Re: Sydney Metro

TP
Tuesday, August 20, 2024 12:04 PM

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/passengers-on-sydney-s-new-metro-line-surge-beyond-opening-day-numbers-20240820-p5k3uf.html

The article states that a trend that's emerging is that about 20% of metro passengers are changing to the metro from/to Sydney Trains and intercity services at Epping (T9 Northern Line and Central Coast/Newcastle), Chatswood (T1 North Shore Line) and Sydenham (T3 Bankstown Line), rather than staying on the slower Sydney and Intercity Trains services through to the City. About 6% are interchanging to/from buses. The rest are existing + new users along the line and beyond. Park and ride/ Kiss and ride is very busy.

Not mentioned here, but a trend that started with the first stage of M1 (Tallawong-Chatswood) is that a lot of patronage comes from the Hawkesbury region and lower Blue Mountains (Windsor/Richmond/Kurrajong/Glossodia region), making Tallawong with its park and ride quite busy. There are presently almost no direct bus or rail connections to the metro from this region. Some of this patronage has transferred from the Sydney Trains Richmond line. This will only increase with the metro now running through to the city with a far better journey time and frequency than the Richmond line.

The public response has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic, with calls for more metro lines across Sydney. Among the commentary are wistful comments from people in Brisbane and Melbourne that they wished they could have the same. Melbourne certainly needs it, having now surpassed Sydney's population and in much danger of becoming very short of public transport capacity. Sydney Metro M1 incorporates provision to increase capacity to nearly twice that of the Sydney Trains system.

Tony P

On Tuesday 20 August 2024 at 18:14:54 UTC+10 TP wrote:

As Sydney Metro has announced, the dwell time is deliberately extended for a period to allow newcomers to get used to the system. There are large numbers of Sydney Trains passengers accustomed to more protracted boarding transferring across to the metro. Sydney Trains T1 services between Chatswood and the City are currently running quite empty in the peaks.

There is a very tight S curve between Martin Place and Barangaroo necessitated by the positions of those two stations. If you want to hear extreme wheel squeal without protection by enclosed stations, go and wait on Perth underground station as the Bombardiers approach.

Tony P

On Tuesday 20 August 2024 at 16:33:40 UTC+10 Matthew Geier wrote:

On 20/8/24 14:31, 'TP' via TramsDownUnder wrote:

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/only-minor-teething-issues-on-first-day-of-sydney-metro-190000-passengers-take-a-ride/news-story/44bc68a4f1553441617596b7ee12c7c4

Only ‘minor’ teething issues on first day of Sydney Metro, 190,000 passengers take a ride

Just about every single one of the 425 trains darting across the new Sydney Metro line were on time on its very first day of full operation.

They should have been on time. Single line, back and forth with no junctions or interactions with other lines. Only a break down would have messed things up for them and mercifully they had no breakdowns.

They were stopping at city stations for a about twice the dwell time needed.

I was at Sydenham at around 8pm observing the train I just got from Chatswood leave again. Midway down the train some one or something jammed a train or platform door. Two platform staff RAN down the platform to investigate the flashing warning light.

I did find it rather amusing there are departure signals at Sydenham and the train signal cleared before the announcement was made that the train was departing. There are actual human visible signals in advance of all points. So there is a signal at Barangaroo as well, that while it looks and operated like a station departure signal, it's 'protecting' the crossover at that location.

Before I left Sydenham another train came out of the yard, ran into the other platform but the doors did not open. It departed shortly after empty. Presumably it returned to Tallawong as empty cars.

The rail noise between Gadigal - Martin Place and Bangaroo is quite excessive. What is it with rail planners designing routes that promote rail wear ?. Deep tubes, there is no excuse for curves so sharp wheels have to drag.