COMMUNITY WIN: RESTORE INNER WEST LINE (30 September 2024) • Restore Inner West Line: Liverpool via Regents Park

City Circle to Liverpool via Regents Park Train Service resuming from 30 September 2024

After 11 Years of Tireless Community Advocacy, the Inner West Line (Liverpool via Regents Park) Service is Finally Restored from 30 September 2024. The long-anticipated return of the Inner West Line train service between City Circle and Liverpool via Regents Park will begin on September 30, 2024. This major victory comes after an 11-year grassroots campaign led by the Restore Inner West Line (RIWL) group, which fought tirelessly to reverse the damaging 2013 timetable changes that disrupted public transport in Sydney’s Inner West and Southwest.

This service restoration is independent of the Sydney Metro Southwest project and is a direct result of community persistence. Transport for NSW had initially proposed only shuttle services to Bankstown which would have left 9 stations west of Bankstown without direct trains to Central. As a result of the joint community efforts across Strathfield LGA, Auburn/Cumberland LGA, Canterbury-Bankstown LGA, Fairfield LGA, and Liverpool LGA – the commuters of Berala, Regents Park, Sefton, Chester Hill, Leightonfield, Villawood, and Carramar will now benefit from the restored Sydney Trains service.

In 2013, Transport for NSW’s own internal documentation highlighted that the West of Bankstown would have “most significant issues” with an “impact likely to be noticed by the majority of peak period station users” from the timetable changes, acknowledging that commuters from this region would face longer travel times and up to three additional interchanges at key stations like Birrong, Lidcombe, and Strathfield. The removal of the City Circle to Liverpool via Regents Park service resulted in frustrating and inefficient journeys for passengers, particularly students, workers, and seniors who relied on a direct connection to Sydney’s CBD and Liverpool.

Campaign lead Roydon Ng stated, “This is a tremendous victory for our multicultural community, who have been hit hardest by the 2013 timetable changes. For over a decade, commuters have struggled with longer travel times and unnecessary interchanges. The resilience and determination of our community have made this restoration possible. Without the dedication of the people who stood together, these vital stations would have been left without any direct service to Central. I want to personally thank everyone who has supported this cause—our community’s diversity and solidarity have been at the heart of this fight.”

The 2013 timetable changes were met with widespread opposition, but it was the acknowledgment within Transport for NSW’s own documents that spurred the community to action. The documents revealed that the impacts west of Bankstown were severe, and the removal of the Inner West Line (Liverpool via Regents Park) would impose a significant burden on local residents. Further Transport for NSW documents has revealed that the Sydney Trains Network had the capacity in 2013 to continue with the Inner West Line (Liverpool via Regents Park), with spare capacity between Lidcombe and City Circle arising from the abolition of the train service not reallocated to other lines. The full restoration of this service will now reduce the number of interchanges and provide direct access to the City Circle and Liverpool, improving daily commutes for thousands of passengers.

To celebrate the restoration and the 100-year anniversary of the Lidcombe-Cabramatta railway via Regents Park, a community event will be held on Saturday, 19 October 2024 (10am to 12pm) at Regents Park Community Hall. The event will commemorate the community’s success and honour history of this vital railway line.

“This is more than just restoring a train service—it’s about recognising the power of community advocacy and the long-standing value of public transport such as the Lidcombe-Cabramatta (via Regents Park) railway,” added Ng. “While this is a crucial milestone, we urge Transport for NSW to take the next step by working with the community to upgrade digital signalling across the Sydney Trains network. By investing in digital signalling, we can ensure our public transport system is more efficient, reliable, and prepared for future growth.”