Hello,

Here is a draft email that can be sent to the NSW government  planning process currently underway to develop a regional integrated transport plan for our region .  

Please change the wording as you see fit before sending this off to tfnsw team in charge of SRITP.

You may send this with any amendments to the following email address:

 engage.sritps@transport.nsw.gov.au

Title: Submission to Transport for NSW – Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan (SRITP)

Re: The Need for Cross-Border Connectivity and Integrated Transport Solutions for the New England Region

I am writing to express my strong concern regarding the lack of integrated transport planning for the New England region, particularly in the context of cross-border connectivity with South East Queensland. Without restoring and enhancing transport links—including rail and road—between towns such as Toowoomba, Warwick and Stanthorpe in Queensland and New England centres like Tenterfield, Glen Innes, Guyra, and Armidale, any regional transport plan will fall short of its objectives.

A long-term, strategic vision must consider the economic, social and service-based ties between northern New England and South East Queensland. Many residents in Tenterfield and surrounding towns travel northward to Queensland for essential services, especially healthcare. Yet they face enormous barriers due to the near-total absence of public transport. Locations such as Tenterfield, Deepwater, Glen Innes, and Guyra are effectively cut off—without buses or trains—and reliant on private vehicles, which many vulnerable groups simply do not have access to.

Currently, the only daily public transport service is a coach connecting Tenterfield to Armidale Station, which in turn links to the Sydney train. However, this train journey takes over 8 hours. For a resident of Tenterfield, the total travel time to Sydney becomes a 10-hour one-way trip. For medical appointments, this usually necessitates a three-day journey—two nights away from home. 

Air travel is often unaffordable and unreliable, with frequent Qantas flight cancellations. For the elderly, frail, disabled, unemployed, or those without access to a car, road travel is not an option at all.

The current low patronage on the coach service should not be used as a justification for inaction or as an indication of future demand for a proper, integrated passenger rail service. People are not avoiding public transport because they don’t want it—they avoid it because the current system is not fit for purpose.

Two local councils in the region have expressed reluctance to advocate publicly for the reinstatement of the railway service north of Armidale, suggesting it is not their responsibility. However, I believe it is the responsibility of all levels of government and local leadership to advocate for improved connectivity, faster and more reliable public transport options, and inclusion of the New England region in long-term transport planning.

The reopening of the rail line north of Armidale would not only better connect New England residents with services in Sydney and Brisbane, but it would also stimulate the visitor economy and create new opportunities for economic development in both NSW and Queensland. An integrated cross-border regional transport strategy would help attract new residents, professionals such as doctors and nurses, investment in services, and industry.

This plan, being developed by Transport for NSW for the next 20 years, must think beyond traditional approaches. It must address the real and growing public transport challenges faced by rural and regional residents. 

Being in a regional area should not mean being cut off from the services and opportunities that people in metropolitan areas take for granted. We are taxpayers too, and deserve equitable access to government investment in transport infrastructure.

I urge Transport for NSW to:

Investigate the feasibility of reopening the rail line north of Armidale to include Guyra, Glen Innes, Deepwater, and Tenterfield;
Develop a long-term, integrated regional transport plan that connects New England with South East Queensland;
Improve the speed and efficiency of rail services to Sydney to make them a realistic option for regional residents;
Ensure rural and regional communities are not left behind in the state's transport strategy;
Engage meaningfully with communities and councils to reflect genuine public needs rather than relying solely on current coach patronage data.
This region has been overlooked by successive governments for far too long. It is time to invest in meaningful, long-term transport infrastructure that supports the future of the New England region and connects us confidently with the rest of the state and country.

Sincerely,

[insert Your Name]

[Contact Details ]