Sydney metro station to stay open during New Year’s Eve celebrations
The longer opening of the underground station will give revellers a direct link to and from key vantage points on the harbour foreshore.
An underground metro train station on Sydney’s harbour front will remain open during New Year’s Eve celebrations, in a departure from transport logistics adopted for festivities in 2024.
With the NSW government expecting a million revellers along the harbour foreshore, authorities are advising people to plan their journeys in and out of the inner city and travel on public transport due to road closures.
Following the Bondi Beach attack that killed 15 people and injured dozens more, Premier Chris Minns urged the public against being cowered by the terrorist act, and to show defiance by not allowing it to change the way they live their lives.
Revellers queue outside the Domain in Sydney’s CBD to get to the best vantage points for New Year’s Eve fireworks.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
“We can’t get cowed by these terrorists. Ultimately, that’s what they hope. They want to change the way we live, the way we work, the way we have fun, the way we celebrate, the way we bring in the new year. And we have to show defiance to that kind of ideology,” he said.
To handle New Year’s Eve crowds, more than 1000 extra train, bus and light rail services will be put on – about 40 per cent higher than the busiest weekday – and public transport will operate continuously for 46 hours.
It will be the second New Year’s Eve that the city-section of the M1 metro line has been operating, which boosts capacity on the rail network by 10 per cent.
Unlike last year, Barangaroo metro station will remain open through the night to help get people in and out of the inner harbour precinct.
Barangaroo metro station will remain open during the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Credit: Wolter Peeters
Transport for NSW secretary Josh Murray said the greatest challenge in handling crowds was just after the 9pm fireworks and about 12.15am when people depart for home en masse.