City trains reduced for southwest Sydney commuters in 2013 timetable shake-up

Southwest Sydney commuters are worse off since the Sydney Trains timetable was substantially changed in 2013.

Changes designed to “detangle the network” and improve reliability on the Inner West, South and Western Lines instead reduced citybound services for customers at several stations.

Restore the Inner West Line Community Action Group spokesman Roydon Ng said passengers between Carramar and Berala can no longer catch direct services to the city from Liverpool.

Prior to the 2013 changes, customers from Berala could get to Central station via Regents Park on the Liverpool line in 36 minutes – now, that journey on the Bankstown line takes 49 minutes.

“Transport for NSW has failed to provide concrete evidence showing that the 2013 timetable change improved reliability on the Inner West, South and Western lines,” Mr Ng said.

Cuts to Trains Fail to Improve Train Reliability

Three years ago, Transport for NSW and the State Government introduced the biggest downgrade of a generation to the Sydney Trains timetable.

The Inner West Line was cut in half at Homebush station and Liverpool via Regents Park train service removed with Transport for NSW claiming that reliability on the Bankstown, South, Inner West and Western Line would be improved.

Transport for NSW acknowledged prior to the 2013 timetable change that the cuts to trains would have significant impact on commuters relying on the Liverpool via Regents Park (Inner West Line) train services.

Commuters relying on the Liverpool via Regents Park train now have to make up to three interchanges and experience service gaps of up to half an hour to travel on the Inner West Line.

Statistics published by Transport for NSW and Sydney Trains in fact show that reliability on the Bankstown and South Line have fallen since 2013.

Statement Condemning Transport for NSW

Restore Inner West Line condemns Transport for NSW, Sydney Trains and the NSW State Government over its continual denial regarding the significant commuter impact of the Inner West Line truncation (to Homebush) and removal of regular Liverpool via Regents Park train services in 2013.

Transport NSW admit Inner West Line cuts SIGNIFICANT ISSUE

EXCLUSIVE: Transport for NSW documents admit 'cuts to Inner West Line trains and forced interchanges' are most significant issues from 2013 timetable change!

Lidcombe Turnback does not increase Bankstown to City train frequency

Transport for NSW claimed in 2005 that terminating Bankstown trains at Lidcombe would "enable an increase in the frequency of services between Bankstown and the City".

The termination of Bankstown Line trains at Lidcombe was introduced in the 2013 timetable. However train frequencies between Bankstown and the City have remained at the same level with 4 trains per hour.

Terminating Bankstown trains at Lidcombe did not increase frequencies hence defeating the one of the main purposes of the 2013 timetable change.