Sydney passengers arrived at different stations on June 19 to find welcome changes in their routine: more L1 Dulwich Hill Light rail services are now more frequent.
On weekdays between 10 am and 3 pm and Sunday mornings from 9 am to 11 am, services have now increased from a 15-minute to a 10-minute frequency. On Saturday, the service will run from 9 am to 9 pm.
Jo Haylen, NSW Transport Minister and MP for Summer Hill announced an increase of 100 more services in the inner west to ease the pressure on the L1 line.
“The L1 line functions as the Transport Spine of the whole inner west,” she said.
“The L1 line functions as the transport spine of the whole Inner West. It’s a vital alternative mode that gets hundreds of students to local schools daily and connects the Inner West to the employment hubs of Pyrmont, Ultimo, Haymarket and the CBD.”
Four new Spanish-built trains were purchased in 2022, which now have been allocated to L1 line and contribute to the 100 new services. The new fleet for the inner west line increases from 12 trains to 16 trains after this expansion in light rail services.
Durong Song, an international student living in East Sydney said. “I am very satisfied with the decision to expand the light rail line. The L1 line is important for me to reach Flemington market to buy groceries and visit Parramatta’s workplace. I tend to directly get off the Randwick L2 line at Central and transfer to L1. The reduced waiting time makes my routine more convenient.”
The decision to increase light rail service in the inner west was due to the necessity of increasing service performance in the Inner West. A NSW Department of Environment report revealed that COVID-19 saw public transport patronage in Greater Sydney drop by 41.6%. Services on the inner west line were halted for months after cracks were found in late 2021 due to poor conditions. As the patronage surge doubles back in 2023, improving the conditions of post-covid public transport is necessary.
Transport for NSW Chief Operations Officer Mark Hutchings said: “We are thrilled to be able to offer a more frequent service to passengers travelling on weekends and during inter-peak times. The Minns Labor government is committed to providing a world-class public transport system to service all communities, and this is just one of many steps towards realising that.”
Minister Haylen has revealed further plans for a green, zero-emission public transport network.
