2 August 2024
By Hannah Wilcox
The highly-anticipated Sydney Metro line will no longer be opening this weekend after it failed to get the tick of approval from the national rail safety regulator. But major changes to bus major bus rerouting will continue to go ahead from Sunday, originally planned to come into effect coinciding with the Metro’s planned opening date.
Those travelling into the city from around the North Shore will no longer be able to hop on direct bus routes into the city, rather be diverted to the Metro or pre-existing train stations. Marshals will apparently be on hand to help commuters.
Route 252 will now finish at North Sydney rather than run to King Street Wharf, whilst Route 267 will now operate between Chatswood and Greenwich Wharf instead of terminating at Crows Nest.
The 269 service will no longer extend from North Sydney to McMahons Point wharf, instead running only between North Sydney and a loop of Kirribilli.
Route 115 will operate as a loop service between Chatswood and North Sydney instead of running into the CBD, similar to route 261 from Lane Cove to the CBD which terminates at North Sydney instead of King Street Wharf.
Route 294 between the CBD and Macquarie University has been axed.
Extra bendy buses – also referred to as articulated buses – will also run on the 120 route from Chatswood to the CBD.
A new route, the 119, will be running between Gore Hill and North Sydney.
Running between Sydenham and Chatswood – with stops at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal, Central and Waterloo stations – the $25.32 billion transport system was set to welcome its first visitors on Sunday.
It has now been pushed back to an unknown opening date as the National Rail Safety Regulator completes its final safety assessments.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen assured commuters safety is not the issue, with the process just a matter of ‘independent assurance’.
“The railway is 99 percent ready,” Haylen told reporters on Tuesday.
“Unfortunately, passengers are going to have to wait until we open Sydney Metro but not that much longer…it will be worth it.”
She added: “We do need a little more time for the safety regulator to give us the final tick of approval.”
“I have also said that safety and reliability comes first and I’m not in the business of putting additional pressure on the National safety regulator.”
Haylen acknowledged the delay was disappointing.
With more than 11,000 hours of testing and 200 exercises completed, 45 trains still need to undergo four additional exercises.
These will be carried out by the NRSR in partnership with Fire and Rescue NSW.