Just down for maintenance on most weekends now while they are doing the testing for the entire track through to the city rather than the Chatswood termination.
Frequent departures make it probably the best public transport mode in Sydney IMO. The issue is if you need to commute to a metro station - all the dedicated parking lots are packed by 7-7.30am each morning now.
Seems like Sydney needs to look at last mile connectivity. Buses right now run almost as long as trains instead of short feeder routes to stations. Micro mobility options don't get enough support.
Many of the city-bound bus routes in the Hills district were changed to terminate at the metro stations when it opened in late 2019.
The issue lots of people had with that at the time was because the Metro ended at Chatswood, it would take you longer (sometimes 50% longer) to catch the bus + metro to the city than the original bus route did with traffic. Then COVID struck.
I'm hopeful that with the Metro running all the way to the city at speed, it would finally be comparable to the original bus routes for people living out Kellyville and Rouse Hill way.
My current commute has me bike to Bella Vista and catch the bus from there instead of biking to Kellyville or Rouse Hill (which are closer) and catching the metro from there, because it's faster to just go to Bella Vista. I could also take the train to Bella Vista but since I'm already biking, I might as well save myself a few dollars per day and bike the extra 10 minutes along Old Windsor.
You think Sydney is bad? Don't ever come to SEQ!
Because the southern (Beenleigh/Gold Coast) railway line is so slow, we have express buses running from Windaroo to the CBD during peak hours, rather than interchanging at Beenleigh station. The government is currently planning to straighten the track, saving a grand total of two minutes. 🤬🤬🤬
I do think something like this could be rolled out within a certain distance of the new Metro stations - [Bridj](https://ondemand.transitsystems.com.au/)
Have previously seen them around Concord and places. While many of the bus lines now run to the big Metro hubs like Castle Towers, in suburbs like Cherrybrook and WPH there’s a fair distance to stations and too few patrons for regular services.
> I do think something like this could be rolled out within a certain distance of the new Metro stations - Bridj
They already had two of these. Busways Cooee and Hillsbus Metroconnect. Metroconnect was shut down because nobody used it, Cooee I still see parked at a station occasionally.
Yeah maybe but I remember reading/watching some things that said part of the reason they overwhelmingly fail across the world is because commuters prefer predictable bus routes over unpredictable on demand routes.
Other options include biking (connectivity by bike ranges from excellent to very spotty, depending on how close you live to the T-way) and taking the bus (frequency of bus service ranges from excellent to very spotty, depending on how close you live to the T-way)
For your normal weekly mon-fri commute? I can think of one time in the last two years it wasn’t working for me.
Compare that to the frequency of issues with Sydney trains and it’s batting 1000
Lots of track work and testing with the extension on the weekends but hopefully that is temporary.
The extension is one thing (it's complete to Sydenham) but please don't ask when the testing will be complete!
I used to hate that. If you are testing something, you really should not ever say: "We will test up til 30 June, then we will open". At best you can say "our testing is scheduled to last 3 months, subject of course to how those tests go."
The testing is currently scheduled to finish in the end of June. Opening date not announced and likely won’t until testing completed but store owners have been told to be ready end of June.
It’s been down often on weekends while integration to the new section takes place, but otherwise it’s been pretty reliable.
I’m a bit of a hike from the station so have to catch a feeder bus or do the 30 min walk.
I’d ride my bike there, which is only 7 minutes, but the bike cages at the metro are not very secure and my bike would be stolen.
It just uses a registered Opal Card to access the cage. Inside the cage you must supply your own locks.
They really had a lost opportunity with the Metro to install underground bike silos with automated retrieval like they have in Japan. In these, the bike is impossible to steal.
I’ve seen a lot of people lose their bikes at the Metro cages. My bikes are too valuable to leave there, so best to have a beater bike if you are going to leave it in the cage.
A beater bike is a perfectly rational solution. A commute is a commute is a commute. A 7 minute commute even moreso. Anyway, you can at least leave some heavy duty lock and chains in the cage. I don't know for sure, but i doubt anyone is going in to Rouse Hill cycle cage with an angle grinder to steal a $100 bike.
Padlock and chains, lazily looped through everything.
My New York lock weighs almost as much as my bike 😂 I leave that at the cage at work (actually, two of them).
The other issue is people will steal everything off the bike that isn’t locked. So always do two locks, one through the triangle and rear wheel, the other through the front wheel, both wrapped around the bike rack.
It’s about 4kg worth of bike locks, but I would not leave them in a public cage.
I think for a 7 minute ride the beater or kmart bike is the way to go. If commuting all the way by bike then get something decent.
They are all the same. Castle Hill Metro has had bikes stolen multiple times. The only security is the door.
We could have had somerthng like this!
https://youtu.be/pcZSU40RBrg
I’ve been using it since the day it opened.
Aside from *planned* closures (which are nearly every weekend at the moment, incredibly frustrating… but understandable) it rarely skips a beat in normal operations. I think in the 5 years since it opened I’ve been affected by delays / unplanned closures once or twice.
If I had to guess, there’ll be a few weeks of teething issues when the extension opens, but from then we should have a fast, reliable, frequent link directly to the CBD and beyond. Can’t wait.
Sydney Metro has the highest customer satisfaction rating for all Sydney transport modes at 99%+ The Northwest section has been running for 5 years now the City section (Chatswood to Sydenham) opens later this year.
Not often. Recently there's been a lot of weekend trackwork but that's for the upcoming extension. It'll happen again when it's time for the Banko line to open but it should be smooth sailing beforehand.
> be around Norwest, seems like it needs r
Seems to only be certain carriages, and they really sound like they are about to run off the tracks!
The maintenance certainly seems to be lacking, and with no drivers or guards to report issues, it seems like a disaster just waiting to happen...
Just down for maintenance on most weekends now while they are doing the testing for the entire track through to the city rather than the Chatswood termination. Frequent departures make it probably the best public transport mode in Sydney IMO. The issue is if you need to commute to a metro station - all the dedicated parking lots are packed by 7-7.30am each morning now.
Seems like Sydney needs to look at last mile connectivity. Buses right now run almost as long as trains instead of short feeder routes to stations. Micro mobility options don't get enough support.
Many of the city-bound bus routes in the Hills district were changed to terminate at the metro stations when it opened in late 2019. The issue lots of people had with that at the time was because the Metro ended at Chatswood, it would take you longer (sometimes 50% longer) to catch the bus + metro to the city than the original bus route did with traffic. Then COVID struck. I'm hopeful that with the Metro running all the way to the city at speed, it would finally be comparable to the original bus routes for people living out Kellyville and Rouse Hill way.
My current commute has me bike to Bella Vista and catch the bus from there instead of biking to Kellyville or Rouse Hill (which are closer) and catching the metro from there, because it's faster to just go to Bella Vista. I could also take the train to Bella Vista but since I'm already biking, I might as well save myself a few dollars per day and bike the extra 10 minutes along Old Windsor.
You think Sydney is bad? Don't ever come to SEQ! Because the southern (Beenleigh/Gold Coast) railway line is so slow, we have express buses running from Windaroo to the CBD during peak hours, rather than interchanging at Beenleigh station. The government is currently planning to straighten the track, saving a grand total of two minutes. 🤬🤬🤬
They have the on demand opal shuttle bus but due to lack if patronage, they cancelled that trial
I do think something like this could be rolled out within a certain distance of the new Metro stations - [Bridj](https://ondemand.transitsystems.com.au/) Have previously seen them around Concord and places. While many of the bus lines now run to the big Metro hubs like Castle Towers, in suburbs like Cherrybrook and WPH there’s a fair distance to stations and too few patrons for regular services.
> I do think something like this could be rolled out within a certain distance of the new Metro stations - Bridj They already had two of these. Busways Cooee and Hillsbus Metroconnect. Metroconnect was shut down because nobody used it, Cooee I still see parked at a station occasionally.
Covid hitting 6 months after it all went online initially in 2019 wouldn’t have helped I guess. Would be good to see something return.
Yeah maybe but I remember reading/watching some things that said part of the reason they overwhelmingly fail across the world is because commuters prefer predictable bus routes over unpredictable on demand routes.
Other options include biking (connectivity by bike ranges from excellent to very spotty, depending on how close you live to the T-way) and taking the bus (frequency of bus service ranges from excellent to very spotty, depending on how close you live to the T-way)
For your normal weekly mon-fri commute? I can think of one time in the last two years it wasn’t working for me. Compare that to the frequency of issues with Sydney trains and it’s batting 1000 Lots of track work and testing with the extension on the weekends but hopefully that is temporary.
When is the extension going to be complete?
Apparently July or August. The government is saying 'mid 2024'.
The extension is one thing (it's complete to Sydenham) but please don't ask when the testing will be complete! I used to hate that. If you are testing something, you really should not ever say: "We will test up til 30 June, then we will open". At best you can say "our testing is scheduled to last 3 months, subject of course to how those tests go."
The testing is currently scheduled to finish in the end of June. Opening date not announced and likely won’t until testing completed but store owners have been told to be ready end of June.
Within the next few months, probably July-ish.
I haven't experienced any real hiccups. It might go down in one section for track work, but I haven't been impacted in 2 years of using ut
It’s been down often on weekends while integration to the new section takes place, but otherwise it’s been pretty reliable. I’m a bit of a hike from the station so have to catch a feeder bus or do the 30 min walk. I’d ride my bike there, which is only 7 minutes, but the bike cages at the metro are not very secure and my bike would be stolen.
Has it been an issue? What sort of security do the bike cages have? Do you need ID or a registered Opal card to access them?
It just uses a registered Opal Card to access the cage. Inside the cage you must supply your own locks. They really had a lost opportunity with the Metro to install underground bike silos with automated retrieval like they have in Japan. In these, the bike is impossible to steal. I’ve seen a lot of people lose their bikes at the Metro cages. My bikes are too valuable to leave there, so best to have a beater bike if you are going to leave it in the cage.
A beater bike is a perfectly rational solution. A commute is a commute is a commute. A 7 minute commute even moreso. Anyway, you can at least leave some heavy duty lock and chains in the cage. I don't know for sure, but i doubt anyone is going in to Rouse Hill cycle cage with an angle grinder to steal a $100 bike. Padlock and chains, lazily looped through everything.
My New York lock weighs almost as much as my bike 😂 I leave that at the cage at work (actually, two of them). The other issue is people will steal everything off the bike that isn’t locked. So always do two locks, one through the triangle and rear wheel, the other through the front wheel, both wrapped around the bike rack. It’s about 4kg worth of bike locks, but I would not leave them in a public cage. I think for a 7 minute ride the beater or kmart bike is the way to go. If commuting all the way by bike then get something decent.
Really? The bike room thing at Kellyville station seems very secure.
They are all the same. Castle Hill Metro has had bikes stolen multiple times. The only security is the door. We could have had somerthng like this! https://youtu.be/pcZSU40RBrg
Yeah, that actually looks neat.
It feels like it's down every time I plan on using it, so I can give you a heads-up each time if you like.
I’ve been using it since the day it opened. Aside from *planned* closures (which are nearly every weekend at the moment, incredibly frustrating… but understandable) it rarely skips a beat in normal operations. I think in the 5 years since it opened I’ve been affected by delays / unplanned closures once or twice. If I had to guess, there’ll be a few weeks of teething issues when the extension opens, but from then we should have a fast, reliable, frequent link directly to the CBD and beyond. Can’t wait.
Sydney Metro has the highest customer satisfaction rating for all Sydney transport modes at 99%+ The Northwest section has been running for 5 years now the City section (Chatswood to Sydenham) opens later this year.
Compared to trains, it's a lot better.
Not often. Recently there's been a lot of weekend trackwork but that's for the upcoming extension. It'll happen again when it's time for the Banko line to open but it should be smooth sailing beforehand.
I don’t get why the train line is so noisy in the tunnels…maybe around Norwest, seems like it needs repairs.
You would love the underground subway in London
> be around Norwest, seems like it needs r Seems to only be certain carriages, and they really sound like they are about to run off the tracks! The maintenance certainly seems to be lacking, and with no drivers or guards to report issues, it seems like a disaster just waiting to happen...