Public transport in Sydney will experience a massive boost with new rail and light rail projects to help ease congestion across the city.

NSW Premier Mike Baird said urban congestion had frustrated everyone in Sydney for decades.

“Clogged roads and crowded trains are like a heavy, wet blanket sitting on our lives,” Mr Baird said.

“Whether commuting to work or heading out to enjoy this great city, we all want to get there quicker.”

The two new projects join additional Sydney bus services, as well as a long list of substantial improvements to the city’s public transport options.

New rail network

A proposed new 30km Sydney Rapid Transit (SRT) rail network will extend the North West Rail Link, delivering a new rail line under Sydney Harbour, through the CBD and on to Bankstown.

The SRT will benefit commuters by delivering:

• Less crowding across the network.
  
• Three new underground CBD train stations to reduce crowding at Wynyard and Town Hall.
  
• A train every two minutes through the city.
  
• Up to 30 trains every hour in each direction with 98% reliability.
  
• More express trains from Penrith, Parramatta and Blacktown to the city.
  
• A turn up and go service, meaning no need for timetables.
• Mr Baird said funding for the SRT would come from the long-term lease of the State’s electricity and transmission businesses.

“The expected $20 billion in proceeds will be recycled to turbocharge the delivery of key infrastructure projects, like the SRT, that would otherwise be decades away,” Mr Baird said.

The NSW Government will also begin working on the multi-billion dollar Western Sydney Rail upgrade. This includes improving frequency by upgrading the signalling and power supply to allow trains to travel closer together, and building additional track to enable more express trains.

More light rail

Sydney will see more light rail, following the formal planning approval of the $1.6 billion new CBD and South East Light project.

The project will transform Sydney by linking Circular Quay, Central, Randwick and Kingsford, and also deliver over $4 billion worth of economic benefits and create 10,000 jobs in NSW.

This light rail service is expected to be running by 2020.

The Government is also investigating the feasibility of a light rail network for Western Sydney.

More buses

The CBD and South East light rail approval comes as Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian also announced 33 new buses, 360 extra bus services and a new bus route for South West Sydney.

More improvements

The new light rail and bus options join a list of current and future additions to Sydney’s transport system, such as:

• Almost 6,500 extra bus services across Sydney since March 2011.
  
• Opening the Inner West Light Rail extension in March 2014, including 9 new stops.
  
• Implementing Opal electronic public transport ticketing throughout NSW to speed up commutes.
  
• The $2.8 billion future fleet of intercity trains (around 65 new trains) to carry passengers from Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle, Blue Mountains and Illawarra.
  
• The South West Rail Link, delivering rail services to one of Sydney’s fastest growing areas.
  
• The $8.3 billion North West Rail Link, delivering 8 new railway stations to Sydney’s growing North West.
  
• Six new ferries for Sydney.
  
• A Wynyard Station upgrade in Sydney’s CBD will help move thousands more train commuters every week.
  

Source: www.nsw.gov.au. Original Story.