Central Coast rail services could be gutted if changes stipulated in Transport for NSW’s Draft Timetable and Map for 2018 Sydney Trains goes ahead.
The draft was released under the GIPA Act after Transport for NSW lost a three-year legal battle with the ABC.
The draft proposes big changes to the Central Coast and Hunter line services.
Changes Central Coast commuters can expect if the draft is finalised include: the end of direct services from Wyong and Gosford to the North Shore line; the re-routing of Central Coast trains down the Northern line via Strathfield; and, the amalgamatione of rail services at Gosford, with all Sydney bound trains commencing from Gosford.
The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) could not be persuaded by Transport for NSW that a premature release of the timetable, which was drawn up in 2015, would not be in the public interest and could be misunderstood and misinterpreted as a similar leak in 2013 had done.
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Mr Andrew Constance, released a media statement on April 19, following the ABC’s coverage and release of the draft and other documents.
“The ABC has knowingly reported false information on train timetables,” Mr Constance said.
“As the ABC was informed last night, their questions were based on a false premise, a three-year-old working draft of the timetable that is now redundant.
“The organisation failed to report Transport for NSW’s full statement which explained this,” he added.
Transport for NSW’s statement provided in full reads: “The premise of these questions is wrong, and based on a now redundant working draft of the timetable.
“Timetable changes have not been finalised.
“Transport for NSW will not confuse its customers by ruling in and out possibilities for a timetable that is still being worked through.
“Options for all lines remain unconfirmed, unless already announced by the NSW Government.
“Releasing outdated drafts of timetables is a bad outcome for our customers as it creates uncertainty and speculation, making the already challenging task of helping people catch trains by communicating the new timetable even harder.
“We’ll continue to engage customers about more parts of the 2017 train timetable that we’ve locked in.
“Customers will hear about all changes long in advance of implementation.”
At this point in time there is no way to know what changes to Central Coast services will be going ahead in 2018-19 or whether another timelier draft timetable exists, but the subsequent release of this draft in early April suggests there is little time for a serious overhaul or re-evaluation of the timetable.
The ABC has since lodged a second application with NCAT for access to more recent timetable information.
This application has not yet been determined.
The draft timetable and maps can be viewed online via the ABC.
Transport for NSW did not respond to questions regarding the potential changes to the Central Coast line and instead referred Coast Community News to their media statement.
Source:
Document,
Apr 19, 2017
Transport for NSW Draft Timetable and Maps for 2018 Sydney Trains
Media statement,
April 19, 2017
Andrew Constance, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure
Dilon Luke, journalist