It’s every commuter’s dream – an upgrade to the signal network is going to allow Sydney trains to run every two and a half minutes.
The $880 million upgrade is going to greatly expand commuter capacity and allow smoother access to and from Sydney airport.
The century-old signal network is due for an upgrade, with digital signalling paving the way for the future, according to the Daily Telegraph.
A radical upgrade of the Sydney Trails signalling system due to boost capacity and allow trains to come every two and a half minutes
With funding set aside for the plans in the upcoming NSW budget, the first tracks to see change will be the highly congested T8 airport line and T4 Illawarra line from Cronulla.
Sydney’s soaring population is set to see passenger journeys change dramatically, from under a million using the service per day to more than 1.3 million in just under five years.
One the upgrade is rolled out, train services are to be trialled at one every four minutes, although Sydney Trains chief executive Howard Collins says there is a chance for them to be increased.
Collins is no stranger to the digitalised signalling system, as he helped increase capacity in London.
Through the removal of reliance on trackside lights and the implementation of in-cabin digital technology, more trains were able to use the lines at a faster pace.
Sydney commuters aren’t strangers to overcrowded trains and platforms which is why Sydney Trains are aiming to boost capacity on the rail network
Collins managed to increase capacity by over 30 per cent from 3.5 million journeys per day to over 5 million after the project was implemented.
He believes that the project won’t be easy, comparing it to ‘open-heart surgery while running a marathon’, as the aim is to boost capacity whilst the population grows.
‘The technology means we can shorten the space needed between trains to be able to move more of them from 10 now to, if you turned the wick right up, to 36, or a train every 2½ minutes,’ Collins said.
With Sydney’s population set to soar in the next five years, the upgrade could be a blessing
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that the project is going to be completed in stages, beginning with the trial allowing an estimated five or more trains per hour during peak times on the T4 line, and eight on the T8 airport line.
Ms Berejiklian believes that the existing heavy rail network is complex and relies too heavily on old technologies.
‘The T4 Illawarra line and T8 airport line are the first beneficiaries of these signalling upgrades, which will be rolled out across the network — significantly boosting capacity and reliability for all train customers,’ she said.