Region. Rail commuters face changes

More commuters would have to change trains to get to the city centre under a planned overhaul of Sydney's train system that will attempt to make trains run more frequently and reliably. The overhaul would mean commuters from a clutch of stations in Sydney's west and north-west would lose direct services to the city, but they would be promised better and more regular services on the express line when they change trains.

The principles behind the planned redesign, which remain controversial inside the transport bureaucracy, are expected to be laid out in the coming weeks, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, which put its understanding of the rail plan to the office of the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian.

She said: "Transport for NSW is undertaking the most fundamental rewrite of the rail timetable in a decade to ensure we get the most out of the current network for customers. There is a lot of work to do and plans have not been finalised. The new timetable will be implemented late next year to improve service reliability and increase capacity,'' she said.

North West. Driverless trains

The NSW government has investigated running driverless trains on the $8.5 billion North West Rail Link, in a move that could spark tensions with transport unions over potential job cuts, according to The Australian Financial Review.

Parramatta. Rail link is on again

Preliminary work on the $2.6 billion Parramatta-Epping rail link could commence next year with construction due to be completed in 2017, shaving 25 minutes off the 14-kilometre trip from Parramatta to Chatswood. The line would pass through a new station at Rosehill-Camellia and upgraded stations at Rydalmere, Dundas, Telopea and Carlingford, then would meet up with the existing Chatswood-Epping line. Construction would include two tunnels, one from Parramatta to Rosehill-Camellia and another from Carlingford to Epping. Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, will promise $2.1 billion in federal funds, with the state government to contribute $520 million.

Auburn. New train facility

The Auburn stabling project involves the construction of a new stabling facility north-west of Auburn station. The project is designed to cater for the expected increase in train services in Sydney’s west and south-west. The project will reduce the number of empty trains on the metropolitan network and accommodate 18 eight-car trains Transport Construction Authority (formerly Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation) is currently working on the design and environmental impact assessment for the project.

Warrick Farm. Approval for rail siding

The Department of Planning has approved the construction and operation of a rail siding to connect Independent Media Print Group’s printing facility, at Warrick Farm, to the Southern Sydney Freight Line.

Region. Work on rail project to stop

Work on a Federal Government’s $309 million Southern Sydney Freight Line project will shut down in Sydney this week, and hundreds of workers will be laid off, because of a potential cost blow-out allegedly caused by poor planning. The Australian Rail Track Corporation has confirmed that it will be ''re-evaluated with a view to determine the most cost-effective way forward'', according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, said in February the project, to take freight trains off the Sydney passenger rail network, would create 1500 jobs and be completed by early 2010.

Region. Less than 20ks in 69 years

Professor Phillip O’Neill, director of the Parramatta-based UWS Urban Research Centre, said less than 20 kilometres of new railway had been built in Western Sydney since 1940 despite a fivefold increase in the population. He was commenting in the Sun-Herald on an article on Sydney’s inadequate rail system. He said Western Sydney was forced to rely on a mishmash of local roads and poorly designed bus services. Some 80 per cent of Western Sydney’s workers employed in the region travelled to work by car. Norwest Business Park had more than 90 per cent car dependency.

Region. Rail cuts big and small

The State Government, in addition to cancelling the $12 billion North-West Metro and the $1.4 billion south-west rail link, has also cancelled the proposed $432 million duplication of the Richmond rail line, the $38 million Carlingford line passing loop and the election commitment to build a train station to serve the University of Western Sydney, at Werrington, on the western line.