Fast train services between Canberra and Sydney would bring great benefits to both Macarthur and Wollondilly Shire.
That is why Campbelltown MP Greg Warren and the Labor Party candidate for Wollondilly Jo-Ann Davidson have endorsed a funding commitment to develop a business case for faster rail services between Sydney and Canberra.
Deputy NSW opposition leader Michael Daley this week announced that NSW Labor and the ACT Government have joined forces to commit $10 million to finance the business case.
Mr Daley made the announcement during visits to the electorates of Wollondilly and Campbelltown, where he was joined by Mr Warren and Ms Davidson.
“Faster train service between Sydney and Canberra would have enormous benefits for commuters in Campbelltown and the wider Macarthur region,’’ Mr Warren said.
“Campbelltown commuters are currently forced to endure unreliable services and non-air-conditioned trains – it’s shambolic.
“Faster services means less time spent on trains and more precious time spent with loved ones.
“This is great news for the people of Campbelltown and it’s the first step towards a faster and more reliable train service.”
Reducing the current journey time of four hours on the train between Sydney and Canberra would encourage tens of thousands of people to visit towns such as Yass and Goulburn as well and regions such as the Southern Highlands and Wollondilly Shire.
A shift from road to rail also has the potential to take tens of thousands of cars off the roads and increase the attraction of families to live and work in the Sydney to Canberra corridor.
For the past 18 years, employment in the corridor has grown by 1.7 per cent a year and each day 50,000 people commute into the ACT for work, while around a third of Wollondilly’s residents travel to Greater Sydney for work daily.
“This announcement is all about delivering better services for the communities of the Wollondilly electorate,’’ Ms Davidson said.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“Our community deserves a faster service to the city centres of Sydney and Canberra.”[/social_quote]
Last November, the ACT Government entered into a memorandum of understanding with the NSW Government to promote greater co-operation on cross border issues, among them the benefits of a faster train journey between the two state capitals.
However, no money has been forthcoming from Premier Gladys Berejiklian and an application to the Turnbull Government for federal funding was also unsuccessful.
“Unlike the Liberals, Labor actually believes in faster rail between Canberra and Sydney,’’ says Mr Daley.
“This is a corridor shaping opportunity – unlocking jobs and increasing livability for everyone across the region.
“Labor is serious about faster rail because we actually care about the regions and unlike the Liberal-Nationals won’t blow billions on vanity projects like Sydney stadiums and the light rail,” he said.
