Great video! Personally I dislike how the T5 (and T2) terminate at Glenfield. It makes commuting to Campbelltown from Parramatta a nightmare. Why not have the T2 go to Leppington and the T5 to Campbelltown? Increased frequency seems more than prudent; half an hour peak frequencies are atrocious. Sydney (and Australia in general) really has a frequency problem; do politicians think public transport is just for those who can't drive? Haha. Anyways, I wouldn't hold your breath but I do hope the T5 is fixed eventually.

Used to use T5 a lot pre-Covid. AFAIK the 4 car set thing was driven purely by availability of rolling stock. The 4 car in the peak and 8 car off-peak probably reflects that, as spare 8 car sets would obviously be more available off peak. Trains were always packed between Parra and Fairfield/Cabra in the peak, but only lightly loaded otherwise. Four T5 services per hour would be nice in the peak, but it is competing with lots of other services at that time (like the extra City via Granville services from Liverpool and beyond). The Bankstown line services will cease from Liverpool soon enough, probably to be replaced by (relatively fast) City via Regents Park services, just like in days of old. Terminating services at Leppington is more due to the limited peak track capacity between Glenfield and Campbelltown/Macarthur. If you are a T5 user and have to do an arduous cross-platform change to a Campbelltown service, my heart goes out to you. Past talk of 'enhancing' the Glenfield to Macarthur stretch has fallen silent. The SSFL took out one option, and quadruplication would be hard; probably leaving a third passenger track as the best option. Like the arrangements on some New York lines, adding an additional track on the Eastern side (opposite from the SSFL) with new platforms for it, and making what is then the centre track into a bi-directional express track for peak-direction express services (and NSW Train Link). It's doable (albeit Ingleburn is a difficult spot for the engineering). Given that corridor is likely to be the route to/from Sydney for any future high speed train system (stopping at Glenfield to connect with services to/from WSI), it needs something done. The eventual extension of the WSI metro to Macarthur might help, but by that time it will be busy in its own right (it's meant as a transport core for the already more populous Western Sydney, not for commuters to 'old' Sydney). Another longer term hope is the Western Metro, which should reduce demand on services through Parra, opening up more paths for T5 services. I'm actually glad those stations aren't going to be co-located. Parra is crazy enough without adding more passenger handling load and the engineering in such tight urban spaces would be difficult and cramped. The metro station will better serve the Easy Street and new high rise residences better, link better with the Light Rail, nearby passing bus services and even the ferry. I'd rather it do that than make a lot of people walk/bus further to Parra station for metro services. If you live closer to the old Parra station, then use it, but IMHO wanting to combine stations is more a 'train fan' ideological thing than driven by market needs, especially with train/metro exchange available at Westmead for people from further west. The strange platform 3 turn-around thing at Parramatta is weird. An interesting exercise in creative use of tracks, but just weird.

I do think it’s an issue that two platforms are being used at Parramatta to house terminated trains. As you mentioned, it creates a bottleneck for the other two platforms. While I wait at Parramatta station to travel West, I have noticed that it is usually a 2-3 minute wait during peak hour between trains (especially the Blue Mountains train and Express Penrith services). Too much frequency especially being only one track can be a bad thing because it will create even more of a bank up if one train is delayed because so many trains are using one track on the busiest railway line on the network.

Gotta love seeing my local station finally make a cameo

Finally, someone addressing this issue. I do infact agree with you for overcrowding, and frequencies. As someone who lives on stations served by the T5, it is a pain to ride. Every 30 mins is painful, especially in peak. In my opinion, they should run M set coupled up into 8 cars, during peak, then have them split up for the off peak. Like you said, Metro City & Southwest opening will free up some trains.

as someone who uses the t5 for short journeys, morning rush is crazy, evening rush is packed, and its usually faster for me to bike to parramatta than to take the train. I'd love to use t5 more, but I always have to use the tripview app before actually boarding the train I want.

The Parramatta square development directly north of Parramatta station was a massive wasted opportunity to expand Parramatta Stations terminal and platform capacity where the gov could of required the developer to build a cavern space underground for future station expansion. The need for expansion of Parramatta's capacity was identified wayy back in the Parramatta-Epping rail proposal. Even the new Western Sydney metro has to stop on the next block over instead of integrating seamlessly with the existing Station and T-Way bus terminal.

I remember not too long ago the Cumberland Line was occupied by 2nd generation rolling-stock naming 4 and maybe some 8-car S, K and C sets mainly.

The report on the rail network will hopefully provide some base to update and optimise timetables. Once Metro West opens (2030 I know, but it's something) I wouldn't be suprised if a turnback gets constructed west of Westmead to allow T2 trains to terminate there, hopefully freeing up capacity at Parra.

Good videos, but you didn't canvas the proposal that some western trains from Penrith or Richmond could stop at Granville allowing people to change for leppington services this worked very well for many years it also allowed people to travel from the west to commute to stations between Granville and homebush without the 30 minute wait at Parramatta that currently exists.

Ive use the the trains blacktown to central for most of my life. I just want a more reliable service. I like living somewhere I can afford and the trip to the city isnt even that long when it works...

i dont like the T5 terminate at liverpool on the weekends i would prefer it to go to leppington 7 days a week. Its makes it hard for people to get to Campbelltown or Glenfield from Parramatta on a Saturday or Sunday

The oscar trains will be operating on sector 3 which is penrith, northern line, Richmond line, north shore lines. They wont operate on sector 2 which is liverpool, leppington, Campbelltown

Well thought out. Some of your ideas are pretty close to reality as I watch this 12 months later.

10 minute, then 5 minute frequencys on all lines at all times is the clear way to move trips to trains. Build more platforms at Parramatta

I’m not sure why the T2 trains that terminate at Parramatta don’t terminate at Homebush, like they do on the weekends, and on weekdays at Homebush, Platform 6 is not used, so that allows the T5 to use Platforms 3 and 4 at Parramatta

Why can't T5 terminate at Westmead instead, or "officially" terminate at Parra but then go on to a new siding just before Westmead where it could sit, wait, and return. Similar to Bondi Junction where services end but the train runs further so as not to block the platform before returning. And all services should be 8 cars - it costs bugger all to run 8 instead of 4, and using the full platform length is less inconvenience for passengers.

15 minute frequencies are still rubbish. What station upgrades would it take to get to 5 minute frequencies?

The service doesn't start till to late in the morning for most people to commute also starting at macauthur would be better

tbh but plaform 4 at parramatta should be used for terminating trains from the city and for the t5 line as all you need to do is make the city to parramatta train less frequent. Also there are more train from parramatta to city. that are faster which will make up for the train from city to parramatta

You are missing one thing the line from Merrylands to Leppington is already congested. Jamming more trains on it will either heavenly impact performance or reduce T2 services, and let's face it trips to the city are way more used and profitable.

A better rant than your previous one, however, just remember with labor winning, it's nothing more than a change of masters who treat you exactly the same as the previous oligarchs.

More trains is the solution. But since bob carr government didn't do much in 97 . I can't see this new government doing anything either 😊😂

Check out page 137 pf the original Future Transport 2056 (2018) document....

I have a hard time believing that the Liberal Party actually support anything positive for the network, given how poorly it's been treated by them over their last few terms. I can't help but feel that it's just set dressing for the election just gone by - they're a city party and they know it's a big issue among the locals. As you said though, neither other major party seems to care at all, so who can you support? It's hard to believe "anyone can do better than the Libs" if there's not even an alternate platform to bank on. Very frustrating as someone deeply sick of the Libs.