More than 100 people from the Hunter are expected to protest outside NSW Parliament House today against the government’s moves to remove heavy rail infrastructure in Newcastle.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The government began to remove rail infrastructure between Hamilton and Newcastle stations from Boxing Day despite a Supreme Court ruling that it needed an Act of Parliament to remove the train line.
A light rail network and transport interchange at Wickham will eventually replace the heavy rail line.
But many people in the greater Hunter are concerned about the transport consequences of this decision for commuters from outside Newcastle.
Advocates in favour of keeping the heavy rail will travel to Sydney this morning to protest against the truncation.
Representatives of the Keep Hunter on Track campaign, comprised of Save Our Rail and Hunter Concerned Citizens, will protest in Macquarie Street.
Maitland Save Our Rail president Kim Cross said she expected “a few hundred” people to protest.
She said the numbers would not likely be as strong as previous rallies held in the Hunter, but she anticipated a healthy turnout.
The rally comes ahead of a Supreme Court directions hearing on Wednesday which is likely to result in a hearing later this year over the court’s ruling that an Act of Parliament was needed to remove Newcastle’s heavy rail line, which the government does not yet have.