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Sunday, March 15, 2026
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
WTC submission to TfNSW (February 2026)
On 24 February, the Albanese Government outlined a pathway for a 160 km Sydney Newcastle train journey on new track to take just 60 minutes by 2039.
At the present rate of progress in speeding up Sydney Wollongong trains, it is expected that by 2039, our 80 km train journeys will continue to take 90 minutes.
Our submission (click on link) to TfNSW calls for an outline of how the NSW Government is going to speed up our train services, and complete Maldon-Dombarton for passengers as well as freight, with an interchange station at Wilton.
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Petition for better trains to the Southern Tablelands and Maldon Dombarton
Petition for better trains to the Southern Tablelands and Maldon Dombarton supported by NSW MP for Wollondilly, Judy Hannan
See:
The petition asks the Legislative Assembly to call on the NSW Government to:
1. Acknowledge that Wollondilly State Electorate has the worst public transport service to Sydney bordering the Greater Sydney Basin region with services that are infrequent and unreliable.
2. Prioritise the Main South Rail Line for the rollout of the new regional fleet of trains replacing the ageing NSW regional rail fleet of XPT, XPLORER and Endeavour trains.
3. Upgrade the bus services in Wollondilly and Wingecarribee Local Government areas ensuring connection to all villages and districts.
4. Create a new Wollondilly Station at Wilton and continue electrifying the Main South Rail Line to Southern Highlands.
5. Complete the proposed Maldon Dombarton Freight Rail Line and include passenger services.
Source photo: Judy Hannan MP, petition
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Illawarra Shoalhaven Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan
TfNSW has on exhibition a draft Illawarra Shoalhaven Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan with comments invited up to 9 February 2026:
It would be good to see the final version include:
Improved public transport between Wollongong and Sydney, and between the Southern Tablelands and Canberra.
Completion of the Maldon–Dombarton rail link for both passengers and freight, including a new station at Wilton.
More frequent local train services.
Consideration of light rail from Wollongong Station to South Beach, potentially using a trackless tram, via the new development bounded by Crown, Keira, Burelli and Aitchison Streets and the Mall.
Real measures to shift more freight to rail, particularly for movements to and from Port Kembla.
Stronger support for active transport and traffic calming.
Goodbye to the V-Sets (or bring them back to the South Coast)
With the introduction of the new Mariyung trains, the double decker electric trains called V Sets are being retired from use.
These excellent trains were made by Comeng in Granville and were introduced in the 1970s to replace the U sets or "U-boats", and were known for comfortable riding.
They were used for the first electric trains to Wollongong in 1986 - the electrification of this line (and to Newcastle) being the initiative of the Wran Labor NSW government.
By 1988, these trains completed the 82 km journey from Wollongong to Central station each Saturday in just 75 minutes. Today the trains mostly take 90 minutes.
Rather than scrap these well made trains, why not send them to the South Coast?
The South Coast is still waiting for weekday off peak trains every 30 minutes like Newcastle has had for years. At present there is only one train an hour off peak.
If the motors no longer work, put a locomotive in front of the V Set and put them to work; more trains Kiama to Bomaderry, or Sydney to Canberra-which currently only has three return services each day.
Truck crashes of concern
January 2026 has seen three road crashes involving heavy trucks in just one week.
On Monday Jan 5, a single vehicle fatal crash.
On Wednesday Jan 7, a truck and five car crash on the Picton Road.
On Thursday Jan 8, a B Double and truck crash on the Hume Highway.
The B Double and truck crash on the Hume Highway on 7 January was the fifth reported truck-truck crash on the Hume Highway in just 53 weeks - one in VIctoria and four in NSW. Regrettably, some of these were fatal crashes.
In addition, he loss of life in road crashes involving articulated trucks (including semitrailers in B Doubles) have shown an increase in NSW over the past five years.
Clearly, measures including track upgrades to get more freight on rail should be seen as an investment in road safety.
Friday, November 15, 2024
Maldon Dombarton and NSW freight transport
On 19 July 2024, TfNSW released the submissions on to the website it received to a freight policy paper (including one from NF5). Two were of particular interest.
One from Wollongong City Council that notes that the case for completing Maldon Dombarton has changed significantly sine the 1980s and that the alternative is thousands of truck movements on our roads per year.
One from Professor David Currow, UOW Deputy Vice- Chancellor, supporting “the need for a rail connection between the Illawarra and western Sydney to meet the needs of our students and to ensure continued economic growth and connection to the growing metropolis to the west.”
Subsequently, TfNSW released an Interim Directions Report in September 2024. However, the Maldon Dombarton rail link was not mentioned in the Interim Directions Report.
Along with Wollongong City Council, the University of Wollongong Government Relations and the Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue, other submissions of note include:
1. The Rail Futures Institute “Completion of the 35 km Maldon to Dombarton rail link would allow removal of most freight trains from the increasingly congested Tempe to Wollongong line including the Waterfall – Thirroul section that has had relatively frequent closures due to extreme weather events. “
2. The Australasian Railway Association re Maldon to Dombarton: “There is strong support for this next step from local MPs, local Councils (Wollongong, Wollondilly, Campbelltown, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven), Business Illawarra, Business Western Sydney, the University of Wollongong, and RDA Illawarra/Shoalhaven, along with freight customers including Cement Australia, Bluescope and GrainCorp.”
The official 2021 Illawarra-Shoalhaven Regional Transport Plan states “The transport of freight via the shared rail network is constrained by the needs of passenger transport, particularly during morning and afternoon passenger peaks. Transport freight services are often held for up to 11 hours as passenger services are given priority. To address the growing need for additional rail capacity to and from the Port of Port Kembla, Transport for NSW will investigate the completion of Maldon to Dombarton Line to facilitate additional freight movement between the Illawarra-Shoalhaven and Western Sydney.”
The Wollongong Neighbourhood Forum 5 notes that the Maldon Dombarton rail link would greatly improve the reliability and serviceability of the existing rail lines serving the Illawarra. These are the Illawarra line between Waterfall and Wombarra and the Unanderra Moss Vale Line. The operation of both lines is highly marginal in times of adverse weather. Furthermore the stability of the latter line up the face of the escarpment at West Dapto attracts high risk.
Clearly, a way forward to complete the Maldon Dombarton link needs to be addressed by TfNSW in its final freight report. The Forum wishes to see the new link having a capacity to move passengers as well as freight.
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