A lively online forum, organized by public transport activists on June 25, rejected the New South Wales government’s plan to sell public rail to private consortia.

The forum “Sydenham to Bankstown: should it be converted into an underground?” was organized by EcoTransit, with support from Sydenham to Bankstown Alliance, Save T3 Bankstown Line and Friends of Erskineville.

The government wants to convert Sydenham to Bankstown stations into a company-owned tube line, despite an inquiry by the NSW Legislative Council recommending against proceeding.

Transport planning expert John Austen said the plan was a “strategic error” which “indicates a wider problem with the expansion of Sydney’s metro system, and perhaps a worrying national trend”.

He made an important distinction between “commuter rail” and metro-type services within an integrated rail system.

“The metro system, as implemented in Paris, is not suitable for Sydney in general, which is primarily a suburban city,” Austen said. “A metro system is based on short, standing, train journeys, with short distances between stations for inner-city journeys. These journeys are made throughout the day, unlike commuting. »

Austen also pointed out compatibility issues. “The Sydney Metro tunnels are too small for Sydney’s larger standard double-decker trains. The smaller metro tunnels preclude other standard rail infrastructure and would forever limit any future rail development in the city.

“The government wants to convert branch lines, like Sydenham to Bankstown, to underground. This will severely limit passenger capacity and impact Sydney’s entire rail network.

Roydon Ng, freelance journalist and co-founder of Save T3 Bankstown Line, spoke about “forgotten commuters”. If the tube conversion takes place “up to 19,000 commuters from West Bankstown will have to interchange to reach the city”, he said it would mean “a huge increase in journey times” for those traveling from the west of Sydney to downtown and it may “include a long walk between platforms in Bankstown”.

Ng said there is strong evidence that property developers had significant involvement with the so-called Locals for South-West Metro lobby group that wanted the metro plan.

‘The coalition government has focused on the interests of property developers in expanding the tube system and has totally neglected the needs of commuters in West Bankstown,’ he said.

Ecotransit representatives said they were strongly in favor of major investments to expand the existing public heavy rail system, rather than the privatized metro.

Much of the Metro’s vaunted benefits evaporate on closer analysis. The Sydenham to Bankstown Alliance recently released a ABC Fact Check Video showing that the metro can carry more passengers each hour than double-decker trains was doubtful.

Public funds are being wasted building the subway, speakers said. They would be better used to improve the access of the inhabitants of the western suburbs to public transport.

[A video of the forum can now be viewed on EcoTransit’s YouTube channel.]