State government warns major Sydney train line closure to blow out to more than 12 months
It was always a big ask to convert an existing Sydney train line into a metro line in around 12 months, and commuters have been told the wait could be even longer. The government also revealed when the Sydenham to Bankstown line will shut down. So, with slower travel times for the foreseeable future, replacement buses will be free, as compensation.
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00:00Pink is the new black for travellers on the Sydenham to Bankstown line.
00:07New buses ready to take on the thousands of people who use the route every day.
00:12The South West Link or colloquially known as our pink buses are ready for action.
00:18We have the drivers present, we have the vehicles.
00:22And the government has revealed the line will shut down at the end of next month.
00:27Three bus routes will take its place with one all stop service, an express route stopping
00:33at six stations and another operating to Canterbury and Campsie.
00:37We recognise that this will be difficult for these communities but in the end that pain
00:43will be worth it.
00:45It's alright but it's a little bit of a hassle yeah.
00:48We'd have to take the bus to Sydenham and obviously that's packed, currently it's hot,
00:53it's going to be a mess.
00:54These South West Link buses will run throughout the day with services every two to four minutes
00:59during peak times.
01:00The government has warned trips will take significantly longer but they're compensating
01:04passengers with free travel for the duration of the shutdown.
01:08There is light at the end of the tunnel, this will be a painful process and that's one of
01:11the reasons why we're making these replacement buses free.
01:15Commuters had previously been told the metro conversion would be completed in around 12
01:20months.
01:21Now the government has acknowledged that timeline could blow out.
01:24We don't want passengers on replacement buses a day longer than they need to but I do want
01:28to be upfront with passengers, this is a very complex project and it may take a little longer.
01:34We saw Metro West delayed, Sydney Metro delayed, the Parramatta Light Rail delayed and now
01:39possibly the conversion delayed as well.
01:41Slower travel for now with the aim of speeding up Sydney's rail system.