The Inner West light rail extension to Dulwich Hill has proved so popular that extra trains will be put on to ease overcrowding, announced NSW Transport and Infrastructure Minister Andrew Constance today (Thursday).

Mr Constance said that customer journeys had shot up by almost 60 per cent between 2013-14 and 2014-2015 – jumping from 3.9 million to 6.1 million – he said demand was expected to continue to rise.

To deal with its burgeoning popularity, up to 90 additional services will be put on each week, starting from Monday January 25.

Mr Constance said customer journeys between increased by nearly 60 per cent, from 3.9 million to 6.1 million, with journeys expected to increase further in coming years.

“People have voted with their feet on light rail and these extra services will be a welcome relief for customers,” Mr Constance said.

“An extra 3,700 people each day will be able to travel on light rail between Dulwich Hill and Central when the line is busiest.

“Since we extended the Inner West Light Rail in March 2014 and introduced Opal later the same year, customers are really embracing the service. People are flocking to light rail and customer satisfaction is on the rise.”

Light rail travellers will now only have to wait a maximum of eight minutes at peak time (weekdays between 8am and 9am and between 4pm and 6pm), instead of ten minutes.

As well, the afternoon peak will also be extended by an hour on weekdays from 6pm to 7pm, with services running every ten minutes.

The bulk of the new AM and PM peak services will start from Monday 25 January, with the remainder to kick in by the middle of the year. Some additional services were introduced in August last year.

“Demand for light rail is expected to rise so we’re putting on extra services to make sure we’re ahead of the curve,” Mr Constance said.

“We know that more and more people are now travelling from Central Station and the Inner West to Pyrmont for work so these extra services will be a big boost for customers, as well as helping to expand Pyrmont as an important employment hub.”

For timetabling information visit transportnsw.info.