New Cumberland Line (T5 Metro)

New Cumberland Line: Western Sydney Airport (Bradfield/Aerotropolis) to Epping via Glenfield and Parramatta. Completed by 2056 or 2061.

T5 Metro Stage 1: Conversion of Glenfield to Leppington into Sydney Metro, and extension of South West Rail Link from Leppington to Western Sydney Airport as Sydney Metro (Western Sydney Airport Line – Stage 2). Timing subject to current business case (co-funded by NSW and Commonwealth Government) to extend the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport Line from the Western Sydney Aerotropolis to Glenfield via Leppington.

T5 Metro Stage 2: Conversion of Glenfield to Merrylands into Sydney Metro. Completed by 2036?

T5 Metro Stage 3: New Sydney Metro Tunnels from Merrylands to Parramatta Metro Station (future Parramatta Transport Hub). Completed by 2041?

T5 Metro Stage 4: Parramatta to Epping with a new Sydney Metro station potentially at Rydalmere and/or Carlingford. Completed by 2056.

10 Impacts of the New Cumberland Line (Reasons Against T5 Metro)

1. The South West Rail Link was designed on the Sydney Trains Network to be (and should be) extended beyond Leppington as Sydney Trains heavy rail with baggage capacity (e.g. Oscar carriages) to Western Sydney Airport and is advantageous due to its short distance.
2. The South West Rail Link has capacity for direct Sydney Trains Network connections through Glenfield to Liverpool, Parramatta, Blacktown, Richmond, Granville, Strathfield, Redfern, East Hills, Wolli Creek, Sydney Domestic Airport, Sydney International Airport, Central, and City Circle.
3. The New Cumberland Line as Sydney Metro to Epping (after the initial conversion of Glenfield to Leppington with Metro extension to Western Sydney Airport) will remove the capacity for Sydney Trains heavy rail running between Merrylands and Glenfield.

Trains relying on the Old Main South Line (via Granville) and New Main South Line (via Regents Park) will be rerouted to operate on the T8 Airport and East Lines to Central, which will severely limit flexibility on the Sydney Trains Network especially during trackwork and special events.

4. The New Cumberland Line as Sydney Metro to Epping (after the initial conversion of Glenfield to Leppington with Metro extension to Western Sydney Airport) will remove the current T2 Leppington Line from the Sydney Trains Network leaving only the T2 Inner West Line terminating at Parramatta.
5. The New Cumberland Line as Sydney Metro to Epping (after the initial conversion of Glenfield to Leppington with Metro extension to Western Sydney Airport) will remove the T2 Liverpool via Regents Park line (to be restored in 2024) from the Sydney Trains Network as Cabramatta, Warwick Farm, and Liverpool will only be serviced by Sydney Metro.

A Cabramatta turnback for Sydney Trains has been ruled out by Transport for NSW.

T3 Liverpool to Bankstown line services will be removed in 2024 when Sydney Metro Southwest (Sydenham to Bankstown) opens. T2 Liverpool via Regents Park line services have been earmarked for removal again in the 2030s. Therefore, the no trains will operate between Cabramatta and Sefton/Bankstown as well as Lidcombe via Regents Park.

Transport for NSW is currently planning for rapid buses as part of the Greater Liverpool Area Needs Study.

6. Merrylands, Guildford, Yennora, Fairfield, Canley Vale, Cabramatta, Warwick Farm, Casula, Edmondson Park, and Leppington will lose direct trains to stations such as Harris Park, Blacktown, Richmond, Granville, Lidcombe, Strathfield, Redfern, Central, City Circle and be forced to interchange at Parramatta Metro Station (separate to current Parramatta Station on the Sydney Trains Network).

Current T5 Cumberland Line commuters from Richmond and Blacktown will also have to interchange at Parramatta for the New Cumberland Line towards Leppington.

7. The Cumberland Line Y-Link between Merrylands to Harris Park will be disconnected with Sydney Metro entering into new tunnels north of Merrylands Station to Parramatta Metro Station bypassing Harris Park.
8. The New Cumberland Line as Sydney Metro to Epping may impede Parramatta from being part of Fast Rail to Newcastle and the Central Coast. The smaller Sydney Metro sized tunnels are not compatible with Sydney Trains or NSW TrainLink heavy rail services which eliminate a connection at Epping with the T9 Northern Line / Newcastle and Central Coast Line (Main North Line).

The current T5 Cumberland Line should remain on its current route to Schofields and Richmond.

The future East West Rail Link (Westmead to Western Sydney Airport / Metro West Extension) should be replaced with a heavy rail link from Western Sydney Airport to Parramatta, then continuing to Epping with a connection with the T9 Northern Line / Newcastle and Central Coast Line (Main North Line).

9. Converting the T5 Cumberland Line into Sydney Metro replaces a functional rail link and will have minimal journey time savings (if any) to Glenfield, Liverpool, Parramatta (as the number of intermediary stations remain the same minus Harris Park), Sydney Domestic Airport, Sydney International Airport, Central, and City Circle.

Given the substantial cost and impacts of converting the T5 Cumberland Line into Sydney Metro including overall loss of direct connections on the Sydney Trains Network, a significant number of commuters will have increased journey times due to the need to interchange at Parramatta to reach current destinations on the Sydney Trains Network.

The Sydney Trains Network timetable should enable direct trains from Central/Sydney Domestic Airport to Glenfield (currently 39 minutes) then all stations to Western Sydney Airport via Leppington (approximately 10 minutes). The entire journey to Western Sydney Airport would be achievable in approximately 50 – 55 minutes utilising existing the Kingsgrove to Revesby Quadruplication.

Approximately a third of New Cumberland Line commuters are forecasted to interchange at Parramatta with the majority travelling to Sydney CBD (Hunter Street) using Sydney Metro West.

The current T5 Cumberland Line from Leppington to Parramatta is approximately 45 minutes (or New Cumberland Line potentially 40 minutes with Sydney Metro and minus Harris Park Station). Sydney Metro West from Parramatta to Sydney CBD (Hunter Street) is approximately 20 minutes.

Sydney Metro (New Cumberland Line and Sydney Metro West) will not reduce journey times to Central or City Circle for commuters from Leppington, Edmondson Park, Glenfield, Liverpool, Fairfield, and other stations on the current T5 Cumberland Line.

10. The New Cumberland Line will have 12 trains per hour between Western Sydney Airport and Epping which is 2 more than currently provided by a combination of the T2 Leppington Line (City via Granville) and T5 Cumberland Line. Capacity exists on the current Sydney Trains Network to increase T5 Cumberland Line services by 2 trains per hour to Leppington south of Parramatta or a further point west such as Blacktown or Schofields. Increasing the level of service on the existing T5 Cumberland Line and maintaining T2 Leppington Line services allows for greater travel options and flexibility on the Sydney Trains Network in contrast to converting the line into Sydney Metro.

Relevant Maps

Note: Tunnel portals for the New Cumberland Line (north of Merrylands Station) in Cumberland LGA will approximately be on Crescent St, Holroyd near the site of the original Parramatta Terminus.