Keeping trains and passengers moving during the Epping to Chatswood upgrade

The NSW Government today announced train services changes and improvements from 30 September to help support customers while the railway between Epping and Chatswood is upgraded to for the Sydney Metro.

Improvements include more services for stations north of Chatswood on the T1 North Shore Line and double the number of express trains running to and from the Sydney CBD via Strathfield during the peak for Central Coast customers.

Customers from Normanhurst to Cheltenham travelling to and from Central at peak times will save 20 minutes each day by catching limited stop T1 Northern Line services via Strathfield.

Meadowbank, West Ryde and Rhodes stations will receive additional morning and afternoon peak hour trains. This will also free up space on adjacent services, which will benefit other customers on the T1 Northern Line.

Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said the adjustments will allow the T1 North Shore and T1 Northern Lines to operate separately.

“Our focus has been to ensure services continue to meet demand and complement Station Link and other regular buses,” Mr Constance said.

“We know there will be disruption but once Sydney Metro opens in the second quarter of next year, there will be a new world class metro service between Sydney’s fast growing north west and Chatswood.”

Member for Ryde Victor Dominello said the changes are the next important step towards preparing for the arrival of Sydney Metro Northwest.

“This world class service will see customers between Epping and Chatswood get almost four times as many trains an hour as they do now in the peak direction, that’s 15 trains an hour, or one every four minutes,” Mr Dominello said.

Key adjustments on the rail system from 30 September include:

T1 North Shore Line

• Services which currently operate via the Epping to Chatswood rail line will be replaced with trains starting or ending at Gordon, Hornsby or Berowra.
• More AM peak hour services to the City for customers at Mount Kuring-gai, Mount Colah, Hornsby and all stations from Wahroonga to Roseville.
• Customers who catch trains from Gordon to Roseville will also benefit from more services across most of the day.

T1 Northern Line

• Current services between Hornsby and the City via Chatswood will be replaced by limited stop services via Strathfield. These services will start or terminate at Central during peak times.  At all other times, trains will directly connect to Wynyard, Town Hall and North Shore stations via Strathfield and Central.
• Most Normanhurst to Cheltenham customers travelling to the CBD in the morning peak will have faster or similar journey times compared with today.
• Two extra services per hour in the morning peak and a doubling of trains in the evening peak for Rhodes, Meadowbank and West Ryde.
• All peak hour services to operate as eight car trains to improve capacity and comfort for all T1 Northern Line customers

Central Coast and Newcastle Line

• Double the number of express services operating to and from the Sydney CBD via Strathfield during peak times, with an express train every 15 minutes instead of every 30 minutes.
• Customers will still have the option to catch direct trains to and from Sydney CBD via the North Shore, with no change to the current number of peak services.
• The current trial of a fast train service operating between Newcastle and Sydney will continue.

T8 Airport & South Line

• Revesby will receive two more Sydney CBD bound express services running via Airport Stations in the morning peak. By catching these services Revesby customers could save about nine minutes per trip or up to 45 minutes a week, travelling to the Airport or other popular stations, like Mascot and Green Square.

There will also be minor adjustments to some services on other lines. 

Customers will be able to plan their trips from early September by visiting transportnsw.info

During the upgrade of the Epping to Chatswood rail line, high-frequency Station Link buses will keep the Macquarie Park precinct moving. Services will operate from station to station at least every 6 minutes during the peak periods.

The Station Link fleet is made up of than 120 new fully-accessible and air-conditioned buses, with distinctive pink decals.

For the latest information on Station Link, visit mysydney.nsw.gov.au/stationlink