Waratah Carriages
The Waratah carriages are a clear example of why Labor can’t be trusted to
get transport right. Ever. They were promised back in 2007, when the Labor
Minister pledged to have them all in operation by the end of 2010.
Fast forward to 2011, and in early January not only was there not a single
Waratah carriage operational, but there was news that the carriages were
even further delayedas the company contracted by Labor put a freeze on
trading of its sharesand announced delivery would not be completed untill 2014.
Only the NSW Liberals and Nationals can fix this debacle and deliver
air-conditioned carriages to the Western Line.
North-West and South-West Rail Links
These rail links have been on and off Labor’s agenda nearly as often as
they’ve changed Premiers. Like every other major rail project promised
during Labor’s 16 years of government, like the fast trains to Penrith
promised in 2007, they have not been delivered.
The NSW Liberals and Nationals will build these rail links, withredirected funds from the $4.5 billion City Relief Tunnel between Redfern and Wynyard – which given Labor’s track record on rail links probably would never happen anyway.
Peak Hour Services
Peak hour is always a difficult time for commuters, and it is even worse on
the Western Line. The Auditor-General’s report released in early December
states that:
\”The Western lines had the highest number of trains exceeding seat capacity
20 minutes out from the CBD in the morning\”
As though this isn’t bad enough, the report makes it clear that it is only
dealing with trains running between 8am and 9am.
The daily reality for Western Sydney’s commuters is that peak train usage is
from 6am to 9am. CityRail’s FAQ also define the morning peak period as
between 6am and 9am.
In other words, the Keneally Labor Government has moved the goalposts in a
bid to try to hide the real extent of the problem.
Commuters from Sydney’s West are literally left standing, every day, for
longer than twenty minutes, for longer than the Government’s guidelines, and
the Keneally Labor Government’s response is to fiddle the books to try to
hide the problem.
In contrast, Barry O’Farrell has announced that a NSW Liberals & Nationals government woulddeliver and additional AM peak time express servicefrom Penrith, and two AM and two PM peak time semi-express services. Read more about Barry O’Farrell’s trains announcement here.
