The NSW Government continues to prioritise the future of our rail network, making major progress towards more reliable, resilient, comfortable and accessible journeys for passengers.
Commuters can now tap back onto the T3 Bankstown line after a two-week closure saw significant work completed in preparation for the line’s Metro City & Southwest conversion.
Approximately 500 workers were on site during this time, many around the clock, undertaking crucial track upgrades, installing security fencing and cables, excavating the future Bankstown Metro platforms and testing new infrastructure. The new pedestrian overbridge at Dulwich Hill Station is also complete and open to commuters from today.
Sydney Metro took advantage of the school holidays to complete this work, as train patronage is generally lower, meaning less disruption to passengers.
As Metro City & Southwest upgrades continue to ramp up, there will be additional closures and replacement bus plans during school holidays and weekend periods:
- Wednesday 27 December 2023 to Thursday 25 January 2024
- Saturday 13 April to Sunday 28 April 2024
- the target start date for the 12-month closure of the T3 Bankstown line is between July and October 2024.
Transport for NSW is developing detailed plans to support passengers during the final T3 conversion period and the community will be informed well ahead of time.
Rail Repair Plan passes halfway mark
Just four months in since the launch on 4 June, the Sydney Trains Rail Repair Plan has hit 60 per cent completion, 10 weeks ahead of schedule.
With more than 1,150 high-priority defects removed across the network so far, Sydney Trains is on track to complete the 1,900 target ahead of the June 2024 forecast.
Weekend works were kept to a minimum over the Labour Day long weekend, to ensure the community could access major events including the NRL Grand Final.
Jo Haylen, Minister for Transport, said:
“It’s fantastic to welcome commuters back to the T3 Bankstown Line, with services back up and running in time for everyone’s return to school.”
“Under our Rail Repair Plan, we’re ahead of schedule in 18 weekends of trackwork, set to improve reliability for passengers across our network and ensuring everyone has a smoother ride in 2024.”
“We know we still have a long way to go, but we’re pleased to see this progress. I want to thank the thousands of workers who have gotten us to this milestone, and passengers for their patience.”
Matt Longland, Sydney Trains Chief Executive, said:
“This past month, our on-time running performance exceeded 92 per cent for the first time since May 2022, showing our hard work is starting to pay off.”
“While we are confident that the network will be more reliable with fewer incidents, it’s worth remembering this doesn’t mean there will be no issues. Our rail infrastructure is ageing and the network is complex.”