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Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

P O Box K606
Haymarket NSW 1240
18 May 2018


Sydney Metro
email: sydneymetrowest@transport.nsw.gov.au

Sydney Metro West

2nd Submission

Introduction

Action for Public Transport (NSW) is a transport advocacy group active in Sydney since 1974. We promote the interests of beneficiaries of public transport - passengers and the wider community alike. We make this submission on the project overview of Sydney Metro West dated March 2018. We think that more attention should be paid to describing a strategic plan and following it. We said as much in our submission last September (see http://aptnsw.org.au/cgi-bin/item.cgi?20170905Tue045223.txt) but without evident result.

Discussion

Page 2 of the Overview has a section headed "Strategic planning" which mentions T4NSW's Future Transport Strategy 2056. We have reservations about those documents - see http://www.aptnsw.org.au/documents/future_transp_strat_2056_submission.html. There is not enough information in the 2056 Strategy about how Metro West is to fit into the expanded rail network that will be essential for Sydney's future. Returning to the March overview, the only information relates to proposed stations on Metro West.

Even after Metro West is built, Sydney's rail network will compare very unfavourably with other leading cities. For example, the loop of the Circle Line in London has 18 stations. Many other stations lie within that loop and cover the area so well that nearly all points within the loop are within 500 metres of at least one station. Compare this with Sydney, where the KFC facing Railway Square is not within 500 metres' walk of any heavy rail platform and no plans exist that would alter that. There are many medium-density areas of inner suburban Sydney which have no rail service; we think that Sydney Metro is a proper transport system for these areas because its trains are optimised for shorter trips. Of course, there are also very many other suburbs without rail but perhaps they should be left for double-deck rail services (which should also be in the strategic plan as should the future light rail network).

Conclusion

We think a detailed plan should be drawn up and released showing how Sydney's rail network is to be expanded. We cannot accept that Metro West will be the last line to be built. A example of the sort of document which we think should be prepared is the 89-page "Long-term Strategic Plan for Rail" that was prepared under Christie in 2001. It can be downloaded from http://exigent.aptnsw.org.au/christie/. We particularly refer to Chapter 5 which shows an enlarged network (fig. 5.7) and possible operational patterns (fig. 5.9). Note that Christie shows about 80 new stations (and several entirely new lines) beyond those which existed in 2001.

Recommendation

We think that Sydney Metro should issue a document showing its part in a strategic plan for a comprehensive rail network covering Sydney CBD, other centres such as Parramatta, Hurstville, Chatswood etc, and suburbs. We think that designs for stations which are to be interchange or junction stations should include platforms etc. that might not be used immediately but will be required later.
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