MP Jenny Aitchison ramps up campaign for more train stations in Maitland's west | POLL

This week, Ms Aitchison is ramping up her crusade through an electorate ­letterbox drop and by appealing to ­residents to lobby the state government for more stations between Telarah and Mindaribba.

She said if the government was really committed to providing better public transport services it would set in stone plans to establish more railway stations in Maitland’s west.

Ms Aitchison said ­unprecedented growth in Aberglasslyn, McKeachies Run and industrial estates on the western fringes of the city prompted her to launch a renewed push for better public transport facilities, in particular rail services.

“I will certainly be fighting for this in parliament and it is high on my priority list,” she said.

“I believe there used to be a railway station at Oakhampton.

“Perhaps it would be a viable alternative to reopen that.”

Maitland mayor Peter Blackmore is backing Ms Aitchison’s plan and said the addition, and or upgrade of stations between Maitland and the Upper Hunter, should also come into consideration.

He said with growth in the city’s west more cars are on the road and now is the time to start looking at transport alternatives for commuters heading up the valley.

“There was a call for additional train services to go to Singleton,” he said.

“There are limited rail services between Maitland and the Upper Hunter and this needs to be reassessed,” Cr Blackmore said.

In 2008 Maitland City Council put in a submission to RailCorp calling for new stations to be built at Aberglasslyn and Bolwarra.

Maitland Councillor Peter Garnham said the state government has been silent for far too long on calls for improved railway transport in the electorate.

He said development in the Bolwarra/Largs area also needs to be taken into consideration and that an upgrade of nearby Mindaribba Station could be desirable for residents in those suburbs.