Save T3 Bankstown Line is concerned at the woeful and inadequate transport arrangements for commuters during the Christmas and New Year period (24 December 2019 to 5 January 2020)
The NSW Government has broken its promise to consult with the local community regarding the replacement of train services from Punchbowl to Central
Journey times from Canterbury-Bankstown LGA to the City Circle will in many cases be doubled
| Current T3 Bankstown Line | Replacement Bus | |
| Punchbowl to Central | 32 minutes | 50 minutes* |
| Campsie to Sydenham | 12 minutes | 23 minutes |
| Campsie to Central | 21 minutes | 40 minutes |
| Central to Canterbury | 20 minutes | 40 minutes |
*Including a 5 minute walk from Railway Square to Central station for trains to City Circle
Furthermore, the buses replacing trains will not be the modern fleet provided for Macquarie Park commuters during the shutdown of the Epping – Chatswood line
Many of the buses will not be accessible for wheelchair users or parents with prams and young children
Unlike the seating comforts of the double-deck Waratah train, commuters will be exposed to the hot weather both when waiting on the side of the road and when crammed in onboard crowded buses
The increased risk of sexual offences for commuters in crowded spaces are a foretaste of Metro services planned for South West Sydney, with most commuters being forced to stand with minimal personal space for long distances
Evidence presented to the NSW Upper House Inquiry for the Sydenham-Bankstown Conversion show that “indecent assault” is the most reported offence occurring on the Hong Kong Metro (MTR)
The conversion of Sydenham to Bankstown into Metro similar to Hong Kong MTR is planned to open in 2024
The attempt to disguise the T3 shutdown as an “upgrade of the Bankstown Line” is part of the NSW Government’s wider plans to downgrade the Sydney Trains Network
By refusing to release the Business Case and increased travel times for the Sydenham to Bankstown Metro involving gap fillers at stations, the NSW Government has further added to the secrecy behind the project
We urge Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Transport Minister Andrew Constance to stop wasting billions of dollars with the downgrading of the Bankstown Line and to maintain direct trains to City Circle from all T3 stations
A “Rally for Public Transport” outside NSW Parliament on Tuesday 10 December 1:30pm will be held in support of the Sydney Trains Network including Save T3 Bankstown Line and Restore Inner West Line (Liverpool via Regents Park)