Newcastle commuters to be stranded from Boxing Day

The Baird Government has announced that trains will stop running into the Newcastle CBD on Boxing Day – a move the Loco Division says put developer interests ahead of those of commuters.

The Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, announced that heavy rail services into Newcastle station will stop on December 26^th, and work to truncate the line at Wickham will begin. The plan is to introduce a new light rail system in the city.

Loco Division Secretary Bob Hayden said plan to cut the direct rail link into the city centre is a terrible misuse of commuter infrastructure and will leave passengers stranded.

“This is a big blow for the people of Newcastle and a monumental waste of money,” Bob Hayden said.

“It defies belief that a government would rip up a rail line leading directly into a major city.

“What we need is more reliable public transport, not less. It’s great that more bus services look like they’re going to be introduced in the area, but they should complement a rail service, not replace it. This move will only serve to force more people off public transport altogether.

“It seems like this is a decision made to benefit developer interests, rather than those of the travelling public.

“Since the rumours of the Newcastle plans surfaced quite some time ago, we’ve been trying to get to the bottom of the plans and what they mean for commuters and workers. We’ve been given the run around by the government every step of the way. Unfortunately we’re still none the wiser, but we’re continuing to seek urgent meetings with the government to gauge the exact impact on members.

We will keep members updated on information as soon as it comes to hand.