So, according to paywalled articles this morning in the SMH and DT:
“Sydney’s $21.6 billion metro rail line under the harbour and CBD is set to open to passengers in August after trial running of a full-service timetable started on the driverless train link.”
Finally!
Yep, there's no doubt there has been some delays in testing. I remember a rather senior engineer at Waterloo's open day last year rather confidently telling me that trial running would start in March! But it's always better to have a delay than rush testing to open on a deadline. In any case, it could be way worse, as you said. The Elizabeth line in London was weeks from opening before they announced an indefinite delay, and ended up opening years later!
haha and wasn't there a rumour that part of it would open before the state election last year? It was enough to get my hopes up for a while!
Celebrity gossip has nothing on the Transport rumour mill.
I remember a rather senior engineer at Waterloo's open day last year rather confidently telling me that trial running would start in March
I don't think they were wrong, some trial running did start by then.
I can understand train drivers having strong opinions on driverless trains
Except the ones who are on leave after someone jumped in front of their train…I know 3 drivers who’ve had this happen. One of them has had two people end their lives in front of their train.
Happens regularly but we don’t hear about it as the news doesn’t broadcast those types of incidents.
"this really exemplifies conservatism as opposition to change"
which is really ironic given it was the conservative LNP party who were the biggest advocates and the ones who built the metro line, while the "progressive" ALP party and their RTBU associates have been the biggest opponents to it.
Only in NSW do we have everything flipped over
This is one of those weird projects where LNP is pushing for something for greater urban development and economic benefit, and ALP is pushing against it because it puts unionised workers out of jobs, but it's a clearly progressive proposal.
Which just goes to show that the "conservative" and "progressive" labels are really JUST labels. There's plenty of actual progressive stuff pushed by the LNP and plenty of actual conservative stuff pushed by the ALP too.
Don't forget the LNP also tried to push for more modern, progressive guardless trains (like the rest of Australia) with modern CCTV technology, but that was once again campagined against by the ALP and the RTBU (very conservative and resistant to change)
In the end 99% of political parties' alignments is about where the money goes. Crime, ecology, religion is all secondary.
They aren't just labels, there really are "conservative" parties whose policies are to revert recent changes and then maintain the former status quo. But the state Liberal party isn't one, it's more of a classical liberal party: progressive but in a more market oriented way.
conservative LNP party
The moderate liberal faction is the dominant NSW Liberal Party, so they're not really "conservative" in any way.
They're fiscally neoliberal and socially just straight up liberal (in the Australian context).
Which sounds a lot like good old, traditional classical liberalism: a conservation of free-market principles (capitalism) and individual liberties. Where that fits into the modern Australian context is hard to tell, but it's still "conservative" in the classical sense.
I'd say both the NSW ALP and LNP retain a lot of their old fashioned ideologies that no longer make sense in the modern left-right spectrum. The ALP is still orientated around labour unions and workers in a very old-fashioned sense, in the same way that the LNP are still classic capitalists. That often manifests in the LNP putting out economically oriented policies and projects that also happen to be very modern and progressive in the social sense, while the ALP and their union associates often appear conservative when trying to retain old industry habits (as someone else already pointed out)
but it's still "conservative" in the classical sense.
It...it's almost literally "Liberal" in the classical sense. The only thing stopping them from being completely liberal is that Australia is fundamentally conservative in many ways, so they're still doing the stupid schtick of, "tough on crime, war on drugs, war on loud music, etc".
ALP and their union associates often appear conservative when trying to retain old industry habits
That's because they are conservative. NSW Labor is dominated by the conservative faction.
I wonder what these delays mean to the next Metro upgrade plans. I live on the train line that is about to go down for "up to a year" but I assume it'll be much more than a year now, right?
It's not conservatism prompting this.
Citizens have routinely observed modernisation of national/state infrastructure coinciding with a corresponding degradation of labour and bargaining power for workers. Driverless trains are absolutely an economic and technological boon but people are rightly skeptical of whether the efficiency gains will be used to slim industrial labour costs or maintain/expand industrial labours influence over the services they currently contribute to.
I'd argue the psychology behind this weariness is fundamentally a labour-supportive position (labour, not Labor™)
Can’t wait! This will be a huge improvement for me and my family
Here's a ABC article for those who want to read a bit more on it
Sydney Metro City set to open in August with full-service timetable - ABC News
Hopefully it will help decongest the City circle and allow more frequent services in the network.
It’s to free up space for more Sydney Trains services towards Liverpool from the City, with existing T2 services via Granville, and the additional services that will run via Regents Park which inherit the T3 code. Both lines will apparently stop all-stations from Redfern to Strathfield, if the new map is to be believed. The new T6 will be a shuttle between Bankstown and Lidcombe, taking in Yagoona and Birrong which will no longer have direct City services, requiring interchange at Regents Park for a F3 service, or Lidcombe for T2.
Some T8 services will also run via Sydenham (likely terminating at Campbelltown if peak services are to be judged) in return in order to accommodate Erskineville and St Peters which are being bypassed by the Metro (M1) as the route goes to Waterloo instead. The two stations will later be moved to the T4 when the Metro’s Sydenham to Bankstown extension is opened.
Shutting down the T3 line will certainly decongest it. Have to see if they boost services on the other lines.
The main improvements will be to the T8 with lots of new services. The T4 is expected to get a big increase too once signal upgrades are finished and Erskineville and St Peters stations join the T4.
The T2 should also see increased frequency but they've been cagey on how much.
Can't see much point if they don't. The new section of line basically duplicates existing stations.
Same with the next section to be complete.
Unless it allows other lines to run more regularly it's a lot of money for not a lot of benefit.
Not this timetable but next one I've heard that they will divert all T8 via airport including peak hours.
St Peters and Erko go to ESR full time.
Airport stations would jump from 10 - 18 per hour. (+8), 4 from the two I mentioned below and 4 ex-Sydenham services which will no longer run.
Revesby Starters will jump from 4-6 (+2)
Campbelltown/Macarthur will jump from 10-12 (+2)
East Hills to Sydenham link would still be used by Countrylink and SHL services though.
I know the point of the Metro conversion is to free up space to boost capacity for the T8 and T2 lines by removing the T3 from the loop. But it also won't surprise me if the government just doesn't implement those changes until the metro conversion is actually complete.
That way it's not "Hey T3 people, take the bus. Everyone else? You get way better service!". Delaying it will give the benefits for everyone at the same time.
They will be forced to increase services through the airport because trains coming from Liverpool via Regents Park will need somewhere to go. Improving services on the T8 and T2 now will also add capacity for people who may wish to travel to one of those lines instead of catching the replacement bus.
Also you have to remember there will be additional T8 services running through Sydenham, to accommodate Erskineville and St Peters, though both stations will later move to the T4 line after the Metro (M1) extends fully to Bankstown. I don’t see either Revesby or Macarthur having the capacity to terminate those services, so my guess is that Campbelltown will take those runs.
They could also terminate at East Hills, that would be interesting.
Revesby has capacity with 2 platforms. It can do 8 per hour terminating easily. Then you also have Kingsgrove before even East Hills comes into the picture.
Running it to Campbelltown or Macarthur seems to be a waste they're commuter stations and not much patronage outside of peak compared to stations east of Revesby.
I can't read SMH any more. Everything is paywalled. The quality of articles has dropped significantly so it's not a big loss but still annoying.
https://12ft.io/ is your friend when reading SMH articles.
Or archive.is / archive.md
I've found many sites have worked out how to block 12ft, whereas archive is something like another version of the Wayback Machine, diligently snapshotting pages for future research purposes.
Thanks for this. I'll keep this in mind next time the wall fails me.
Has all your paywall jumping options in one convenient site.
archive.xx is now getting blocked by many sites, too.
Disable JavaScript for the site.
If it helps, abc radio mentioned it.
I use Firefox with ublock origin and this custom filter https://gitlab.com/irvin.c.echeverria/magnolia1234-bypass-paywalls-clean-filters/-/blob/main/bpc-paywall-filter.txt
Buy it?
I’ve consistently told SMH over the years I’ll happily buy their digital service for $5 a month. That’s all that it’s worth. But until the price drops I will continue using 12ft.
IDK why you are being downvoted, it's only $5/week and its the most comprehensive local news source - abc/guardian are more nationally focussed
Yes! Really opens up my weekend lunch options. We were travelling to Chatswood, but with Crows Nest, Barangaroo and the City only an extra 13 minutes away this really gives us a lot more choices. My wife especially likes green tea ice cream from Oh Matcha in Sydney CBD so now eating lunch in Chatswood and dessert in the City is a real possibility!
FYI in case you didn't know there's a Kirin (ice-cream) place in Chatswood that also does pretty good Matcha (and tea flavoured ice cream in general). Has an option for hot pineapple bun + icecream as well (asian ice cream sandwich basically)
Thanks for the recommendation for Kirin. My wife likes green tea soft serve more than ice cream which is why she like Oh Matcha. We did try Nana's and Omi but she didn't like it.
However I did not realise Kirin did a pineapple bun+ice cream combo so will definitely try that next time I am there. Thanks for pointing it out to me!
Finally!
Huge. My work commute will be 10 mins one way.
Paywalled article should be free as it affects 100,000s of Sydneysiders. Says the Chatswood to Sydenham line will open in August subject to emergency drill scenarios and final testing. Also says Jo Haylen will only shut the Bankstown line when the metro line opens. This all but confirms the Bankstown line shutdown for September, I estimate mid to late Sep. Honestly I'm excited to go from Sydenham to the CBD and Crows Nest in half the time, and I'll visit the north west more often than now, which is close to never.
Bus companies are required to introduce new schedules. This is supposed to happen on the day the metro extension is implemented.
Of course, TFNSW sat on the changes to the schedules for far too long. So, now it is a scramble for them to be ready, on a random yet to be announced day in the future 🤔
That's my biggest worry living and working on the line, there's been next to no info on replacement buses, most shutdown weekends there's no timetable and no idea when they'll turn up, not looking forward to standing around in chilly months or the rain, and the e-scooter plan as shoddy as it sounds hasn't been mentioned at all
Have the routes been announced yet? When Tallawong-Chatswood opened in 2019, they removed 621 which was an important Hills-Macquarie-City link that ran until late. If they remove the city express buses (eg 610X) to force people onto the Metro it's gonna suck.
That’s definitely my biggest fear for the Hills commuters as well, axing or cutting back the 607X and 610X just to force usage of the Metro. Heard possibility it could be diverted to Macquarie Park instead of the City, sharing the same terminus as the 611.
When the L2/L3 light rail opened, look at how sliced to bits the Eastern Suburbs buses became, to the point you’re likely forced multiple interchanges. Still no word anytime soon on improvements to services over there.
Not that I have seen.
Yes they have but no timetables, also no word on which bus routes will be removed, I can't post a pdf here but google southwest line 2025 replacement buses
I'm interested to see what will happen with frequency of the "old" train on the North Shore line. We had services cut to four an hour, then they went up again when they started using Lindfield to reverse the trains (to meet the Metros terminating at Chatswood) and now the train will just go straight through, I assume we'll get fewer trains again north of Chatswood?
This article from the SMH is not hard-paywalled - it opens in incognito mode or will be part of your free articles for the month:
Side note - consider if it is worth paying for journalism and if it is within your means, buy a subscription/donate accordingly. Personally I pay for the SMH because it is the most comprehensive source of local, Sydney based news - ABC/Guardian/AFR/Saturday Paper generally report on more national stories
consider if it is worth paying for journalism
I pay SMH what it's worth.
I may even consider paying for it when it's worth my money.
This article from the SMH is not hard-paywalled
Ah dang it is too, wish there was a way to tell when you have a subscription if you'll be able to share it or not :(
One of the tags on the bottom of that article says 'For subscribers' (as a subscriber); that should help for future article-sharing.
I never noticed that, that is very helpful, thanks!
Ah, just in time for me to leave Sydney -_-
No start date though. This is what happens when the media want to write an article without knowing anything much.
I wish the trains were made here.
Definition of a successful test: one that finds a problem. I’m all for lots of successful testing for a smoother and safer first year of operation.
However, if a very foreseeable problem is found, then I expect the person who caused it to be successfully removed from employment…
I belong to a couple of rail groups on Facebook. It's hilarious that some people are triggered by driverless trains - this really exemplifies conservatism as opposition to change purely for the sake of it.
Strictly speaking, this announcement is a delay since a July launch date has been kicked around for months. But given that mega-projects are routinely delayed by years, it is a very welcome announcement.