Mike Baird and Gladys Berejiklian med rel: Sydney Rapid Transit – More trains, less crowding

NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian today said the NSW Government’s new rapid transit rail network will help to deliver more express services and extra trains to hundreds of thousands of customers right across the network.

Visiting Bankstown today, Mr Baird and Ms Berejiklian said the proposed Sydney Rapid Transit (SRT) will extend the North West Rail Link, delivering a new rapid transit rail line under Sydney Harbour, through the CBD and on to Bankstown.

The NSW Government also announced today that work will begin immediately on the Western Sydney Rail Upgrade Program, a new multi-billion dollar investment to be made to the existing train network.

The program includes upgrades to signalling and power supply to improve frequency by safely allowing trains to travel closer together, and building additional track to enable more express trains.

“NSW has been playing catch-up on major infrastructure for far too long,” Mr Baird said.

“This package of significant rail projects will unlock Sydney’s rail capacity for generations to come and will benefit rail commuters across the entire network – whether they are in Gosford, Parramatta, Liverpool, Hornsby or Penrith, they will have more services and improved reliability.

“Sydney Rapid Transit will also reduce crowding right across the network, with three brand new stations in the CBD and a train every two minutes through the city on the new line.

“Train passengers in Sydney’s west will benefit from the unblocking of major bottlenecks in the city to allow up to 60 per cent more trains every hour across the train network. That means moving 100,000 more people every peak hour.”

Ms Berejiklian said more express trains to the city will improve travel times for customers in west and south-western Sydney, and intercity customers will also benefit.

“Work begins immediately to modernise the existing signalling network to allow more express trains from Penrith, Parramatta and Blacktown to the city,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“This will free up capacity so customers right across Sydney and our regions are catching more frequent trains with less crowding. I’m pleased we are getting on with the job of fast-tracking this project to benefit customers across the State.”