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Direct train services to City must remain

Mayor for Cumberland, Steve Christou is calling on the NSW Government to reassure residents that any integration of Metro City & Southwest with existing rail services won’t involve cuts to direct services into the city.
12 Dec 2019 - General news

Mayor for Cumberland, Steve Christou is calling on the NSW Government to reassure residents that any integration of Metro City & Southwest with existing rail services won’t involve cuts to direct services into the city.

The Restore Inner West Line (Liverpool via Regents Park) community action group has raised concerns that nine stations west of the Bankstown Line will lose a direct service to the city. Customers will instead need to change trains twice (interchanging at Bankstown and then at Sydenham or Central) before reaching the City Circle.

The nine stations west of Bankstown are: Berala, Regents Park, Sefton, Chester Hill, Leightonfield, Villawood, Carramar, Birrong and Yagoona.

“More trains and frequent services is a grand but vague promise,” said Mayor Christou.

 “Customers shouldn’t need to interchange at Bankstown and then again at Sydenham or Central - not if there’s a service that currently takes them to the city. Asking customers to hop on several different trains isn’t my idea of an upgrade.”

Mayor Christou urged authorities to provide clarity on what rail customers can expect.

“If Sydney Metro is the future of our rail network and is about boosting capacity, then residents and transport authorities should know what the new timetable will look like.

“Residents deserve reliable and efficient services. The NSW Government must quickly reassure residents that they won’t cut any direct service into the city and show us that they’ve actually thought this through.”

More than 650 residents have signed submissions for the City to Liverpool (& Bankstown) via Regents Park service to be provided. Council has also expressed its support for these train services in Cumberland 2030: Our Local Strategic Planning Statement.