The Sydney Metro Northwest is coming and will open in early 2019. Sydney Metro Northwest will link the University to beyond Rouse Hill in the North West and to Chatswood on the North Shore where commuters will interchange for services to the City until the next stage of Sydney Metro (currently under construction) is completed.
Students, staff and visitors will be able to access the University on this new service that will operate every four minutes.
Prior to the completion of Sydney Metro Northwest, the Epping to Chatswood Line will close and be upgraded to integrate with the new line. The closure is expected to take six months.
An announcement on the date of the closure is expected shortly. The University has been working with Transport for NSW in planning for the closure and ensuring that new bus services are introduced to allow students, staff and visitors to access the University with minimal disruption.
In line with the announcement, a Project Team has been established and is working with representatives across the University.
Information about the closure can be found here.
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This upgrade is going to significantly enhance the commuter experience not just for the University but for all businesses operating in this area.
However, during the upgrade process traffic within, into and out of the area (which is already severely congested) is going to increase exponentially. The additional bus services will provide a replacement travel option for train commuters, but will add to, rather than help, the traffic. There are also likely to be commuters who choose to drive rather than take the replacement bus, which will exacerbate the problem.
Prior to any of these works commencing are the road closures taking place around campus. While these will ultimately all users of the campus, it will lead to choking more traffic through fewer roads. There are a number of ‘choke points’ within and around the area, and these are increasing with the road closures.
There have been numerous studies on how commute times affect wellbeing; it would be very interesting to see the traffic flow analysis and plan and understand how the University has anticipated these changes will impact on students’ and employees’ commute to and from the campus.