THE TRANSPORT authority has doubled down on its plan to get Taylor Swift fans to Sydney when trains from Newcastle are replaced by buses this weekend, just days after commuter chaos unfolded on the same line.
Transport for NSW is preparing for up to 500 ticketholders to make their way from the Hunter and Upper Central Coast to Olympic Park for each of the pop megastar's concerts on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Twelve coaches will go back-and-forth between Newcastle and Wyong due to essential track maintenance work which was scheduled about a year in advance.
The Newcastle Herald understands Transport for NSW has worked with event organisers and analysed postcode data to plan for crowds expected to flock to the clashing Taylor Swift and Blink-182 concerts.
The reassurance that members of the public can rely on the public transport system - if they plan ahead and allow extra time - comes after passengers were stranded for hours on Saturday night when a train unexpectedly broke down.
One passenger told the Herald she left the Knights trial game at Gosford at about 5.40pm and didn't get to Broadmeadow until after 10pm, after being told there weren't enough bus drivers on hand for urgent replacement services.
Plan 'on track' for Taylor Swift concert
BUSES will replace trains on the Central Coast Newcastle line between the interchange and Wyong between 1.20pm on Friday and 2am on Tuesday.
Hundreds of Taylor Swift and Blink-182 fans are expected to flock from the Hunter to the Harbour City for concerts on the weekend.
"We estimate up to 500 ticketholders will be travelling from the Hunter and Upper Central Coast to each Taylor Swift concert," Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said.
"We have put extensive preparation into this with extra bus services supplying a regular service from Newcastle to Wyong."
A dozen coaches will be filled up then driven between the two locations on an "as directed" timetable, where passengers can transfer to rail services.
However, passengers have been told there will be room to get on buses at stops in between, like Broadmeadow, Cardiff and Morisset.
Additional staff will be deployed to direct bus movements and help passengers navigate the changes.
Mr Longland said the work scheduled across those same four days was planned 12 months in advance and was an essential part of maintaining a "safe, reliable and resiliant" network.
"The trackwork affecting the rail line this weekend is due to important repair and maintenance work to a number of bridges that are critical for rail freight services and unfortunately, it was not possible to change the work program," he said.
"I want to thank all our passengers for their patience while we work hard to provide the most reliable rail network possible."
From Wyong, passengers can connect with a limited-stop train to Sydney then express trains to Olympic Park.
The four Taylor Swift concerts - which are all affected by the trackwork - are expected to each draw a crowd of more than 83,000 to Accor Stadium.
Another 100,000 people are expected to flock to Sydney Olympic Park across both Friday and Saturday nights for Blink-182 performances.
Transport for NSW will put on more than 1200 extra bus and train services to help concert-goers get to and from the venues safely.
Passengers have been urged to allow plenty of time, plan ahead, stay hydrated in hot weather, and ask staff for help if needed.
A high-visibility police operation will get under way for the four days of Taylor Swift concerts to ensure safety and security of event staff and the community.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland is heading up the operation and encouraged people to plan their trips.
"With large crowds moving in and around the stadium, those who do not have a ticket are urged to stay away from the Sydney Olympic Park precinct to avoid creating unnecessary congestion," he said.
"Anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated, and police will act in a fair but firm manner to ensure everyone has a good time, but not at the expense of other people's safety, so take care of one another."
Spotlight on services after commuter chaos
TRAIN and bus services have been put under the spotlight after hundreds of passengers were stuck for anywhere from six minutes to several hours on Saturday after a "mechanical issue" at Awaba.
Kaye Woods was travelling home to Adamstown Heights on February 18 after watching the Newcastle Knights play a trial match at Gosford.
She told the Herald her train was due at Broadmeadow about 6.40pm but didn't arrive until after 10pm.
Ms Woods said she was one of the unlucky commuters that was stuck at Wyong for several hours.
She claimed she was told there weren't enough emergency bus drivers for replacement services and she saw some stressed travellers order Ubers or call family members for a lift.
She was travelling with elderly friends that were on a train ahead of her, stuck at Morisset, so couldn't get a rideshare.
"I was sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place," she said.
Ms Woods said at one stage her train was emptied onto the platform and it went back to Sydney, while another train came back from the north and unloaded its passengers at Wyong as well.
"We had three lots of trains condensed into one train," she said.
Ms Woods said she had been a railway user all her life and understood emergencies happened.
But, she claims passengers were left in the dark about what was happening for "hours and hours".
"My main beef is that okay, accidents happen, but we should have been told what was happening," she said.
"I don't want other people to have to go through what we did, without any information.
"We were actually helping people that should have been cared for by someone else that knew what was happening."
A Transport for NSW spokesperson confirmed 12 services were affected by the breakdown and the first of nine emergency buses were deployed about 8.15pm.
Three buses were sent to Fassifern, four to Awaba and two to Newcastle, and continued operating until about 12.15am to clear the backlog and supplement train services to help with "service recovery and train crewing issues".
All trains were stopped at platforms, except for the XPT service, but passengers had access to air conditioning, food and toilets.
Trains resumed running on the line at about 9pm once the affected train had been removed from the tracks.
The Transport for NSW spokesperson told the Herald passengers were kept informed via guard announcements, station screens, online and social media, and live travel apps, including about their travel options like local bus routes.
"Sydney Trains apologises for any inconvenience caused and thanks passengers for their patience," they said.
The spokesperson confirmed the authority had been battling shortages.
"NSW, like other parts of the country, is dealing with a bus driver shortage," they said.
The spokesperson said the issue was being addressed through the government's bus taskforce and a continued, widespread recruitment campaign.
"We have already halved the amount of bus driver vacancies in Greater Sydney since May 2023," they said.
