Motor racing fans going to the Supercars Newcastle 500 this weekend are urged to leave their cars at home and instead take one of the many extra public transport services running for the event.
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Those travelling from Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast are advised that trains will run around every half hour from Central Station to Newcastle Interchange on Friday, and around every hour on Saturday and Sunday.
The trains will run at around the same frequency for the return journey, from Newcastle Interchange. Most trains will also have extra carriages at the weekend.
More than 150,000 people are expected to attend the third Newcastle 500, which takes in landmarks such as the Harbour Foreshore and Nobbys Beach in Newcastle East on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 22 to 24.
"There will be additional trains, frequent light rail services and extra buses too," a spokesperson for the Transport Management Centre said.
"Ferries will also run more often, so leave the car at home."
There will be major road closures and very limited parking near the event, while heavy traffic is expected on the approaches to the street circuit and Newcastle itself, including roads such as the M1 Pacific Motorway and Pacific Highway.
"Taking all that into account, the best option is to leave the driving to the professionals and catch public transport, especially as your event ticket covers the trip to and from the event," the spokesperson said.
"That means you won't have to pay extra to catch trains, Sydney Metro services, regular Newcastle and Sydney buses, Park and Ride event shuttle buses, Sydney and Newcastle ferry and light rail services.
"Newcastle Interchange is the closest station. From there, you can catch the light rail to Queens Wharf which is close to gates 1A, 1B and 2 on Wharf Road and Hunter Street."
Light rail services run regularly from 5am until 1am each day, but services will start and end their trips at Queens Wharf instead of Newcastle Beach from 5am, Thursday, November 21, until 1am on Tuesday, November 26, due to road closures.
There are also two park and ride locations - one at McDonald Jones Stadium and the other at Stockton Wharf.
Buses leaving the stadium will go to Honeysuckle Drive, where fans can walk just over 1km.
"Keep in mind that even though ferries will be running every 10 minutes between Stockton and Queens Wharf, they'll still be very busy, so factor in extra time," the spokesperson said.
There will also be extra buses running to and from Bolton Street and Marketown on the weekend to help get fans to and from the racing, but buses will be using different streets and stops than usual due to the road closures in place.
Anyone coming from Sydney or the Central Coast can also consider using commuter car parks at stations on the Central Coast and Newcastle Line, and then taking a train to Newcastle.
To plan your trip on public transport, visit transportnsw.info.
