Connecting our State through an affordable, reliable and comfortable transport network

A connected and sustainable transport network is essential to the NSW and Australian economies. That is why we are determined to provide cheaper fares, more seats and greater comfort on our public transport system.

 

To meet the challenges associated with our growing population we are delivering the Metropolitan Transport Plan: Connecting the City of Cities. This plan will create:

  • slashed travel times for western Sydney commuters

  • a North West rail link

  • an expansion of light rail

  • more commuter car parks

  • new ferries, air conditioned buses and trains.

 

Rail

Over the next 10 years, we are committed to investing $3.1 billion for new trains - this is in addition to the 698 Waratah and OSCAR rail carriages on order.

 

The Metropolitan Transport Plan: Connecting the City of Cities – includes the $4.5 billion Western Express CityRail Service – a separate dedicated rail track to slash travelling times from western Sydney to the city. It will achieve faster and more frequent services with an ultimate goal of up to 50 per cent more services and 17 per cent more passengers on the CityRail network on an average weekday.

 

This will occur through:

  • a dedicated express rail track

  • a new five kilometre priority tunnel – the City Relief Line – which will be built from 2015 in the city to separate western services from inner-city trains to provide shorter journey times;

  • construction of eight new platforms to increase capacity at Redfern, Central, Town Hall and Wynyard to relieve congestion;

  • new express train services for the Blue Mountains, Richmond, Penrith, Blacktown and Parramatta;

  • The western express allows the introduction of extra services on all other lines.

 

Start of work on the $6.7 billion North West rail link from Epping to Rouse Hill in 2017;

 

The NSW Government has already delivered the Epping to Chatswood Rail Link and has also commenced construction on the South West Rail Link

 

Light Rail

We will expand the current light rail system – bringing its total length to 16.9 kilometres with up to 20 new stations and almost 10 kilometres of new track – a more than doubling of the distance of the existing route. This $500 million investment will see:

  • road works and infrastructure;

  • 4.1 kilometres of light rail from Circular Quay via Barangaroo to Haymarket; and

  • 5.6 kilometres of light rail from Lilyfield to Dulwich Hill.

 

Commuter car parks

We want to encourage commuters to park and ride, which not only reduces road congestion but improves the environment too. In 2009/10, we will invest $170.6 million on 7,000 additional commuter car parking spaces across the CityRail network.

 

Roads

We will continue to deliver $21.9 billion of joint State and Federal funded road projects; and will also provide $536 million for motorway planning, transit corridor reservations and land acquisition for future projects;

 

Buses

We are committed to improving bus services across New South Wales at a cost of $2.9 billion – these include:

  • the roll out of 1,000 new buses in Strategic Bus Corridors in Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and the Central Coast;

  • bus priority measures such as GPS traffic light priority; and

  • new STA and private bus depots.

 

There will be a major expansion of the Metrobus network, with 3 more Metrobus routes rolled out by the end of 2010 - all via the CBD to better meet demand on heavily patronised parts of the Sydney Buses network.

 

Existing Metrobus Routes are: Route 10 between Maroubra and Leichhardt via the CBD and Route 20 between Gore Hill and Mascot.

 

Ferries

We will invest $225 million over 10 years for Sydney ferries, including six new vessels.

 

Taxis

In October 2009 we announced reforms to get more taxis on the road for passengers. New taxi licensing arrangements enable new entrants to renew their new licences annually for up to ten years, at the market based fee.

 

Other projects

We have introduced a number of other transport measures including:

  • $158 million in cycleways – completing many of the city’s high priority missing links;

  • more than $400 million in commuter car parks; and

  • $57 million Commuter Infrastructure Fund for local transport partnerships – such as improved and easy access for people with disabilities and more awnings and shelters at rail stations;