Opal brings hefty hike for quarterly users

The lack of lifts at Unanderra train station and the impossibility of finding a parking spot at Thirroul are the main concerns of Illawarra commuters, according to a statewide rail survey by the NRMA.

Called Seeing Red on Rail, the survey notes the stations and issues that most irk commuters.

Unanderra station came in at 12th place in the worst NSW stations list, topping the list in the Illawarra. Of the 94 people who voted for it as the most in need of improvement, 88 per cent cited the lack of lifts, while 69 per cent said it was difficult to access the platform.

Also, 40 per cent said they did not feel safe at certain times of the day.

Residents have been campaigning for lifts to be installed at Unanderra for years.

The campaign was revived after the Mercury reported that Artarmon station, in Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian's electorate, was getting lifts installed.

The second-most disliked station on the Illawarra list was Thirroul, which was listed at No 24 in the state.

Fifty-four commuters nominated Thirroul, with 85 per cent saying there weren't enough parks.

Since the government introduced a new timetable in October last year, parking at Thirroul has become a headache.

Commuters who used to get on at smaller stations further up the line now drive to Thirroul and park all day in the car park or surrounding streets.

Frustration with local services introduced in the revised timetable was also apparent, with 52 per cent nominating poor connecting services to be an issue and 43 per cent believing services were too infrequent.

Rounding out the top three worst stations in the Illawarra was Wollongong, which was nominated by 53 commuters.

The biggest issues there were not feeling safe (68 per cent), infrequent service (47 per cent), lack of secure parking and insufficient staff (both 38 per cent).