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Commuters who endlessly circle Tallawong station looking for a car park every morning can breathe a sigh of relief after the announcement of a multi-storey car park in the area.
The north-western metro station has languished with an overflowing, single-storey car park since opening in 2019, forcing commuters to search for a spot in surrounding suburban streets.
A new multi-storey car park to fit 1100 vehicles is due to be built in the area, and the NSW government hopes its construction will help support the rapidly growing area.
Overall, the government is investing $160 million into car parks along the metro, including building another storey on the existing multi-storey car park at the Hills Showground, adding up to 100 spaces.
The car parks are intended to get cars off residential streets and ease the commute of those already taking the metro every day.
Despite commuter concerns at already overcrowded trains, the government has insisted the new parking spots will not lead to a spike in demand.
Many of the early trains from the north-west are standing room only at peak hour despite a lack of parking spots.
Last year, data showed multiple stations across the metro line had exceeded expected patronage already, with the extension between Sydenham and Bankstown yet to open.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said the parking spots were being built to meet the demand at Tallawong, where all parking spots were usually taken before 8am.
“Not enough car parks were built to cater for the demand which is now on Metro northwest, and we expect that to further increase as more people move into the area.”
“We understand this is a challenge for commuters who may have no option to drive to the station, and the 1200 additional parks should make it easier.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said commuters in the north-west “deserve better than starting off their mornings circling around for a parking spot.”
The new car spots will be integrated into Transport for NSW’s Park&Ride system, which gives commuters 18 hours of free parking each day when they catch public transport.
The investment forms part of a broader government strategy to improve commuting options for residents, including changes to bus schedules and increasing metro capacity.
Metro trains completed the first end-to-end journeys along the entire line between Bankstown and Tallawong during testing last weekend, and the long wait for the troublesome link between Sydenham and Bankstown is scheduled to end in October.
The railway has also been officially handed over to its operator, Metro Trains Sydney, and end-to-end operations will be progressively added during higher patronage periods over coming weeks in the lead-up to final trial runs and regulatory safety approvals.
The government says the south-west extension of the line will deliver capacity for an extra 17,000 people per hour during peak periods.
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Mostafa Rachwani is a Parramatta reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald. He was previously the Community Affairs reporter at Guardian Australia.Connect via email.From our partners
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