The opposition has announced a detailed plan it says will rejuvenate the heart of Newcastle without sacrificing the rail line between Wickham and the CBD.

New level crossings, improved access to stations, bypass roads and a better looking rail corridor are part of the plan, if the party is elected next year.

The kicker for people living in Maitland is that Opposition Leader John Robertson says the rail line will remain in place.

Opposition parties often fall into the trap of simply rejecting ideas that come from governments without offering a detailed alternative.

This makes it a lucky-dip for voters who have the choice to either re-elect the government of the day, if they like that party’s policies, or the other group.

NSW Labor has bucked the trend in this case.

Mr Robertson has said that removing the rail line before the March election would be an act of vandalism.

The Mercury agrees with him on this point.

But the important thing is that voters now have an alternative vision, not an alternative lack of vision, when they consider who they want calling the shots for the Hunter for the next four years.

The Mercury has been campaigning to save the rail line because ripping it up will not serve commuters from Maitland and surrounding areas.

We believe that work should be delayed until after the election so people of the greater Hunter – not just Newcastle – can consider it when they vote.