Up to 16 bus routes affecting thousands of commuters face being cut from Sydney's east to make way for the new light rail, according to leaked NSW government documents.

Buses servicing Coogee, Maroubra and Sydney's south towards the CBD are proposed to be dissolved in a Transport for NSW draft document marked "sensitive" and obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald.

Up to 16 bus services are slated to be cut by the government, according to a leaked draft report. Credit:JAMES ALCOCK

Some south-east Sydneysiders will instead be funnelled towards Randwick and on to the new CBD light rail, which has been criticised for slow and inconsistent running times.

The draft document, dated January 2020, is the first indication of the future for the eastern suburbs bus network since the light rail's environmental impact statement was released in 2013.