The closure of the T3 Bankstown Line will begin during construction of the Sydney Metro

Replacement bus services bound for Sydenham are heavily reliant on Canterbury Road, after stops at Bankstown, Punchbowl, Wiley Park and Belmore.

Belmore resident Anna Vergos described traveling on Canterbury Road as “torture” when using bus replacement services in the past. She said they removed one lane of traffic and created bottlenecks for morning commuters.

Another resident from nearby Campsie, who did not want to speak on the record, said they had considered leaving the area because of the inconvenience caused by the line closure.

They suggested a phased approach would be better suited to commuters, especially those returning to the office or with children in childcare.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen told 2GB on Monday morning that the closure and conversion were “pain for gain”, saying she did not want commuters to be “stuck on buses for longer than necessary”.

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Kelly Young, a Belmore resident who commutes to Wynyard three times a week, predicted “terrible” traffic on Canterbury Road once students returned, but supported the construction of subways provided it was accompanied by high-density housing .

Young expects an additional 40 minutes of traffic each way on her commute to Wynyard during the railway closure.

The last heavy train passed through Bankstown station in the early hours of Monday morning, captured by transport enthusiasts on social media.

Haylen said on Sunday: “The Bankstown Line is a stalwart of NSW Railways, faithfully serving communities for more than a century. Today we want to honor the past while looking to the bright future of public transportation in our city.

“We have seen this line evolve from steam trains to electrification – now it is time for the latest upgrade to enable modern metro trains.”