Those of us living in areas served by train services are indeed lucky. There are thousands of residents in regional NSW who are living near a rail line but without train services. Did you know that there are more unused railway lines in NSW compared to lines actually in use for train services? Considering the billions spent on infrastructure just in Sydney by the NSW Government, regional NSW people are asking when a couple of billions will come their way for regional transport infrastructure from the government’s $100 billion infrastructure pipeline?
Our regional railways are historical engineering feats but active train services stopped several decades ago on some of the routes. Why were these services terminated?
Anyone travelling along the New England highway between Armidale and Queensland border today can witness the large number of B Double carrying freight in both directions while the great northern railway is left to rot. There have not been active train services in this line for over 3 decades. The railway infrastructure has been neglected and bridges are crumbling. In the meantime, vulnerable groups of residents in the region are suffering due to the lack of public transport. Having access to a descent public transport service is a human right, yet the disparity between city and country living is unimaginable.
The coalition government policy towards reactivating unused railway lines to serve the needs of regional communities, can best be described as gross neglect. This policy actually supports regional NSW councils to tear up existing railway infrastructure (which can be useful for future growth) to build rail trails (bike and walking paths) rather than investing in the renewal of train services.
The most worrying aspect of this great debacle is that regional councils are pushing for the construction of bike and walking paths by removing the rail infrastructure, despite not having conducted due diligence through failing to assess ‘independent cost benefit analysis’ of a rail trail or conducted satisfactory community consultation.
Victoria is spending over $4 billion dollars to upgrade every passenger railway line in the state; NSW is spending a mere $400 million over a 4-year period for upgrades to the Country Rail Network (CRN). This is presented to the public as a huge commitment, but will have little impact on the residents of regional NSW.
New England communities have been waging a campaign to draw the attention of local government authorities and the State government to the rail trail agenda, however there seems to be a “hidden hand” driving rail trail projects with the support of some councils and State government. These underlying factors need close examination and scrutiny which may determine that sustaining such policies is to the detriment of the public transport needs of regional communities. Government policy to fund and support rail trails has divided regional communities, leading to bitter conversations and counter arguments across social media. Where local councils have started building rail trails and removing existing rail infrastructure (Richmond Valley Council, Lismore City and Tweed Shire) there are active proposals in these areas to operate privately funded passenger railway services.
Some argue that the only way that trains can return is if a transport company can work with regional businesses and show that there is a need for freight rail services. Others suggest public-private partnership (PPP) as the desired model, this is currently used in Sydney by Transport for NSW to implement various projects.
Rail supporters argue that the councils and the NSW government should look into regional growth in the long term and prepare regional transport plans to extend or renew train services in the bush. Unfortunately, current regional development or transport plans do not include such plans. They argue that train services, including tourist rail, can attract a larger demographic compared to the smaller recreational cycling demographic. Rail supporters also emphasise that regional councils and the NSW government should look into regional growth in the long term, and prepare regional transport plans to extend or renew train services in the bush. Unfortunately, current regional development or transport plans do not include extensions to railway services.
One argument is that the NSW government wanted to privatise railway services -not the actual rail corridors which could be offered to trucking industry to carry freight. Thus, is a potent argument that even the mainstream media has not bothered to investigate in any detail. The underlying logic seems to be the desire to keep the rail infrastructure dormant to allow big trucking companies to run the show but the proponents planning to operate tourist trains are being stifled by the transport bureaucracy i.e. transport for NSW or the asset holding authority.
Could the underlying logic be the desire to keep the rail infrastructure dormant to allow the trucking companies to run the show?