A controversial train timetable shake-up that would have affected up to a quarter of Sydney Train commuters has been abandoned following public backlash.
NSW Premier Chris Minns on Saturday revealed the government’s dramatic U-turn on planned changes to the T4, T8 and South Coast lines’ timetables, which were scheduled to commence on November 15.
The decision was made “following feedback from commuters and local communities”.
The changes – which the government had pledged would deliver more frequent services and additional capacity across southern Sydney and the South Coast – would have resulted in longer commute times for some passengers.
Those travelling on the T4 between Waterfall and the central city, for example, were facing trip times of up to 14 minutes longer because of extra stops. Passengers travelling from Heathcote, Engadine and Loftus stations would also have seen trip times to the city increase by about 12 minutes in the morning peak and about 14 minutes in the evening peak.
South Coast passengers travelling to Sydney Airport from Wollongong would have had to go all the way to Central and double-backed on the T8 if they wished to avoid switching twice at stations on their journey. All trains on the South Coast line were scheduled to terminate at Central.
Some services on the T4 and T8 lines would have increased in frequency.
Minns said commuters wanted a reliable service that could get them to work and home on time.
“We’ve listened to commuters and local MPs, and we’re not proceeding with these timetable changes,” he said. “Our priority is fixing reliability and giving passengers a railway they can depend on.”
Transport Minister John Graham said public response to the timetable changes had prompted “the decision that we have more to do to invest in reliability first”.
The existing timetable will now remain in place, with the government saying it will turn its focus to improving reliability on the ageing network, parts of which are more than 100 years old.
Transport for NSW will also engage “with communities on future service improvements”.
Most of the proposed timetable changes were to the T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra, and the South Coast lines, which between them carry about 250,000 passengers a day, or a quarter of Sydney Trains’ patronage.
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