A public transport lobby group is pushing for the Sydney Metro to be diverted from Sydenham along the F6 corridor, instead of running to Bankstown.
EcoTransit Sydney says, instead of converting the T3 Bankstown Line to the Metro system at great cost, it would be more sensible to extend it along a route that is not already served by rail.
The proposed route is from Sydenham to the airport international terminal and on through Blakehurst, Sans Souci and Taren Point to Miranda.
“This would expand Sydney’s rail network and not just replace one service with another inferior service,” the EcoTransit proposal says.
Co-convener Robert Schroeder said, while the group had only 52 financial members, they were very committed and, between them, had a great deal of knowledge about transport planning.
Mr Schroeder said there was strong community opposition to the Bankstown Metro plans, which were seen as being more about providing developers with opportunities, and it was not too late for the government to make a change.
He said a Metro line would be cheaper than the F6 motorway to build, would move more people and provide a faster rail service between the CBD and Sutherland Shire, where the Cronulla line was at near capacity in the morning peak.
A Transport for NSW spokeswoman defended the present plans.
”The conversion of the T3 Bankstown Line to Metro rail will take pressure off Sydney’s suburban rail system,” she said.
“The T3 Bankstown Line creates a significant bottleneck for the existing rail network – it effectively slows down the network because of the way it merges with other railway lines close to the Sydney CBD, including the T8 Airport and South Line and the Inner West and Leppington Line.
“By moving Bankstown Line services to the new standalone Metro system, it removes this bottleneck and provide more reliable journeys for customers from all across Sydney.
“This creates more capacity on the existing network for customers.”
The spokeswoman said, over the three-hour morning peak, Sydney Metro would be able to move 51,000 people in each direction on the Bankstown Line.
This would be an increase of 15,000 on the number travelling at present.
The spokeswoman said a draft long-term strategy, Future Transport 2056, which was released in October, 2017, identified possible extensions to the Metro system, including the CBD to Malabar via Eastlakes and Maroubra Junction and a separate link that would connect Eastlakes with Sydney Airport, Kogarah and Miranda.
