was a major talking point prior to the state election in March, with each side was eager to promise the project sooner than their opposition.

But Constance said on June 18 the Liberals & Nationals Government was the only one capable of following through on that promise.

"Only this Government can be trusted to make [Sydney Metro West] a reality," he said.

"Labor has promised a Metro to Western Sydney three times since the mid-90s and cancelled it every time. In 2010 they were so incompetent they handed $81 million back to the Federal Government after cancelling it once again. We already have the runs on the board: we've opened Northwest Metro with phenomenal results and construction is well underway on Sydney Metro City & Southwest."

The Sydney Metro West funding, which was listed at $3 billion in last year's state budget, was part of an overall $93 billion in overall infrastructure funding included in the forward estimates.

For rail, that includes $812 million towards the New Intercity Fleet, and $38 million to progress the Regional Rail Fleet, including money to build the rail maintenance facility in Dubbo, and $3.2 billion over four years to continue the More Trains, More Services program. There's also over $300 million for access improvements at 68 more train station, bringing total spend on the Transport Access Program to $2 billion.

$561 million is in the budget for Parramatta Light Rail, which Constance said was expected to open in 2023.

A surplus of $802 million is projected for 2018/19, with surpluses averaging $1.7 billion over the four years to 2022/23.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the budget delivered on the Government's promise deliver strong financial outcomes across the state.

"Only through a strong budget are we able to provide cost of living relief to households, invest unprecedented amounts in infrastructure and services, and support the most vulnerable in our community," the premier said.

[Cazza]

Why can't we just get sh!t done in QLD?

Government incompetence is killing us!

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

Howard Collins from Sydney Trains:
https://www.trapezegroup.com/podcast/howard-collins

" Australia has hit the golden age of rail. I think for the first time in probably 50 years,
Australians realize public transport is the only way to get cities to work.
Expanding cities like Melbourne and Sydney, which are going to grow from
five million to eight million in the next 20 years, you can't drive, you can't have that culture of car anymore.
You've got to look at London and New York, and you'll see that public transport. ... "



A recent visit to the NW Metro ...


1st July 2019 from Kellyville to Tallawong

====











































Photographs R Dow 29th June and 1st July 2019

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1149907072927977472

[ozbob]

Facebook ...

[techblitz]

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/thats-what-all-politicians-should-do-former-pm-malcolm-turnbull-is-praised-for-catching-the-train-rather-than-using-a-chauffeur-driven-car/ar-AAEipcc?ocid=spartanntp

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has been spotted catching the train in Sydney.

A picture of Mr Turnbull sitting on a Sydney train on Saturday has attracted over 400 comments online, with many praising the man worth an estimated $200million for roughing it with the masses.

Former prime ministers have a considerable list of benefits available to them including a Commonwealth car and an accompanying driver in their home state.

'That's what all politicians should do, not cash in their perks as kings,' one person said.

'Say what you like about him as PM, but I like that a man who's worth $200million and has all the perks of an ex-PM including a chauffeured Com car still catches the metro,' said another.

'One of the things I like about the Turnbulls is that they want to get around using public transport or by foot,' a commenter added.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1151680433043546112

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Rail line closures to force 100,000 commuters a day to catch buses

Sections of two rail lines in Sydney's south west will be shut over the Christmas holidays to allow for construction of a metro rail line, forcing up to 100,000 commuters a day to catch replacement buses.

Transport authorities plan to put on more than 200 buses a day to ferry about 100,000 people during the first four days of the closure of the Bankstown line between Campsie and Sydenham, and the Illawarra line from Hurstville to Central Station, from December 24 to 28.

Up to 90 buses a day will then operate for the rest of the closure of the Bankstown line until January 5, transporting as many as 28,000 passengers each day.

The project for the second stage of the multibillion-dollar metro rail line involves converting a 13.5-kilometre stretch of the Bankstown line.

While yet to be finalised, the closure of the Bankstown line is expected to be repeated each Christmas for the next five years. Other work to convert the line is likely to take place during weekends when Sydney Trains carry out maintenance.

Transport for NSW coordinator general Marg Prendergast said replacement buses would be running multiple routes to lessen the disruption. "We are really going to break up routes because we don't want to overload sites like Campsie station," she said.

Ms Prendergast said patronage declined over the Christmas holidays by about 35 per cent, which was why authorities wanted to take advantage of the period to begin works.

"It's important that we balance the need to convert the T3 Bankstown Line as quickly as possible, with getting people where they need to go," she said. "We are trying to minimise the impact. We do envisage that the heavy rail infrastructure works will be done in Christmas periods."

Last year the state government ditched plans for closures of the line for six weeks a year for five years, following community concern about the disruption.

Ms Prendergast said the length of a shutdown of the Bankstown line towards the end of the construction phase in late 2023, which was originally planned for up to six months, was yet to be finalised.

The conversion of the Bankstown rail corridor is part of the second stage of the $20 billion metro train line from Sydney's north west to Chatswood, the CBD, and on to Bankstown. Upgrades to 11 stations between Sydenham and Bankstown will each take about two years.