Sydney bus shake-up for opening of major new metro train line
Five bus routes will be axed, 11 changed and service frequency on about two dozen boosted on weekdays or weekends to help funnel passengers onto a $21.6 billion metro rail line under the heart of Sydney when it opens in early August.
As foreshadowed by the Herald, most of the changes will be to bus routes in Sydney’s north and north-west, and will take effect on the day that the main section of the new driverless train line from Chatswood to Sydenham opens.
The change to bus routes is designed to funnel commuters into North Sydney’s Victoria Cross station, pictured, and other stops along the new metro line.Credit: Nick Moir
The government expects the line will open on a weekend in early August, although the final date is subject to the outcome of trial operations and approval from national rail safety regulators.
The ribbon cutting by politicians and dignitaries is expected to occur on a Saturday, either August 3 or 10, and the line opened to passengers shortly after 4am the following day when the first trains leave either end of the railway in Sydenham or Tallawong.
The rerouting, axing or extension to frequencies of bus services to accommodate the new rail line will have the greatest impact on commuters in Blacktown, the Hills, Ryde, Lane Cove and North Sydney.
The changes to bus routes are partly designed to funnel commuters onto the driverless train line, and avoid duplication of services. A similar shake-up of bus services in Sydney’s north-west was made in 2019 when the first stage of the metro line between Tallawong and Chatswood opened.
Buses to Macquarie Park, pictured, and other parts of Sydney’s north shore and north-west will undergo a shake-up.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
As part of the latest overhaul, routes 200 (Gore Hill-Bondi Junction), 259 (Chatswood-Macquarie Park), 294 (Macquarie University-Wynyard), 602X (Bella Vista-North Sydney) and 619 (Macquarie Park-Castle Hill) will be axed.
Route 265 will continue to run between Lane Cove and North Sydney but will no longer extend to Greenwich Wharf. Instead, route 267 will replace 265 to Greenwich Wharf.
In addition, route 288 will stop operating between Epping and Macquarie University. However, a 288 service will run between Macquarie University and Epping Boys High on mornings and afternoons during school days.
In a move aimed at removing bus services that duplicate the metro line, route 320 between Gore Hill and Green Square will be shortened. It will run only between Green Square and Central Station.
Route 115 will operate as a loop service between Chatswood and North Sydney instead of running into the CBD. Route 252 between Gladesville and the CBD will finish at North Sydney rather than run to King Street Wharf. Route 261 from Lane Cove to the CBD will terminate at North Sydney instead of King Street Wharf.
However, the frequency of services will be boosted on routes 261, 267, 546, 549, 630, 610X, 715, 740, 742, 745, 747, 748, and 751. These routes help connect commuters to stations on the new metro line.
A new route, number 516, between Top Ryde, North Ryde and Chatswood will be put on, while another new service, number 119, will run between Gore Hill and North Sydney on weekdays during peak periods.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the bus changes were aimed at ensuring frequent and fast journeys for passengers and connecting the new metro line to the rest of the public transport network.
“We are sharing these adjustments to bus routes now so passengers have plenty of time to begin planning their journeys and take advantage of the new metro line from opening day,” she said.
Transport for NSW co-ordinator-general Howard Collins said the opening of the new metro line in August, together with the first stage of the Parramatta light rail line, would change the way people traversed Sydney.
“We want passengers using bus services to connect to the new metro line and take advantage of a faster trip,” he said.
The second stage of the city’s expanding driverless train network has been known as Metro City and Southwest during its seven-year construction. It is an extension of the existing Metro Northwest line, which opened in 2019 between Rouse Hill and Chatswood at a cost of $7.3 billion.
The two stages will form one line and be known as the M1 when it opens to passengers in August. The opening of the final part of the Metro City and Southwest project between Sydenham and Bankstown has been delayed until late next year due to difficulties converting an existing stretch of rail line to metro train standards.
A metro train journey from Chatswood to the new Gadigal station near Town Hall in the CBD will take 13 minutes, while Chatswood to Sydenham will take 22 minutes.
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