The NSW Government has outlined key dates for the closure of Sydney’s rail line between Chatswood and Epping, for its upgrade and integration into the new Sydney Metro Northwest line.
The heavy rail line between Chatswood and Epping, which was only opened in 2009, will be closed on September 30, 2018, and will remain shut until the new Sydney Metro Northwest line begins services early next year.
NSW transport minister Andrew Constance said the seven-month shutdown would be met with a $49 million investment into a new high frequency pink bus fleet called Station Link, which will operate over 1,000 services each day, and a rate of 110 additional services per hour during peak.
“When Sydney Metro opens next year, there’ll be a new metro train every four minutes in the peak in both directions at these stations, which is almost four times as many services that currently run in the peak direction,” Constance said.
“The new high frequency Station Link service will run on a turn-up-and-go basis on seven additional routes, ensuring those who live and work on the Epping to Chatswood corridor hahve regular and reliable transport options.”
The NSW Government will also set up extended turning lanes and 580 additional metres of dedicated bus lanes in the area.
Rail Tram and Bus Union NSW secretary Alex Claassens said Sydneysiders would face “commuting hell” thanks to the shutdown, which the Union says is all part of the state’s “foreign privatisation agenda”.
The Metro project is unpopular with the RTBU, given its trains are driverless, and it will be operated by a consortium led by MTR Corporation, the Hong Kong-based rail operator which runs the Metro Trains Melbourne network.
“This closure spells disaster in every way for over 20,000 commuters from North West Sydney,” Claassens said. “Commuters should be asking the Minister Constance why he is handing over their Epping to Chatswood line to a Hong Kong company only to be ripped up and replaced with single deck, driverless trains.
“The rail closure will force an extra 110 buses every hour in peak periods onto Sydney’s already congested roads, not to mention the ripple effect that it will have by forcing other commuters onto the other currently overflowing lines to get to the city.
“We should be adding capacity to our transport network, not reducing it or making it more congested.”