Dear all,
- We submitted the petition with 10740 signaures seeking passenger trains from Armidale to Jennings/Wallangarra to NSW Legislative Assembly through our MP Adam Marshall in late November. It was tabled on 23rd November. The debate is scheduled for 8th February 2024. Before this we plan to discuss the petition and corresponding request with MPS and ministers. You can see the details of the petition using this link:
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Pages/home.aspx
Note: At present you can't access this site due to a technical problem.
2. Trains North Inc. Vice President for Glen Innes. Steve Pearce wrote a letter to Glen Innes Severn Council seeking its support for the reintroduction of train services north of Armidale and asked to speak at the November meeting. In the letter he stated the benefits. He was able to speak at the November meeting. In response to the letter, the General manager and the Director,Infrastructure Services Mr. Keith Appleby wrote a report for consideration by the council. You can access the report by using the business paper for the November meeting.
The report included three recommendations as well.
THAT Council: 1. Note the prohibitive capital, maintenance and operational costs associated with reintroducing rail services to Wallangarra. 2. Advise Trains North Inc that in the interests of the broader community and noting the importance of gaining maximum benefit from the expenditure of public funds, it cannot support its request. 3. Advocate for maintaining and improving the existing public transport services available for Glen Innes and surrounds and for continued improvements and upgrades to the New England Highway and Gwydir Highway.
When the Mayor called for a vote, 3 councillors voted for these recommendations and 3 voted against. Mayor had to cast his vote to get an outcome. One councillor was absent.This is not bad given the history of votes on the New enfgland rail Trail.
You can draw your own conclusions about the recommendations adopted by the GISC. I do not need to eleborate. However Glen Innes examiner published a front page article on 14th December 2023 with the title “Councillors are all on Board for Disused line to become Tourist rail Trail.” The article states that "the final hurdle for a rail trail to proceed between Armidale and Glen Innes has been cleared. Boundary lines and leases over the 103 kilometres stretch of railway line have now been reviewed and approved by the state government." This is inaccurate. Transport for NSW informs us 'whilst TfNSW and council have agreed the boundaries of the Rail corridor to be leased, prior to progressing the Authorising regulation Regional NSW is undertaking a review of the consultation process undertaken by Council to ensure it aligns with and meets the NSW Rail Trail Framework. The Authorising Regulation which is yet to be made and required prior to a lease being granted to Council. The Authorising Regulation will not occur until there is confidence that Council(s) has met the NSW Rail Trail Framework requirements". By Regional NSW, they mean the Dept of Regional NSW, more specifically Public Works Advisory (PWA). According to the NSW Rail Trail Framework 2022, there are three conditions that councils have to meet when requesting approval for a rail trail in unused rail corridors. 1) Sound business case 2) Community support 3) Biosecurity impact statement. It is our view that the council has not carried out adequate community consultations about the rail trail proposal. Instead as its original funding application shows it relied on community consultations carried out by another organisation campaigning for the institution of NERT. Rate payers in the Glen Innes LG area deserve better consultations by their council when making such a crucial decision to change the future use of northern railway line for decades to come.
I am in the process of drafting an article about the claims reported in this article to be sent to Glen Innes examiner. I expect to send a version of it to New England Times as well. watch the space.
3. Trains North has been in conversations with several consultants about the preparation of a conceopt plan and/or a feasibility study for the reactivation of northern rail line. What is clear is that we need to collect donations from the community and well wishers if we are to progress this aspect. Without facts and figures and a cost benefit analysis we cant determine the extent of commitment that the NSW government has to make. At this stage it is not even willing to commit funds to conduct an independent feasibility study. Citizens believe that it is the responsibility of governments to provide public transport in the city and regioanl areas. Unfortunately, the government in Sydney does not operate on this principal when it comes to investing in regional transport infrastructure while pouring bnillions into transport infrastructure in Sydney! NSW govt is interested in private investors willing to utilise the rail line for passenger,tourist or freight services. It is apparent that govt uses a method called Public Private partnership(PPP) when it comes to investments in public transport infrastructure.