Re: [NSW] More Complaints on CityRail Southern Highlands

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@ozemail.com.au>]

"Geoff Lillico" <glillic@msn.com.au> wrote in message
JYEQ6.26123$hV3.36289@newsfeeds.bigpond.com">news:JYEQ6.26123$hV3.36289@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
> David
> I think you have been living in Bowral for too long.

Is 6 months too long?

 Decentralisation is now
> dead and buried. It costs TOO MUCH to provide the infrastructure to these
> remote areas. Not only transport, but other services such as sewerage,
power
> and the like.

Don't think Bowral's a remote area, I'd better check up on that one to see
if I qualify for a tax rebate!  As for trains, power, gas etc, we're on the
main corridor Sydney - Canberra - Melbourne etc  So it shouldn't cost too
much to connect the Southern Highlands to these existing services.  If you
were talking about Bourke or Wilcannia I'd agree with you.

 There are far more commuters travelling between Kiama and
> Wollongong than those even from Picton, let alone Bowral, Mittagong or
Moss
> Vale.

I'm fully aware of that fact, but to compensate there's a big difference in
the carrying capacity of double deck trains with a minimum 4 cars vs piddly
little 2 car Endeavours on our line.

In time these areas will receive improved services and that time may
> not be as far off as you infer.

 In the meantime you and your silvertail neighbours

Don't be nasty to me, I drive a Hyundai not a BMW.  Look and you'll find
house prices here on the Highlands considerably cheaper than Sydney
medians - Bowral is certainly higher than Moss Vale or Mittagong, but still
lower than Sydney.

> will be stuck with the train service that was there when you
> decided to move to the Southern Highlands. You would have room to complain
> if the frequency was now worse, but I suspect that it is in fact now
better
> and will get better in the future.


> Governments are faced with a two-edged sword when it comes to spending
money
> on transport improvements. If the service to a government electorate is
> improved, they are accused of supporting their voters; if they improve the
> service to an opposition held electorate they are assused of attempting to
> buy votes. The plain facts of the current debate are that the population
of
> areas such as Albion Park, Oak Flats, Minnamurra and Kiama have increased
in
> recent year FAR MORE than the Southern Highlands, despite its modest
> increase. Furthermore the money now earmarked for improved services on the
> Bondi Junction to Hurstville route will service a THREEFOLD increase in
high
> density housing adjacent to Rockdale and Hurstville stations in the last 5
> years.

In my response I talked about large population increases between Bargo and
Macarthur, recently I visited Thirlmere and was amazed at the number of new
houses there.  The Southern Highlands hasn't increased dramatically in
population, but the places on the way sure have, and the 2- car trains have
troubling coping with this influx.  I never said that the Illawarra (or
Central Coast for that matter) didn't deserve the improvement in train
services.

> David, I can assure you that the Southern Highlands line is not the only
> CityRail services disrupted by trackworks on weekdays. Just ask any
commuter
> trying to travel over the Harbour Bridge or around the City Circle after
10
> pm on Mondays to Thursdays!

It's buses daytime here, not when every good person should be tucked up in
bed.

 --
> Geoff Lillico

Best wishes

David Bennetts