The first major timetable adjustment that Sydney’s train network has seen since 2017 will add more than 800 new services a week to the train network and will kick in on 20 October 2024.
These adjustments to the timetable are being made so that train services are more reliable and so that passengers have shorter wait times, faster journeys and so the network can quickly recover when disruption occurs.
The Sydney Trains Review found that since 2017 timetable was introduced, the resilience of the train network significantly deteriorated. These adjustments are designed to make the system more resilient and to implement the lessons learned since the introduction of the 2017 timetable.
Commuter travel patterns have changed significantly following the COVID pandemic and the opening of the Sydney Metro, and while in some instances, services to particular train stations will shift from peak times to inter-peak times, this is to accommodate for changing travel patterns at these stations.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen said these adjustments to the timetable are focused on making the trains more reliable and resilient so passengers have shorter wait times, faster journeys and so our train network will be able to recover sooner when there’s a critical incident.
“We know that when there’s an incident on one part of the train network it can often affect other train services too. Making our timetable simpler means there’s less chance of that happening,” she said.
“Since 2017, the way that people travel on our transport network has changed a lot. The work commute has changed and there’s greater demand for trains outside the traditional peak hour. That’s why we are making sure there are more trains running at the times when passengers need them most, particularly in the mornings between nine and ten AM.”
Sydney is a global city and requires a reliable fit for purpose timetable.
The upcoming timetable adjustments will also support the new T6 Lidcombe & Bankstown Line to make sure there are train services from Bankstown to Lidcombe and so passengers get the best and most efficient service to take them where they need to go.
Sydney Trains A/Chief Executive Hayden Donoghue said a simpler timetable makes the network more reliable allowing it to recover from incidents faster.
“We’ll be monitoring the new timetable closely and identifying where we can make further improvements,” he said.
“As with any change, we know it takes time to adjust to new ways of travelling, so we’re asking passengers to please jump online and plan their trip.
“This is especially important for students and parents, as your trip may have changed slightly over the school holidays.
“Our staff will be ready at stations to provide our customers with assistance as they navigate these changes.
Making timetable adjustments will also help prepare the rest of the train network for the introduction of the Mariyung Fleet and help connect the new Sydney City Metro with the rest of Sydney’s public transport network.
It is especially important for year 12 students and parents to plan their trips as soon as possible on the Trip Planner at transportnsw.info and allow for extra travel time.
Most of the adjustments to the timetable will occur on the following lines:
T1 Western Line
Stopping patterns on the T1 Western Line will be simplified to improve reliability and increase train services for some stations west of Parramatta. Some services for some stations west of Parramatta have been moved from the earlier AM peak to operate between 9am and 10am to provide passengers with more travel options outside the busiest time. Rooty Hill and Doonside will receive additional services during the busiest morning peak hour.
Services on the T1 Western Line will continue to operate frequently during peak periods.
T1 North Shore Line
With the new M1 North West & Bankstown Line services operating every 4 minutes in the peak between Chatswood and Sydenham, there is reduced demand for passengers interchanging at Chatswood. Train services are being adjusted to rebalance service levels in the morning and off-peak periods.
Passengers on the T1 North Shore Line will still receive a train every 3 to 5 minutes .
Stopping patterns on the line will also be adjusted to deliver more reliable train services for passengers.
T2 Leppington & Inner West Line
The T2 Leppington & Inner West Line (formerly T2 Inner West & Leppington) will continue to connect passengers from Leppington and Parramatta to the Sydney CBD.
The Inner West corridor will be expanded to include the new T3 Liverpool & Inner West Line services, connecting Inner West passengers, between Redfern and Lidcombe, to Liverpool via Regents Park and to the Sydney CBD.
Leppington and Edmondson Park passengers who interchange for T8 Airport & South services at Glenfield, will benefit from additional trains in the AM peak hour on both the T5 Cumberland Line and T8 Airport & South Line.
T5 Cumberland Line
Passengers travelling between Leppington and Parramatta on the T5 Cumberland Line in the busiest morning peak hour will benefit from a 15-minute service frequency.
T8 Airport & South Line
The T8 Airport & South Line will see an overall increase in services during the morning peak, increasing from 14 trains per hour to 16 trains per hour benefitting Revesby and stations between Holsworthy and Macarthur.
To ensure passengers at St Peters and Erskineville continue to get the train services they need, more T8 train services will operate via Sydenham, while during the busiest morning peak hour, two fewer services will operate via the Airport Tunnel.
Other lines
There will be some minor timing changes across other lines on the train network to support the adjusted timetable.
Blue Mountains Line passengers will benefit from an increase in services across the week for stations between Medlow Bath and Lithgow.
A reminder that some Sydney Trains changes have already come into effect for passengers west of Bankstown, these include:
- New T3 Liverpool & Inner West Line services operating between Liverpool and the Sydney CBD via Regents Park and Lidcombe
- New T6 Lidcombe & Bankstown Line services will be coming soon, currently you can hop on a rail replacement service operating between Lidcombe and Bankstown.
For more information on your route visit 2024 train timetable changes | transportnsw.info Regional rail passengers can find more information on the changes impacting them here.
The post First timetable adjustments since 2017 appeared first on Rail Express.
