Parramatta light rail

[simonl]

Lets say they build the light rail and metro at sydney olympic park, would they actually do away with the spur line from lidcombe to SOP (eg would the metro and light rail would be enough for a 200k+ events there).

What a crazy idea. Why lift infrastructure which is useful for no reason? Even if it only shifts 25k or so in an hour after an event, that's still a reasonable dent on the demand.

[tonyp]

Hallelujah, another topic coming to life on ATDB after the Wollongong bombshell!

Considering the capacity of the stadium and the potential for simultaneous events at several venues, I think they will continue to need every bit of transit they can throw at it - train, metro, tram and bus. I wouldn't remove one iota of existing transit infrastructure.

[boronia]

While it will obviously be useful for major events, its patronage at other times might be severely compromised by the other modes?

The metro will see the end of Bankstown line services to/from Lidcombe, further diluting its usefulness.

[Swift]

Aghast at the lack of thought for Lidcombe & surrounds.

[tonyp]

The metro will see the end of Bankstown line services to/from Lidcombe, further diluting its usefulness.

Won't suburbans still run around to and from Bankstown via Regents Park? Instead of a direct train there'll simply be an interchange at Bankstown to and from a faster train. I don't see the bad in that.

[rogf24]

The metro will see the end of Bankstown line services to/from Lidcombe, further diluting its usefulness.

Won't suburbans still run around to and from Bankstown via Regents Park? Instead of a direct train there'll simply be an interchange at Bankstown to and from a faster train. I don't see the bad in that.

I think that's the case but if you look at Future Transport, further down the track, the short section of track between the Main South/Bankstown Line junction and Bankstown station could be converted to metro as part of the Parramatta to Kogarah line.

[simonl]

The metro will see the end of Bankstown line services to/from Lidcombe, further diluting its usefulness.

Won't suburbans still run around to and from Bankstown via Regents Park? Instead of a direct train there'll simply be an interchange at Bankstown to and from a faster train. I don't see the bad in that.

I'm not aware that it has ever been explained what might happen to Birrong and Yagoona, or Lidcombe-Carramar for that matter. Two ridiculous shuttle services seem to be on the cards.

[Transport: Buses]

I'm not aware that it has ever been explained what might happen to Birrong and Yagoona, or Lidcombe-Carramar for that matter. Two ridiculous shuttle services seem to be on the cards.

The most logical solution to this mess (the Bankstown line metro conversion itself being quite illogical) is to bring back the old Inner West line, with now two branches to Liverpool via Regents Park/Villawood and Bankstown via Regents Park/Yagoona.

I also assume that Erskineville and St Peters will also now be the responsibility of the T4. As if the T4 isn't slow enough already

[jaseee]

Erskineville and St Peters will likely be taken over by T8 instead, which makes logical sense given there will also be additional paths for T8 trains as well. T8 trains via Sydenham have a stop at St Peters in the new timetable as well.

[Frosty]

This is might be straying off topic but if T8 trains stop at Erko & St Peters won’t be any faster then via Airport route.
Maybe ideally there should be a continuous rail route of some sort from Bankstown to Olympic Pk through Lidcombe.

[Geo101]

Maybe ideally there should be a continuous rail route of some sort from Bankstown to Olympic Pk through Lidcombe.

Drop a tunnel underneath Lidcombe Station, newly linked underground platform, and bingo.

The problem I suppose is the part which is shared by the freight network.

[boronia]

There has been previous talk about extending the metro to LIverpool

[Liamena]

But the plan for the metro was to go via Milperra and Chipping Norton somewhere, not via the line though Chester Hill.

[iamthouth]

Any chance of Metro West taking over SOP, and PLR extended via the rail alignment to Bankstown and Cabramatta in a future stage?

[simonl]

I'm not aware that it has ever been explained what might happen to Birrong and Yagoona, or Lidcombe-Carramar for that matter. Two ridiculous shuttle services seem to be on the cards.

The most logical solution to this mess (the Bankstown line metro conversion itself being quite illogical) is to bring back the old Inner West line, with now two branches to Liverpool via Regents Park/Villawood and Bankstown via Regents Park/Yagoona.

I also assume that Erskineville and St Peters will also now be the responsibility of the T4. As if the T4 isn't slow enough already

Urgh to branching the Inner West. If you're going to reinstate the inner west line are you going to fill in the missing bit of the sextup between Homebush and Lidcombe? Highly doubtful, I would say.

I think the most obvious solution for Birrong and Yagoona is to extend the conversion around to new platforms at Regents Park. You would still have a shuttle for Sefton-Carramar though. If you have a bit more money, add some additional track to Lidcombe and convert platform 5 to metro, but in that scenario you still have the problem of needing to reinstate the inner west line.

[grog]

Now that T1 will use a single track pair from Homebush to Lidcombe and T2 has its own pair, branching here is not such an issue.

That said, if you were going to reinstate the Inner West line via Regents Park, you might want to make that the only route to the city from Liverpool and pick up the rest of the South line stations with frequent Cumberland line services (extending to take over Richmond branch full time).

(This would of course have to be post-Metro West to make sure you didn't overload city services from Parramatta.)

[Liamena]

Extend the Bankstown metro to Lidcombe, close the Sefton-Cabramatta line completely ( actually hand it over to ARTC ), run more buses.

[simonl]

Now that T1 will use a single track pair from Homebush to Lidcombe and T2 has its own pair, branching here is not such an issue.

That said, if you were going to reinstate the Inner West line via Regents Park, you might want to make that the only route to the city from Liverpool and pick up the rest of the South line stations with frequent Cumberland line services (extending to take over Richmond branch full time).

(This would of course have to be post-Metro West to make sure you didn't overload city services from Parramatta.)

Urgh. I want a dislike button again.

[Geo101]

Any chance of Metro West taking over SOP, and PLR extended via the rail alignment to Bankstown and Cabramatta in a future stage?

Is the metro west going to have the same or more capacity than the existing SOP line? What is the difference in capacity for the new metro (leaving in both directions) versus the existing line with the balloon loop setup?

In any case, it certainly couldn't be implemented until after the metro west was completed, and you would still be looking at a tunnel or overpass at Lidcombe unless you keep the existing requirement to transfer at Lidcombe, which would defeat the purpose I suspect.

[grog]

Now that T1 will use a single track pair from Homebush to Lidcombe and T2 has its own pair, branching here is not such an issue.

That said, if you were going to reinstate the Inner West line via Regents Park, you might want to make that the only route to the city from Liverpool and pick up the rest of the South line stations with frequent Cumberland line services (extending to take over Richmond branch full time).

(This would of course have to be post-Metro West to make sure you didn't overload city services from Parramatta.)

Urgh. I want a dislike button again.

Replies work fine for expressing displeasure

[Liamena]

There is nothing wrong with the Sydney Olympic Park Line, as such.

The problem with ending the tramway from Parramatta, at Sydney Olympic Park, isn't capacity. The problem is the catastrophic impact on passenger usability of multiple interchanges. If you tried to catch the proposed tram from Wentworth Point or West Meadowbank ( or whatever it is called ), to the end of the tramway at Olympic Park, and then it takes you 15 minutes to change to the train for a 3 minute trip to Lidcombe, and then it takes another 15 minutes to change to the train at Lidcombe, then you are looking at about a 90 minute trip one-way from Wentworth Point to the CBD.

Travellers to the CBD might have to put up with this, but people going anywhere else, where they can park at their destination, will not.

[grog]

You are ignoring the fact that they have designed this thing as a feeder for West Metro. I expect that in the end they will stage them to open at the same time, around 2026. That is 3 years after Parramatta Light Rail stage 1.

[simonl]

You are ignoring the fact that they have designed this thing as a feeder for West Metro. I expect that in the end they will stage them to open at the same time, around 2026. That is 3 years after Parramatta Light Rail stage 1.

Right... When has a government plan requiring two election wins to start ever actually happened without significant variation? Big difference if you are only talking about one election win.

[simonl]

There is nothing wrong with the Sydney Olympic Park Line, as such.

The problem with ending the tramway from Parramatta, at Sydney Olympic Park, isn't capacity. The problem is the catastrophic impact on passenger usability of multiple interchanges. If you tried to catch the proposed tram from Wentworth Point or West Meadowbank ( or whatever it is called ), to the end of the tramway at Olympic Park, and then it takes you 15 minutes to change to the train for a 3 minute trip to Lidcombe, and then it takes another 15 minutes to change to the train at Lidcombe, then you are looking at about a 90 minute trip one-way from Wentworth Point to the CBD.

Travellers to the CBD might have to put up with this, but people going anywhere else, where they can park at their destination, will not.

Most of those people could just as easily catch a bus across to Rhodes.

[mandonov]

Right... When has a government plan requiring two election wins to start ever actually happened without significant variation? Big difference if you are only talking about one election win.

It's bi-partisan policy this time to build Metro West.