There’s no more space for trains on South Coast line

Earlier this week, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Transport Minister Andrew Constance announced the introduction of more than 8600 new weekly public transport services across the state.

“These changes are huge,” Mr Constance said.

The changes will roll out on November 26 on every train line bar the South Coast  – where the status quo will remain.

This was because it just wasn’t possible to fit more services on the South Coast line in its present form.

“Currently, it is not possible to add more services on the South Coast Line due to a number of network constraints, both on the South Coast, and within the Illawarra shared suburban corridor,” a Transport for NSW spokesman said.

“To enable more train services for our customers, a significant investment would need to be made to upgrade existing infrastructure.”

The constraints include the fact that the line is only a single track south of Unanderra.

The spokesman said Transport for NSW was aware of the increasing demand for train services to and from the Illawarra.

He said investigations on options to improve conditions on the line were a “priority”.

“We are working closely with key stakeholders to investigate possible options, however this is not a quick fix and requires a lot more planning and analysis,” the Transport for NSW spokesman said.

Transport for NSW has already introduced improvements to the South Coast line including adding extra carriages to most evening peak trains leaving Sydney.

However some commuters have complained about the crowding on early evening services from Central.

It also conducted a trial of express stops at Austimner station, eventually retaining four stops.