Australia's Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) has announced a A$1.5bn ($1.1bn) capital investment in a bid to improve rail customer service and address Sydney’s rapidly growing demand.
The new ‘More Trains, More Services’ programme will help meet the estimated 21% growth in passenger traffic over the next five years.
NSW transport and infrastructure minister Andrew Constance said: “We’ve seen average train loads rise significantly, which is starting to impact on customers’ ability to get on a train in peak periods.”
Slated to be operational from late 2018, 24 new eight-car Waratah-style trains will be provided to improve passenger service.
New express services will also be increased on the T1 Western Line in a bid to meet the growing demand, while track, signalling and power upgrades will be made to facilitate enhanced capacity and reliability.
Constance further added: “In November, I announced the acceleration of the new country fleet, and our aim is that significant components of those trains will be assembled in the regions, as well as stabled and maintained in regional NSW.”
The additional fleet will include four extra express trains running between Parramatta and the Sydney central business district (CBD) during morning and afternoon peak hours.
Train services will be provided every three minutes, or up to 20 trains will be made operational every hour during busy times.
A new timetable will also be prepared to start the additional services on the T1 Western Line by the end of next year.
As part of the programme, NSW aims to upgrade the Leura Station with work slated to begin next January.
Image: Leura Station upgrade. Photo: courtesy of TfNSW.
