Plan your trip for bumper weekend of sport
With a huge weekend of finals footy and sporting events coming up, Sydneysiders are being advised to plan their journeys in advance to ensure they do not miss a moment of the action.
Transport for NSW’s Executive Director Customer Journey Management, Craig Moran, said regardless of whether you’re driving, catching public transport, or combining modes, the latest and most accurate information will be available to keep everyone moving.
“For those heading to the games this weekend, please plan ahead and consider arriving early to your event and delaying your departure by checking out the many places to grab a bite near the SCG as we expect large crowds for the AFL and NRL games,” Mr Moran said.
“Public transport is the best way to get to all events, and I’d encourage all fans to follow the advice of announcements and staff on the ground to make everyone’s journeys as smooth as possible.”
The weekend will kick off with races from 11:40am at Randwick, before over 80,000 fans are expected at Moore Park to see the Sydney Swans vs Collingwood at 4.45pm at the SCG, followed by Sharks vs Rabbitohs at Allianz Stadium at 8pm.
“With two huge games of finals footy on Saturday night, we’ll be doing everything we can to ensure the smooth movement of crowds in and around Moore Park,” said Mr Moran.
“In particular I’d advise NRL fans to try and arrive before 7pm to minimise crossover with the departing AFL crowd, and also to consider alternatives to driving to the venue, as parking will be at capacity.”
Some pre-planned rail trackwork will be in place and may affect your trip, with buses replacing trains between Richmond and Blacktown, and Sydenham and Central.
“Transport has added extra train services for the Saturday games and with a train running every six minutes, the trip to Central will be quicker transferring to the T8 line at Wolli Creek than getting a bus,” Mr Moran said.
“Footy fans heading from Sydney’s south will need to change platforms at Wolli Creek and head into Central on the T8 Airport line. Customers can then walk to the new stadium or catch the popular L2/L3 frequent light rail services.”
On Sunday, some roads, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge, will be closed as early as 4am to facilitate 35,000 people taking part in the Sydney Running Festival, while road closures in Wollongong will be in place from Saturday to allow for the set-up of the UCI Wollongong Cycling Road World Championships.
“We’re very excited to see Sydney and surrounds host these events, but it also means that if you have plans to drive around Sydney or Wollongong, please make sure to plan your journey in advance to avoid getting caught in a clearway,” said Mr Moran.
For details on additional and changed public transport services for the event and to plan your trip, visit transportnsw.info.
For real-time updates on traffic conditions, road closures and special event clearways, visit livetraffic.com.