A major train timetable overhaul will mean passengers travelling between Leppington and Parramatta on the T5 Cumberland Line in the busiest morning peak hour will benefit from a 15-minute service frequency.
It’s not what commuters from Macarthur to Parramatta have been calling for – a direct journey but it is an improvement.
It was a 2017 timetable change which ended direct trips between Macarthur and Parramatta.
“Campbelltown commuters will still need to change trains through an easy cross platform interchange at Glenfield, to continue their journeys to Parramatta,’’ a department of transport spokesperson told the South West Voice over the weekend.
“However, with two more T5 services from Leppington in the morning peak – arriving in Parramatta before 9am – many passengers will spend less time waiting for their connecting train,’’ the spokesperson said.
Responding to the changes, the member for Campbelltown, Greg Warren, pledged to continue working to bring back direct services.
“I continue to sustain my position that the direct trainline between Campbelltown and Parramatta needs to be returned after it was cut by the previous government,” Mr Warren (pictured) said.
“These changes are the first step and will still provide benefits to passengers changing at Leppington onto the T5 line, with more frequent services lowering the average wait time when changing.
“There is still plenty more to do, and I will continue to advocate for the return of the direct Parramatta line. I will not be giving up,” Mr Warren said.
The timetable changes will come into effect from next Sunday, October 20.
The first major timetable adjustment that Sydney’s train network has seen since 2017 will add more than 800 new services a week to the train network, including the line serving Macarthur and South Western Sydney commuters.
The T2 Leppington and Inner West Line (formerly T2 Inner West & Leppington) will continue to connect passengers from Leppington and Parramatta to the Sydney CBD.
The Inner West corridor will be expanded to include the new T3 Liverpool and Inner West Line services, connecting Inner West passengers, between Redfern and Lidcombe, to Liverpool via Regents Park and to the Sydney CBD.
Leppington and Edmondson Park passengers who interchange for T8 Airport and South services at Glenfield, will benefit from additional trains in the morning peak hour on both the T5 Cumberland Line and T8 Airport and South Line.
The T8 Airport and South Line will see an overall increase in services during the morning peak, going from 14 trains per hour to 16 trains per hour benefitting Revesby and stations between Holsworthy and Macarthur.
