The NSW Government has dropped plans for a new South Coast rail timetable after strong opposition from commuters, unions and community groups. Premier Chris Minns said he had not met anyone who supported the change and would rather reverse the policy than go ahead with it. The changes, due to start on 15 November, would have added more regular services but also extra stops for travellers heading to the airport or towards Bondi Junction. Local groups and unions welcomed the decision, while a rail expert said the plan lacked proper consultation with regular users.
The NSW government has scrapped major train timetable changes on the T4, T8 and South Coast lines less than a month before they were due to start. Premier Chris Minns said the government had listened to commuters and local MPs. The changes were due to take effect on November 15 and had promised more frequent services, though some trips would take longer. Passengers had objected to losing direct trips to Sydney Airport from Wollongong and to other changes. Transport Minister John Graham said the focus would now be on improving reliability on the existing network.
The NSW Government has announced that the Sydney Metro South-West extension will open on Friday 30 October. The 66-kilometre route runs from Bankstown to Sydenham and connects with the existing line to Tallawong. Trains will run every four minutes at peak times and every ten minutes in the evenings and on weekends. The government says the trip times will be shorter for many passengers. Six of the 360 train doors will temporarily stay closed because the gap to the platform is too wide, and pink South-West Link buses will keep running over the first weekend.
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Trains on Perth's Yanchep and Mandurah lines were delayed on Wednesday morning after a technical issue disrupted peak-hour services. The problem affected Yanchep Line trains and caused knock-on delays on the Mandurah Line. Services are still running, but trains are not keeping to their usual timetables. Passengers are advised to allow extra travel time, as delayed trains may miss connections with scheduled bus and train services. The delays were announced shortly before 7.35am.
A revised train timetable for the South Coast Line will add hundreds of services each week, aimed at shortening waits for commuters. From 15 November, peak trains between Wollongong and Sydney CBD rise to four per hour, meaning a service every 15 minutes. Off-peak and weekend frequency will also double, with trains roughly every 30 minutes. Nineteen additional Mariyung trains will join the line, offering charging ports and space for luggage, prams and bicycles.
A new South Coast rail timetable starts on Sunday, November 15, bringing more frequent peak, off-peak and weekend services between Wollongong and Sydney. Transport for NSW says the changes will untangle the South Coast and T4 lines between Arncliffe and Central. However, many commuters heading beyond Central, including those travelling to the airports, will need to change trains, adding around six minutes to each journey. Transport for NSW data for March 2026 shows about two-thirds of morning peak passengers from South Coast stations travel no further than Central, and will be affected. Local commuters have criticised the changes.
South Coast commuters will gain more than 200 extra train services a week from November 15, but will lose their direct airport interchange at Wolli Creek. Peak services between Wollongong and Sydney will rise from three to four trains an hour, while off-peak and weekend services will double. South Coast trains will now terminate at Central instead of continuing to Bondi Junction. Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said the changes will affect airport passengers, and recommended Central for elderly passengers or those with large luggage.
