The government needs to come clean on whether it plans to address the problem of crowded South Coast afternoon services, Wollongong MP Paul Scully told parliament.
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There are two afternoon services that travel between Central and the South Coast that are only four-car sets – at 3.24pm and the 3.54pm.
The pair of trains have long been a source of frustration for South Coast commuters, who claim they are often standing room only.
A Mercury investigation of the services over two days found most were heavily used, with one featuring an average 16 passengers standing per carriage.
There have been at least two petitions calling for extra carriages – one from commuter group Illawarra Rail Fail and another from Parliamentary Secretary for the Illawarra Gareth Ward.
There is a likely solution with the rollout of the New Intercity Fleet that starts next year – carriages that are no longer needed could be moved to those South Coast trains.
To date Transport for NSW has said any redeployment plans would be “finalised closer to the time”.
But Mr Scully said Transport Minister Andrew Constance should tell South Coast commuters now whether extra carriages for those trains were coming.
“Give us a response,” Mr Scully said in NSW Parliament.
“No bureaucratic double-speak, no hiding behind standard text and cute language, just a simple yes or no and a firm timetable for implementation, a fixed plan with fixed dates to fix overcrowding on train services to the Illawarra.”
The Wollongong MP had sent a three-point plan to Mr Constance months ago to deal with the crowded trains.
As well as reallocating carriages to the South Coast line, Mr Scully’s plan called for the pick-up only status of several train stations be announced at Central.
The third point was that staff were employed at the pick-up only stations to remind passengers of the policy.
The two afternoon services have two pick-up only stops – called U stops – at Hurstville and Sutherland.
They have been touted as a measure to deal with overcrowding as they are meant to discourage those travelling to suburban Sydney stops from boarding South Coast services.
However, the Mercury investigation of these services over two days discovered an average of 61 passengers per train got off at these stations.
Mr Scully said these U stops were a “fair way of doing things” – if the $100 fine that came with breaking the rule was enforced.
“.. no-one has ever been fined and as far as I can find out no-one has even been warned,” he said.
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
