Source: Mental Health Australia
Sydney Olympic Park will be bustling this Sunday 21 September with 80,000 people attending events across the precinct including 60,000 footy fans converging on Accor Stadium to back their Sydney teams in the NRL semi-finals.
Heading into week three of the NRL finals, the Bulldogs host the Panthers to determine who will face the Broncos next weekend for a spot in the Grand Final.
Fans are being urged to use public transport to get to and from the game, with Transport for NSW Coordinator-General Howard Collins saying supporters have many options across the city with plenty of extra transport services running.
Travel on all modes of public transport is included in your ticket to this blockbuster semi-final. Show your ticket to transport staff when getting on board.
People attending Oz Comic-Con at Sydney Showground or the Basketball event at Qudos Bank Arena need to use their Opal cards or contactless payment method.
“NRL fans are urged to leave the car at home and catch public transport to avoid getting caught in traffic delays,” Mr. Collins said.
“Stadium gates open at 2.15pm ahead of kick-off at 4.05pm so we encourage fans to arrive early and soak up the pre-game atmosphere in the precinct. Olympic Park will be busy as there will also be thousands of Oz Comic-Con attendees and basketball fans attending events at nearby venues.
“There will be plenty of trains and major event buses running to and from Sydney Olympic Park to get supporters to the game and home afterwards.”
Extra express trains will run from Central and the west to Olympic Park from early afternoon on Sunday, some starting from Penrith, with return services running frequently after the match. There will also be frequent trains between Lidcombe and Olympic Park until late.
Sydney Olympic Park major event buses will run every 7 to 20 minutes between 12.35pm and 2.59pm, depending on the route. Buses will arrive at the precinct from around 2pm to 3:45pm. The last return bus leaves Olympic Park at 7pm.
“Fans who must drive need to pre-book parking online before Sunday and consider carpooling. Traffic is expected to be heavy and local road closures are in place,” Mr. Collins said.
“There’s also the option for fans who are driving to park at a commuter car park and continue their trip to Olympic Park by train.”
Southwest Link buses run regularly between Sydenham and Bankstown. Fans can catch a bus to Bankstown to connect to the T6 Line trains to Lidcombe then to Olympic Park.
Meanwhile essential trackwork is taking place on several lines that may affect how fans travel. Passengers are urged to plan ahead and allow extra trave time.
For more details on public transport changes during the event, including trip planning and travel alerts, visit NRL Semi Final: Bulldogs v Panthers | transportnsw.info or use the Opal Travel app or other trip planning apps.
For real-time updates on traffic conditions, including road closures and special event clearways, visit Live Traffic NSW.