Restore Inner West Line saves stations west of Bankstown

The Restore Inner West Line community action group would like to thank our members, volunteers and community representatives for supporting our campaign to bring back our train services

Our ongoing Freedom of Information investigations and Parliamentary Inquiry evidence has forced Transport for NSW to abandon plans to close stations west of Bankstown

We have saved Berala, Regents Park, Sefton, Chester Hill, Leightonfield, Villawood, Carramar, Birrong, and Yagoona station from closure in 2024

There is no reason why the (former) Inner West Line’s City to Liverpool via Regents Park and City to Bankstown via Regents Park train service cannot be restored today

The current operation of the Inner West Line from Homebush to Parramatta exposes the NSW Government’s propaganda that there is insufficient track capacity at Flemington and Lidcombe for services to return to Liverpool/Bankstown via Regents Park

Transport for NSW’s release of options for the west of Bankstown has been deliberately discreet, with access to information only through the direct URL https://yoursay.transport.nsw.gov.au/west-of-Bankstown

The absence of a major press announcement and the absence of such information on the front page of Transport for NSW’s website is part of the NSW Government’s attempt to cover up earlier plans for the closure of stations west of Bankstown

We are encouraged that Transport for NSW’s preferred option for the west of Bankstown is to include a direct service from City to Liverpool via Regents Park

The renaming of the City to Liverpool via Regents Park as T3 Bankstown Line instead of using its former name “Inner West Line” is also the NSW Government’s refusal to acknowledge our community campaign

Our group will continue to fight for the restoration of direct train services to the City Circle for all T3 Bankstown Line stations including Birrong and Yagoona

We also oppose the removal of direct trains services from Liverpool to Bankstown and the forced use of Regents Park as an interchange

Transport for NSW’s preferred option for west of Bankstown: restoration of (former) Inner West Line’s City to Liverpool via Regents Park service, a shuttle service from Bankstown to Lidcombe, and the removal of direct services between Liverpool and Bankstown. Changes to bus services west of Bankstown will also be made

We would love to hear your thoughts and feedback about the train and bus changes for west of Bankstown, please contact us or email: info@restoreinnerwestline.org.au


The NSW Government’s neglect of commuters west of Bankstown contributed to serious community concerns regarding the future of trains west of Bankstown

Transport for NSW could have avoided such community angst by releasing draft options for west of Bankstown when the Sydenham to Bankstown Metro was announced in 2014

The lack of information made available in the past 6 years has been extremely disappointing and demonstrates that commuters west of Bankstown have been treated as an afterthought


NSW Government Plans to Remove Train Services from West of Bankstown

We have received a number of requests for the previous government plans regarding the removal of train services

The below documents indicate that government had considered removal of Sydney Trains from west of Bankstown

Sydney’s Rail Future Implementation Plan: Bus Replacing Trains at Chester Hill – Leightonfield – Villawood – Carramar – Cabramatta
Sydney’s Rail Future Implementation Plan: “Use Bus Rapid Transit between Carramar, Villawood, Leightonfield, Villawood, Birrong, Yagoona)
Sydney’s Rail Future Implementation Committee: “Light Rail conversion of Cabramatta to Bankstown to Lidcombe”
The key schematic from Future Transport 2056 and the Greater Sydney Plan does not show the lines between Bankstown and Cabramatta/Lidcombe

Since 2014, we have regularly asked Transport for NSW for a guarantee of Sydney Trains services for all existing T3 Bankstown Line stations in the west of Bankstown

And since 2018, we have sought clarification regarding the Future Transport Strategy’s maps that do not include the rail line west of Bankstown

Transport for NSW’s most recent response on 10 December 2019 failed to provide any such guarantee and indicated it was premature to know whether Sydney Trains services would operate west of Bankstown in the future

On 22 January 2020, Transport for NSW released future transport documents for west of Bankstown in response to our GIPA (freedom of information) request

The documents included Transport for NSW’s finalised plans for changes to bus services but did not include any plans for rail services in the west of Bankstown