TWO More Trains for Singleton representatives have told NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance that long term planning is required to address community concerns about inadequate train services in the region.
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At a recent meeting with the minister and Singleton Council delegates at Parliament House in Sydney, the local group proposed additional passenger train services for the town, and improved public transport connectivity in Singleton and Newcastle.
“It is pleasing that the NSW Government is listening to proposals for public transport improvements,” Two More Trains for Singleton spokesperson Martin Fallding said.
“Long term public transport improvements to Singleton are within the scope of the NSW Government’s recently released Future Transport 2056 Strategy and Regional NSW Services and Infrastructure Plan 2018.”
New Regional NSW Services and Infrastructure Plan 2018 initiatives include Sydney-Central Coast-Newcastle Faster Rail Improvement, Corridor Preservation for Higher Speed Connections, Lower Hunter Freight Corridor, a Dubbo to Newcastle passenger rail connection, new suburban type rail service for Greater Newcastle, electrification of the Hunter Line to Telarah, and Cessnock to Newcastle rail services via Kurri Kurri.
Two More Trains for Singleton suggested feasibility studies for the Hunter LinkRail proposal to directly integrate a number of the proposed NSW Government initiatives.
This pitch is for a passenger and freight rail link from Glendale to Maitland via Kurri-Kurri, mostly along existing rail corridors.
Two More Trains for Singleton drew the minister’s attention to the recently-released Hunter Valley Corridor Capacity Strategy 2017 in which the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) identifies that coal freight is unlikely to limit additional passenger train services to Singleton.
Coal freight volumes on the Hunter Line are predicted to progressively decline from 2024.
“Infrastructure is adequate to provide more daily passenger train services to Singleton; and coal freight is not a limit to more services,” Mr Fallding said.
“The group is seeking to meet with Transport for NSW and the Australian Rail Track Corporation to discuss opportunities and limits to providing additional passenger train services between Singleton and Maitland.”
