South Coast Swifties advised to allow extra travel time
Taylor Swift fans travelling this weekend from the South Coast are urged to plan ahead and allow extra travel time as essential Rail Repair Plan trackwork continues to build a more safe, resilient and reliable network.
Essential trackwork will take place on the South Coast Line with buses replacing trains between Bomaderry and Wollongong.
Fans travelling to and from the South Coast on Saturday and Sunday will need to catch replacement coaches between Kiama and Bomaderry, and Kiama and Wollongong, to connect with trains from Wollongong to Sydney.
Trains will continue to run between Port Kembla, Wollongong and Central or Bondi Junction.
Passengers are reminded it will be hot, so carry water and stay safe.
Olympic Park has already seen crowds with the opening of the Taylor Swift merchandise tent this week as Swift mania hits Sydney. Event organisers and Transport officials are expecting huge crowds for the concert series on all transport modes, on the roads, and at the precinct, and are urging Swifties to leave lots of extra travel time.
Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said extensive planning has gone into the transport plans for the night.
“We’ve got More than 1,200 extra train and bus services will operate across the four nights to help event-goers travel to and from Sydney Olympic Park - this includes more than 700 extra buses and more than 550 extra trains,” Mr Longland said.
“While some level of essential, safety-critical trackwork is unavoidable, we have put extensive preparation into getting our Illawarra Swifties quickly into the city with plenty of bus services providing a fast and regular service from Kiama and Bomaderry, and Kiama and Wollongong.
“Trackwork is an essential part of maintaining a safe, reliable and resilient rail network and is planned 12 months in advance.
“While we do our best to minimise disruption to passengers, with multiple major events happening every weekend in Sydney, unfortunately some clashes are inevitable.
“Based on ticket sale post code data, we estimate around 200 ticketholders will be travelling from the South Coast to each Taylor Swift concert.
“The trackwork affecting the South Coast Line this weekend includes essential maintenance to overhead wiring, signal and track, as well as rail grinding, turnout resurfacing and ongoing accessibility upgrades to Dapto Station.
“It is going to be a warm weekend, so bring a water bottle and, if you feel unwell, ask a member of staff for help. Station staff will have bottled water at key locations for passengers in need.
“We’re urging people to get there early to soak in the Swiftmania, which will help spread the public transport crowds.
“I want to thank all our passengers for their patience while we work hard to provide the most reliable rail network possible.”
Travel on all modes of public transport is included in your Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert ticket – just show your ticket to transport staff when boarding services.
It’s going to be extremely busy on the roads and public transport with more than 75,000 ticketholders expected to attend each concert. Passengers are encouraged to allow extra travel time and plan ahead by visiting transportnsw.info or using trip planning apps.
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