What is the end of an era for some is also the start of a travel headache for thousands.
The last-ever train made its way along Sydney’s T3 Bankstown line this morning.
The service rolled out of Circular Quay Station at 12.06am bound for Bankstown in the city’s south-west.
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The carriages were packed with train enthusiasts to honour the occasion.
Some even had commemorative a T-shirt noting the dates the service ran – 1895 to 2024.
Metro conversion work will now ramp up with major construction set to begin following the line’s closure between Bankstown and Sydenham.
Free buses are being added for commuters but journey times will double.
Matt Longland, chief executive of Sydney Trains, said it was the “end of an era for Sydney Trains”.
“It’s a really big change,” he said.
Over the coming weeks, there will be trackwork followed by timetable changes as the line is removed.
“We’re asking passengers to be patient over the next few weeks,” he said.
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Transport Minister Jo Haylen acknowledged the closure will be “an incredibly tough time” for commuters along the T3 line.
“The line’s closure marks the end of an era, but the beginning of a new one,” Haylen said.
“This T3 transformation will see the line continue to serve our city throughout the century to come.”
Steam trains ran on the line when it first opened 130 years ago before it was electrified in 1926.
The line will link up to the new Sydney Metro line at Sydenham when it’s complete in a year or so.
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