The government has plans in place to put an end to the crowded four-carriage trains on the South Coast line.
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But those plans won’t be in place for three years, when the intercity fleet hits the rails in the Illawarra.
While South Coast commuters have a range of complaints about the line, it is the 3.24pm and 3.54pm services heading to Wollongong that have been a constant source of frustration.
Those two services are just four carriages long and commuters regularly report many have to stand all the way to Sutherland – or even further.
Efforts to get the government to add extra carriages added have been unsuccessful.
Instead the government has pointed to the rollout of the intercity fleet, which starts in 2017.
“The New Intercity Fleet will provide more carriages for South Coast customers,” a Transport for NSW spokesman said.
“All services to and from Central that are currently operated by four-carriage trains will be progressively replaced by longer trains.”
That means all South Coast trains will be eight-car sets.
While the new carriages do have fewer seats than the Oscars now on the network, replacing a four-car Oscar set with an eight-car intercity set represents an increase of around 200 seats.
That’s the good news for South Coast commuters.
The bad news is the oft-stated 2017 rollout date for the new trains is not when they will reach Wollongong.
“The New Intercity Fleet will be introduced progressively from 2019, starting with the Central Coast and Newcastle line,” a Transport for NSW spokesman said.
“New trains will start operating on the Blue Mountains line in mid-2020 and the South Coast in 2021.”
Transport for NSW has previously stated the priority is to introduce the new fleet onto those lines that have older trains operating.
However, the current Oscar carriages also run on the Newcastle line – and were reportedly introduced there after they appeared on the South Coast line.
It is understood there is a possibility that any Oscar carriages replaced by the new fleet on other lines could be moved to the South Coast line.
Transport for NSW is waiting until the new fleet comes before making any decisions about the redeployment of Oscar carriages.
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
