In the last decade, just a few minutes have been shaved off the travel time for Illawarra rail commuters travelling to Sydney, according to a Wollongong MP.
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Paul Scully took the issues of Illawarra commuters to the floor of state parliament this week, citing long train trips and the ongoing delay in releasing a report on faster rail that the government has had in its hands for more than a year.
"In the 10 long years since the government came to office the minimum travel time between Wollongong and Central has only been reduced by a grand total of two minutes and 12 seconds," Mr Scully said.
"At that rate, which I am sure the government would find acceptable, it would take 120 years to achieve an hour-long journey between Wollongong and Central.
"By that time it is more likely that we will be making that journey by drone or by some other form of transport."
In December 2018, the state government commissioned high speed rail expert Professor Andrew McNaughton to look at four route options, one of which was the "Southern Coastal Route" including the Illawarra.
The state government has had Prof McNaughton's report since at least March 2020 but as yet neither it nor its findings have been made public.
"The government has done nothing, more than two years after it received that latest report, which I unsuccessfully tried to obtain under a freedom of information request," Mr Scully said.
"Apparently it had to be kept secret because it had crossed the Cabinet room threshold.
"It is time for the report to be released to the taxpayers who paid for it and for the government to take immediate steps to improve transport services to and from the Illawarra."
The Wollongong MP also called on the government to address the problem of internet "black spots" on the trip between Wollongong and Sydney, which caused problems for commuters.
"It means that they are unable to contact family to arrange a pick-up from the station or to alert them of a delay," he said.
"It means that any work that could be done on the train must be done later instead, interrupting time with family."
Transport for NSW was contacted for comment on this story.
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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.
