Cuts To Peak Hour Trains As New Sydney Train Timetable To Be Introduced From October 20

By Will Thorpe  

A major shake-up to Sydney Trains services will see a raft of changes to train services. While frequencies will broadly be increased across the network, some services will be reduced, whilst some trains will terminate sooner, and intercity services will benefit. 

The Sydney Morning Herald obtained a confidential document outlining a number of service changes that are to be part of the new timetable slated for introduction on October 20, in line with the closure of the Bankstown line between Sydenham and Bankstown for conversion to metro.  

Sixteen trains per hour, which works out to one every three minutes and 45 seconds, will run between Lidcombe and the City Circle in peak periods. This is slightly higher than Sydney Metro’s four-minute peak headways.  

Timetable Cuts

“Simplified” stopping patterns will be implemented on the Western line, with Richmond services calling at all stations from Parramatta to Richmond, and services to Emu Plains or Penrith stopping at all stations from Seven Hills. During the morning and evening peaks, two services per hour from Central to St Marys will be cut. 

The document also reveals that the North Shore, also on the T1, will see a reduction of four services per hour to Hornsby during peak times. Inter-peak trains to Lindfield will terminate at North Sydney instead, as will late-night trains to Gordon except on Fridays and Saturdays. 

Stopping patterns are also to be simplified on the T2 Inner West & Leppington Line, with Parramatta trains to call at all stations and Leppington trains to operate to two variations of station stops. Although the document states that services terminating at Ashfield will be cut, the Herald reports that Transport for NSW disputes this. 

New Off-Peak Service

Trains will run from Liverpool to the city centre via Regents Park, replacing services to the City Circle via Bankstown. Services to and from Lidcombe terminating at Bankstown will also be introduced, allowing residents in or around Bankstown, Yagoona, and Birrong to access trains to the city centre from Regents Park and Lidcombe.  

On the T8 Airport & South Line, sixteen trains per hour will run to the city centre in the morning peak, half of which will go via the airport and the other half via Sydenham – a reduction of two services via the airport. Fourteen services per hour will run in the evening peak, ten of which will go via the airport. 

An off-peak service between Sydenham and the City Circle will be introduced. Erskineville & St Peters stations will be serviced by T8 trains only, as services to Bankstown will end with the line closure for the metro conversion. 

Cumberland Line services between Leppington and Schofields or Blacktown will be doubled in the morning peak, with four trains per hour as opposed to two at other times. Timing changes will also be implemented on the line. 

Intercity Services To Benefit From New Time Table

Several improvements to intercity services are identified. Some inter-peak Blue Mountains trains to Mount Victoria will be extended to Lithgow, with timing changes to be implemented elsewhere on the Blue Mountains Line.

Most services from the Central Coast and Newcastle will overtake suburban trains between Epping and Hornsby, with “timing changes & stopping pattern improvements” also to impact Central Coast and Newcastle services. The document states there will be an improved “‘window’ for Central Coast services to enter the [North] Shoreline.” 

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union previously announced it would take significant industrial action from September, including refusing to work according to the new timetable, in protest of the Bankstown line conversion. 

There will be timing changes for other intercity and regional trains. The changes to train services will coincide with bus service modifications.