New airport passengers stuck with slow buses instead of rapid routes

Long-promised rapid bus routes to Sydney’s new international airport are being delayed because the NSW government is dragging out an investment decision on the project’s costliest stage.

A confidential NSW government document, dated March this year, reveals that a “separate investment decision” is needed to progress the rapid bus routes to Western Sydney International Airport as promised in a so-called city deal unveiled almost a decade ago.

The second stage of the project involves introducing “rapid bus services”, sheltered bus stops, bus priority measures and constructing a depot at the so-called Aerotropolis surrounding the $6 billion airport.

Under stage one, five new regular bus routes began operating every 30 minutes from 5am to 10pm in July between the new airport and Penrith (route 790), Liverpool (825 via Bonnyrigg and 860 via Leppington), Campbelltown (845) and Mount Druitt (772).

Journey times range from 50 minutes to 66 minutes for a one-way trip, making them anything but the rapid bus routes first touted under the Western Sydney City Deal in 2018. That deal was a 20-year agreement between the state and federal governments and eight councils.

The $302.7 million cost of the first stage is a fraction of the $1.6 billion estimated in 2022 for the rapid bus project, which includes purchasing 100 new double-decker buses. The rapid bus routes would link Liverpool, Penrith and Campbelltown to the airport, which opens to passengers on October 25.

A parcel of land has been purchased for a new bus depot at the Aerotropolis, while the government has been negotiating to buy neighbouring property, according to a document marked “sensitive” in June.

The NSW government’s long-term “Sydney Plan”, released in August, also shows “future rapid bus routes” to the new airport as dotted lines on a map.

Coalition transport spokesperson Natalie Ward urged the government to provide clear timelines for delivering the rapid bus routes it promised.

“Cutting ribbons is great for ministers, investing in the future is what is good for commuters,” she said.

Labor vowed during the lead-up to the state election in 2023 to “deliver rapid bus services” linking Campbelltown, Liverpool and Penrith to the new airport.

A NSW government spokesperson said it promised a $305 million bus investment to link suburbs including Campbelltown, Liverpool and Penrith to the airport, and had delivered them almost four months before the first passenger flight.

“The former Liberal government had no plans to deliver bus services in time for the opening of the Western Sydney Airport,” he said.

Transport for NSW did not answer specific questions about the rapid bus project, saying only that the five new routes that began operating in July had been “carefully planned” and aimed to connect people to the places that mattered most, including local education and health precincts.

“As the region continues to grow and travel patterns evolve, future public transport needs will be considered as part of ongoing planning and investment processes to ensure services continue to meet demand,” it said.

The government also remains locked in a protracted dispute over costs, completion timeframes and probity arrangements with a consortium building a 23-kilometre metro rail line to Western Sydney Airport.

Internal Sydney Metro documents have shown the new rail line risks being delayed until 2028, which is about 18 months later than originally planned.

In late August, Transport Minister John Graham said it would become clear over the following two months whether the dispute would be resolved through negotiations, in which case the government would be able to confirm an opening date. If they fail, it will be left to the courts to arbitrate the dispute.

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