Non-stop transport the key to transforming Sydney into 24-hour city

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Sydney siders are flocking to trains, buses and ferries with Transport for New South Wales revealing passenger numbers are up 20% this year. Some are arguing that growth justifies finally making the switch to a 24-hour rail system.

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00:00Trains, trams, ferries and buses.

00:07Sydney-siders are taking to public transport in growing numbers.

00:11People are voting with their feet and they're choosing public transport in Sydney.

00:17Patronage is up 20% compared with last year, with the new Metro line a major drawcard.

00:23The post-COVID slump that we had seen as people made up their minds about what their travel

00:29patterns would be returning from the pandemic is definitely moving towards record public

00:35transport figures coming back to the city of Sydney.

00:38While passenger numbers are rising, some are calling for 24-hour public transport

00:43to help resurrect Sydney's night-time economy.

00:46The people won't be there if the transport options are not in place, so certainly retailers

00:52would support transport initiatives that would really help Australians get into the city,

00:59after hours, and give you that density of population that makes it worth opening your doors.

01:04They say the festive period is a great time to test the idea.

01:08A trial is a great idea, definitely giving Australians a taste for what they could experience.

01:15We think it makes sense for workers, for the community, and we know that the business

01:20community is also calling for this, so at the moment the only people who aren't coming to

01:25the party on 24-hour transport seems to be the government.

01:28The union says it's confident the change wouldn't mean a significant increase in running costs.

01:34The heavy rail network is a prime candidate for it, as I said, we've already got workers

01:39working 24-7 and they're there to run services, they're just not running them at the moment.

01:43But the government says the numbers don't support putting on services in the early hours of the morning.

01:49The reality is the demand is not there right now, but we do, we are investing in a vibrant city,

01:55we want people back into the city, we are investing into that vibrancy, that is something

02:00that we are deeply committed to, and if the demand is there, of course we will look at it.

02:05Perhaps another year's wait for Sydney's party animals.

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