More Trains, More Services for South West Sydney

[Transtopic]

The best airport rail link I've been on is Hong Kong's MTR Airport Express. It's on a dedicated line paralleling the standard all stops metro service (which doesn't go as far as the airport) with only two intermediate stations. It takes 24 mins for the 35km journey from Central Hong Kong to the airport. While it does cost a premium fare, it has dedicated rolling stock with more comfortable 2+2 transverse seating and luggage storage racks. It's well worth the extra cost IMO. You can also check-in at the Central terminus for the outward journey to the airport. Singapore's Airport Shuttle could work equally as well if the airport link was extended to the city centre on quadruplicated tracks for an express journey. As it stands, it's not the most efficient or convenient link in peak periods.

In translating that scenario to the SWRL extending to Badgerys Creek Airport, I would advocate in the longer term extending quadruplication of the East Hills Line from Revesby to Glenfield. This could facilitate the introduction of an airport express service with dedicated single deck rolling stock, compatible with the existing DD network. It could run via the East Hills Line express tracks and the current Illawarra Local via Sydenham to Sydney Terminal. I see no reason why at least 130km/hr running couldn't be possible along this corridor, considering that the Waratah and Millennium DD stock have this capability. I don't think there would be a need to run around the City Circle as Central would be a logical terminus for interchange to the greater Sydney Trains and Sydney Metro networks. There would obviously have to be a rearrangement of the junction layout at Erskineville to enable direct access from the Illawarra Local to the Illawarra Dive to Sydney Terminal (post Bankstown Line metro conversion of course).

An Airport Express service from Badgerys Creek Airport to the Sydney CBD (Central) would only need to stop at Turrella (for cross platform interchange to Sydney Airport via the Airport Line) and possibly Sydenham (interchange with the Bankstown Metro and Illawarra Lines). I don't believe there would be a need for a direct rail link between the two airports, as the overwhelming majority of airline passengers would transfer to other flights at the respective airports. The relative few that need to do so will still have the option of a convenient cross platform interchange at Turrella.

A Cumberland Line service from Badgerys Creek to Blacktown via Liverpool and Parramatta would operate in tandem with an Airport Express service, and indeed an all stations service, to the Sydney CBD via the East Hills Line. I'm probably getting a bit off topic, but the point I'm trying to make is that there will still be a need to provide for a suitable junction layout at Glenfield to avoid conflicts between transit from the SWRL and South Line to both the East Hills Line and the South Line to Liverpool.

[swtt]

I don't think Narita has a dedicated line. Last few times I went there, both JR and Keisei express trains shared same tracks as local trains. Plenty of refuge loops along the way ensured that expresses got clear runs though

Neither does Chek Lap Kok. It shares the line as the "slower" local Tung CHung services (which really only stop at 4 more stops). But as you said, plenty of refuge looks at the stations.

[peterkl]

Seoul Incheon has an Airport Express -- but it's only marginally faster than the all stops metro service, whilst only running every 30-35 min. The all stops service runs every 10 min, and the all stops service stops also at its alternative Gimpo Airport (older airport).

Yes getting on it also a bit of a problem.

You can't always have a dedicated line -- you need to be sufficiently far away from the CBD for this to happen (Narita, Chep Lap Kok), and the sufficient density for the dedicated line to work.

Actually the Airport Express also shares the track with local trains (Tung Chung Line) for a number of sections [Western Harbour Crossings, Tsing Yi - Tsing Ma Bridge - Tung Chung North] and with a lot of bypasses

[jpp42]

I laugh at the idea that Sydney has to quadruplicate to accomplish what Hong Kong or Japan can accomplish with two tracks and some passing loops. Why can't Sydney learn a bit about timetabling?

Heck the Narita Airport trains are single track for the final portion into Narita airport! There's one track each for the standard gauge Kesei trains and the narrow gauge JR trains - this setup allows competing services serving multiple parts of Tokyo, on a reservation and viaduct that's only wide enough for two tracks. Still, both networks offer a wide variety of services, with some frequency limitations due to "fleeting" of trains through the single track. When you see how things like this work, you realise that quadruplication in Sydney's southwest is by all measures an extreme overbuild.

[rogf24]

The surrounding environment of the two different rail corridors between Sydney and some East Asian cities are not comparable. The use of passing loops is a compromise to achieve express trains in an environment where it is not as "open", either it is already densely built up with not much reservation left or that the construction of 4 underground tracks is too expensive. Having 4 tracks will always be better than using passing loops for express trains.

Sydney's rail corridors in the south-west have ample room to provide 4 tracks, with so much room anyway, there is no need to compromise by using passing loops to get express trains.

[Transtopic]

The surrounding environment of the two different rail corridors between Sydney and some East Asian cities are not comparable. The use of passing loops is a compromise to achieve express trains in an environment where it is not as "open", either it is already densely built up with not much reservation left or that the construction of 4 underground tracks is too expensive. Having 4 tracks will always be better than using passing loops for express trains.

Sydney's rail corridors in the south-west have ample room to provide 4 tracks, with so much room anyway, there is no need to compromise by using passing loops to get express trains.

Sydney is blessed with already having substantial sections of quadruplicated track, as well as sextuplication, which allows for the separation of all-stations and express services. We are also fortunate that the early rail planners (yes, they were part of the government controlled system) had the foresight to allow for future quadruplication along the main line corridors. This has yet to be completed, such as the Northern Line from Strathfield to Hornsby (Rhodes to West Ryde and Epping to Hornsby) and the Western Line from St Marys to Penrith. Even the North Shore Line has provision for quadruplication from North Sydney to Chatswood and the Illawarra Line for sextuplication from Erskineville to Sydenham. The East Hills Line could also potentially be amplified from Revesby to Glenfield in conjunction with an extension of the SWRL to Western Sydney Airport. There's also the longer term proposal for an express tunnel for the existing network from Parramatta/Granville to the CBD to accommodate growth in patronage for the Western, South and Northern Lines through the inner city suburbs. It would allow for the Inner West Local to become a dedicated all-stations service with increased frequency from Parramatta to the City Circle. In my view, some of these projects should have taken precedence over the establishment and expansion of a separate metro system (which I would still support).

In respect of the Hong Kong Airport Express, there's only a relatively short section of track which is shared between the Airport Express and standard MTR all stations Tung Chung Line, where both services have a similar operating pattern without conflicting movements. Nonetheless, when it is possible to have a complete quad track allowing separation of express and all-stations services then that would have to be a better outcome. Having passing loops for express trains on a shared track pair is akin to having overtaking lanes on a single carriage highway instead of duplicated dual lane carriageways along the whole road corridor, which is obviously more desirable.

[superbossgc]

notice on the news.com.au for more service at the airport lines at the end of this year.

The NSW government has announced 200 extra train services each week during non-peak times on the Sydney Airport line.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance and Sydney Trains chief executive Howard Collins say trains servicing airport stations will double on weekends, so there's a train roughly every seven-and-a-half minutes.
Services will also be boosted late on weeknights, when trains will run every 15 minutes.
Mr Collins said the extra services would be introduced towards the end of this year.

http://www.news.com.au/national/breakin ... 85209afc78

[swtt]

notice on the news.com.au for more service at the airport lines at the end of this year.

The NSW government has announced 200 extra train services each week during non-peak times on the Sydney Airport line.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance and Sydney Trains chief executive Howard Collins say trains servicing airport stations will double on weekends, so there's a train roughly every seven-and-a-half minutes.
Services will also be boosted late on weeknights, when trains will run every 15 minutes.
Mr Collins said the extra services would be introduced towards the end of this year.

http://www.news.com.au/national/breakin ... 85209afc78

A bit of this would've been announced in the More Trains More Services program, which we gain updates in Feb about the T2 South/Inner West/Airport lines.

http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/project ... e-services

I'm also suspecting that the Northern Line (Epping - City via Eastwood) will also get a sorely needed doubling of frequency (from 30 min --> 15 min) on the weekends, making it much more feasible to take the train and less reason to jump in the car.

[rogf24]

There's news on the SMH that the frequency of weekend Airport line trains will go from 4 tph to 8 tph.

Found more, https://twitter.com/andrewconstance/sta ... 3808970752

[Frosty]

Good to see extra weekend services on the Airport Line. With this it would probably mean the T3 trains would operate like during weekdays where it's one contained loop. As there would be enough Airport Line trains to feed the T2 South & Inner West lone.

have feeling it would operate on the 6-9 min frequency like it does during Mon-Fri. It will be interesting if they decide what they do west of Wolli Creek. Maybe the same off-peak timetable 4tph Revesby, 2tph Macarthur, 1tph Campbelltown, 1tph Kingsgrove.

[grog]

4tph Revesby and 4tph Macarthur makes most sense, especially since there will be no other services between Macarthur and Glenfield.

[neilrex]

It will be interesting if they decide what they do west of Wolli Creek. Maybe the same off-peak timetable 4tph Revesby, 2tph Macarthur, 1tph Campbelltown, 1tph Kingsgrove.

As a customer, I can see how this would be a good idea. Running like this can be a real PITA for customers.

[simonl]

You mean can't right? Why not just extend the Campbelltown and Kingsgrove trains to Macarthur?

[simonl]

Media release here: http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/newsroo ... owth-takes

Sounds like no more services for the weekday evenings.

[Glen]

Media release here: http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/newsroo ... owth-takes

Sounds like no more services for the weekday evenings.

That link says:

"Extra services on weekdays late at night, meaning trains running every 15 minutes instead of every 20-30 minutes today".

[GazzaOak]

I like that idea of separating the 2 lines

[Jurassic_Joke]

Umm hang on, I'm sorry.

T2 Airport Line (Wolli Creek-Central)....Doesn't that already run every 15 minutes in the evening? Checking Triptastic right now, I'm seeing intervals of around every 15 mins and its a weekday night unless its Friday counts as something else

[Stu]

^ 15 min frequency until 20:42 ex Central, Mon-Fri. The additional late night services (Fri) are currently every 30 minutes.

Saturday night has a 15 min frequency in the late evening although during a very small time frame only.

[objectingsquare]

If they can currently run trains stopping at Kingsgrove, Riverwood and then all stops to Macarthur on weekends, they should run similar limited stops trains after 9:30pm. Unbelievable only one service after that time on a weekday night can run under 1 hour from Central because everything is all stops or via Granville only.