Cityrail - Epping to Chatswood rail link opens (23/2/09) (WS) (HD)

Story from SMH
Paul Bibby
February 23, 2009 - 4:53PM
It was three years late and millions of dollars over budget, but the Epping to Chatswood rail link finally took its first load of passengers this morning.
After a string of delays thanks to engineering miscalculations and noise concerns, a buoyant NSW Premier, Nathan Rees, opened the 17-kilometre link at the new Macquarie University station this morning, declaring the new line to be a "shot in the arm for public transport in Sydney".
The $2.3 billion project includes new stations at North Ryde and Macquarie Park, as well as Macquarie University, and cavernous new underground platforms at Epping and Chatswood stations.
Mr Rees announced today that passengers would travel free on the link for the first 100 days.
However the link will not be integrated into the rest of the CityRail network until the second half of the year, meaning it is effectively a shuttle service for residents from a cluster of Sydney's northern suburbs and there is unlikely to be any reduced congestion on the crowded CityRail network until then.
Transport Minister David Campbell said it was standard practice for a new train line to be integrated into a network over time.
Mr Campbell also faced questions about why the new stations did not include facilities for commuter parking.
"The Government is seeking to encourage people to use public transport to these stations," Mr Campbell said.
Mr Rees briefly lost his cool in the face of repeated questions from the media about the delays and technical issues which have plagued the project, asking whether reporters would "prefer if we didn't build it".
"Three new stations, two refurbished stations and 12.5 kilometres of tunnels built by 12,500 workers - this is terrific news," Mr Rees said.
"We expect up to 4000 passengers to use this line every hour. It will service one of Australia's premier universities and the booming industrial area of Macquarie Park."

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News & Politics

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• Cityrail
• railcorp
• staterail
• railways

[LIdaguo]

Epping to Chatswood

[doctornickau]

Yes thats right, Epping to Chatswood :)

[locogrib22]

Thanks for uploading video

[doctornickau]

No worries, thanks for your support.

[nico3212]

Nathan Rees you shmuck! You & your lame duck minister Campbell havent got a clue about your portfolios! Smile for the cameras, because that's all you can do & are willing to do! This, after you trumpeted the building of a new "carpark" out at Seven Hills! Thanks! Big deal! Were still waiting since 1975 for a rail link out to Castle Hill, down to Matraville, up to Brookvale & out to Bonnyrigg!

The way were going it'll take 70 years before the whole city's completed! After I'm dead!

[doctornickau]

I wish we can over-throw this stupid government :) I hate the lack of planning and idea's, its a new low from them i reckon.

[Roadrunnerz45]

this project took so long to build, most people forgot about it.

[ModernWarfare002]

Fuck the Labor government.

[SpartanStig117]

ba

[angel55676]

I feel really sorry 4 all the LGAs and Councils in NSW, because the state government keeps screwing them over. Every single one of them.

And why the f*** is it taking so long just to fix our public transport?

[AquaRing]

Imagine my surprise when I found out they actually finished building this line! (I actually visited the uni for an excursion two days after it opened, and saw the stairs leading down there)

[MCSparki1]

Half the line

Double the Cost

So NSW Labour

[kwvaussie]

I see some are not blaming The Opposition for projects blowouts and making promises they didn't keep when in Government for example this line.

[kwvaussie]

@nico3212 so was Nathan NSW Premier since 1975?

No.

So are you going to blame The Opposition when they were in Government as well?

[kwvaussie]

@doctornickau why is some say we should get rid of a stupid Government, but don't say The Opposition can do better if they became Government?

Also The Opposition has proven they all talk no action, promise many things in a lead up to an election and delivered nothing.

[Meatballer]

shameless railway company!!!!

[moover123]

What's that? Australia?