The present service by heavy rail to Newcastle station should be retained. It makes no sense to remove it.
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From a transport perspective it seems to me there has been no logical argument put forward for the removal of this asset.
One could perhaps make a case for the slowing of the trains for the last few minutes of travel from say Civic station to Newcastle station and providing more crossings at street level. As a railway engineer suggested, have the train act as a tram for this section of the line.
Melbourne has trams travelling from the suburbs to the CBD and this is very satisfactory for people in outlying suburbs. A proposal to terminate a heavy rail service at Wickham and provide an add-on for the last few minutes of a journey is ridiculous.
The light rail proposed, in contrast to the Melbourne trams, would provide no worthwhile transport for residents of the city.
For residents of outlying areas, presently served by heavyrail, it would merely be a second (or third) rate substitute.
Withdrawal of a direct, no change, rail service to Newcastle would result in residents from the west and south, who previously might have used the train, travelling by car. Surely Newcastle has enough parking problems. Removing an effective means of public transport would be counterproductive.
When special events are held at the east end of the city – like Surfest – a light rail service would be incapable of meeting transport needs.
Similarly, as the population of the inner city increases by the creation of high-rise apartment blocks it will be essential to provide the capacity to transport efficiently large numbers of people.
Heavy rail has this capacity.
The availability of millions of dollars for the city is wonderful. These millions should be spent on worthwhile projects. A minor project could be the construction of a Stewart Avenue overpass – a project that would be of great value to Newcastle and surrounding areas in the long term.
- Earl Morris, Tenambit