Express is best: 'More trains, more services' for South West Sydney

Customers in South West Sydney will get faster and more frequent train services, including an improved all day link to the city’s north west.

The ‘More Trains, More Services’ program will boost capacity in one of our fastest growing regions from late this year with:

• An extra 20 express trains per week in peak hour for Campbelltown and Macarthur customers to the Sydney CBD via the T2 Airport Line which equals;
• Train services on average every 6 minutes, or 10 express trains an hour in the busiest periods;
• A new direct link from Leppington to Parramatta and Blacktown;
• The T5 Cumberland Line to get late night and weekend services for the first time.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in the morning peak, 80 per cent of customers travelling stations between Campbelltown and Macquarie Fields are city-bound on packed trains.

“Peak hour trains out of Campbelltown are struggling with demand,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“So, we’re simplifying the network to add the 20 extra weekly peak hour services to boost capacity.”

As a result, a new link will be created connecting the fast growing south-west to Parramatta and Blacktown for the first time with:

• T2 South Line services starting at Leppington towards the Sydney CBD;
• T5 Cumberland Line services starting at Leppington, connecting to Parramatta and Blacktown which equates to;
• Boosting peak hour services from 4 to 10 on the South West Rail Link.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said customer growth is forecast to rise 21 per cent across the network in the coming five years.

“What we’re announcing today is vital to cater for that major growth, connecting people with jobs and new housing,” Mr Constance said.

“Regions to the west of Sydney are rapidly expanding, with new roads and an airport all under development or on the way.”

This is the next step in the ‘More Trains, More Services’ program – a capital investment of over $1.5 billion to provide an urgent uplift in customer service on Sydney’s rail network.

‘More Trains, More Services’ will be a staged program of works on the rail system to complement additional rail capacity being introduced on the network, particularly the Sydney Metro Northwest line which is due to open in 2019.

Further announcements will be made in due course in relation to other parts of the program that will boost services across the rest of the rail network.