Dear Rail supporter,

Since the passing of Rail Trail Bill 2022 by NSW parliament, it has been somewhat quiet for a while.  However, we have been busy in the last few weeks organising today's forum.  I am sorry I could not provide you details earlier.  We had a first visit there a couple of weeks ago for a planning meeting. The Mayor of Glen Innes also attended. As we had a positive reception, we went ahead with planning for today's event.  We hope a considerable number of locals will turn up! 

We have lined up a range of speakers including Angus Witherby(who is looking to prepare a Business case for us), Brian Fisher(former track manager), David Donelly (former Mayor), Rob Lenehan (Guyra) , Margaret O' Connor, Sal Gilder (Glen Innes), Sue Watson (Glen Innes), Mathew Tierney and Karin von Strokirch (former UNE academic and chair of the forum today).   Try to attend this important event if you can.  We are very excited about our first public meeting.

At 5.30pm we will meet speakers for a quick meal at the club.  Though I am not that good at producing Youtube videos, the following link gives access to my latest one about the public forum in Glen Innes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BcVefZbg9Q

If possible, I will try to do another Youtube live stream from the venue.

Glen Innes Examiner carries an article about today's forum compiled by Karin.  I did a radio interview with FM radio station, Glen Innes already. You can access it via the following link:

http://radio2cbd.com.au/podcasts/

I am pleased to note that the number of those who signed our petition has exceeded 2000 by now. We are makiong progress in terms of getting public support for our cause. 

The paper petition to  the Legislative Assembly organised by another outfit has to reach 10,000 signatures.  We are not that far away from reaching that goal also.  if you have not signed it, let me know so I can send a link to the form.

Kind regards,

Siri Gamage

Co-Convenor

Northern Railway Defenders Forum(NRDF)

Siri

Given below is a copy of Karin's article (pre-publication)

Why we need trains back on the Main North Line

At 6.30pm Monday 17th October 2022 there will be a public forum on Why we need trains back on the Main North Line at the Glen Innes RSL Club. A panel of expert speakers will explore the social, economic and strategic benefits of restoring passenger and freight rail services North of Armidale to Queensland.

Speakers include an Armidale engineer with encyclopaedic knowledge of the line’s history, a town planner who specialises in public transport, a former NSW railway track manager with 17 years’ experience maintaining 460km of track, as well as locals passionately committed to seeing Glenn Innes thrive.

Advocates of restoring the train service point to its overwhelming benefits. Ordinary people need safe, reliable, convenient, affordable, transport to regional centres and capital cities to access medical services, education and more. A train service will attract people to visit, live and invest in the Northern Tablelands as well as help retain our young people.

For safety reasons it makes sense to get long haul freight onto trains and off our roads. Transport NSW reports that heavy truck accidents cause an average of 59 fatalities and 1014 injuries per year on our state roads. Trucks have blind spots and cannot stop quickly. A B-Double travelling only 60km/h takes 67 metres to stop. As roads flood to our East and West even more trucks hit the New England highway.

There is an inexorable trend for finite fossil fuel prices to increase while emissions spiral and catastrophes – drought, fire and flood - strike with alarming frequency. Australia has barely a month of petroleum reserves if the tap gets turned off overseas. It would be a no regrets investment in national security to switch to fuel efficient public transport by rail.

Our speakers explain how achievable it is to restore the Great Northern Railway line in an established flood free corridor on a sound foundation. In NSW plans are underway for Inland Rail, fast rail from Sydney to Newcastle and overtaking lanes for fast freight. Trains are not a relic of a bygone past, they are the future. Let’s make sure our region does not miss out!

[Optional paragraph: As NSW Minister Stokes said: “Infrastructure creates opportunity. Faster and better connections between our great cities will improve reliability, improve travel times and ultimately improve quality of life for the many across our state.”]

All are welcome to attend and join in discussion. Food and drink can be purchased at the RSL Club from 5.30. For more information see www.facebook.com/TrainsNorth or email trainsnorth@hotmail.com 

Northern Railway Defenders Forum https://www.facebook.com/TrainsNorth is an activity of Save the Great Northern Rail Group Inc.