The 13-kilometre stretch of the T3 line will become the final part of theM1 metro line between Tallawong in the city’s north-west and Bankstown.
Dubbed “Southwest Link”,about 100 pink buses will start replacement services for up to 60,000 commuters onthree main routes on September 30,which coincides with the start of school holidays. There will be a mix of all-stops and express buses,and they will run every two to four minutes in peak periods.
However,early works mean that part of the T3 rail line between Campsie and Bankstown will be closed on September 21.
The shutdown of the rail line willmore than double daily journey times for thousands of commuters to almost an hour for a one-way trip along the corridor when buses replace trains.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the fair thing to do was not to charge for trips on the dedicated Southwest Link bus services because it would be a “really tough time” for passengers in the Canterbury-Bankstown and inner west areas.