NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance has brushed off questions about the cuts to local train services from November 26 which will mean longer trips for some commuters.
In response to a question from Campbelltown MP Greg Warren in Question Time at State Parliament on Wednesday, the Minister refused to acknowledge that the Macarthur region is set to lose more than 1,100 direct services to Liverpool, Parramatta and Blacktown every week when the new timetable is introduced later this month.
Mr Warren said the minister claimed that Campbelltown would see an increase in services under the new timetable – despite all services on the T2 Inner West and South and T5 Cumberland lines being axed.
At the conclusion of Question Time, Mr Warren moved a motion seeking to have the issue debated formally, but the government used its majority to block the issue from being debated.
He says Macarthur commuters wishing to travel to destinations along either of the affected lines will now be required to change trains at Glenfield, adding significantly to the travel time for many commuters.
“The Minister’s arrogance and ignorance in answering my question today was extremely disappointing not just for me, but for the thousands of people in our community who will be worse off under the new timetable,’’ Mr Warren said.
“Under these changes, the thousands of local residents who go to work in places like Liverpool, Blacktown and Parramatta will lose another 15, 20 or even 30 minutes out of their day.
“That might not sound like a huge amount of time, but when people are already spending two or more hours every day commuting and away from their families, every extra minute that can be spent at home is precious.
“I asked a question and even moved to have the issue formally debated in Parliament, and instead of fronting up to listen to and address the concerns of our community, the government shut down the debate and ran hiding.
“It’s time for the government to start listening to the hundreds of local residents who have signed my petition against these cuts – and the thousands more who will be affected by them – and go back to the drawing board to work on a timetable that’s fair for everyone.’’
Mr Warren says the new timetable will make it impossible for Macarthur commuters to arrive at Blacktown, Parramatta and a number of other Western Sydney destinations before 7am without catching at least three trains – drastically lengthening their commute time.
He gave an example of a tradesperson needing to arrive at Blacktown before 7am who currently needs to catch a 5.43am train from Campbelltown station.
Under the new timetable, the same worker would need to leave Campbelltown at 5.14am – almost half an hour earlier.
Mr Warren said the draft timetable also fails to deliver on the government’s repeated promises to keep waiting times at Glenfield station as short as possible, with waits of 10 minutes or more common throughout the morning and afternoon peak periods.
