Media release: Bring back our rail- RTBU calls for better rail connections for the South Coast to Sydney

15 July 2024

Building the long-awaited Maldon-Dombarton line to connect Port Kembla to the Macarthur region would be a game-changer for both passenger and freight rail in the state and is an example of the kind of rail projects the NSW Government should be looking at elsewhere, said rail workers.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW Secretary, Toby Warnes, said developing the dual-track railway that meets the main southern line at Maldon, which was abandoned in the 1980s, is a prime example of the kind of transport infrastructure the NSW Government should be focused on.

The union will urge the NSW Labor Party to commit to developing regional rail throughout the state at the ALP State Conference at the end of the month.

“The NSW Government should be focused not just on reopening closed rail lines, but also on finding opportunities for rail expansion into other areas of the state,” Mr Warnes said.

“The Maldon-Dombarton line is the perfect example of a rail line that needs to be opened. At the moment, we have two huge growth regions without any real connection to each other.

“Over the past three decades, the closure of rail lines and services across NSW has reduced the mobility of regional communities and denied them an effective and efficient public transport service.

“Our rail freight is also limited by a lack of rail infrastructure. When you consider that rail is the cleanest, greenest mass-transit system we have available, it makes complete sense to focus efforts on maximising our use of it.

Mr Warnes said communities – particularly those in regional and rural areas – are crying out for improved rail links.

“Since the pandemic, regional rail travel in NSW has surged as fuel prices increase, and people have realised the potential in their own backyard,” Mr Warnes said.

“It is time to shift thinking on regional rail and identify both previously closed rail lines for refurbishment, as well as opportunities for new regions to be serviced by this transport vital infrastructure.”