Wollongong needs a fast train, please

Illawarra Mercury  EDITORIAL August 28, 2012

                   

It was many moons ago that a delegation of Wollongong's business elite took an ambitious proposal to the state government calling for a very fast train to service the Illawarra region.

The MagLev-type train would have whisked commuters from Wollongong to Sydney in something like 22 minutes.

Memories of that proposal have been revived recently by Premier Barry O'Farrell, who wants a fast train between Sydney and Canberra to service a second major airport, and Sydney rail planners, who propose one of the world's fastest metro-style train lines between Rouse Hill and Chatswood.

Meanwhile, a Wollongong fast train remains a dream as weary South Coast commuters continue to make the daily trek to Sydney on what has been described as the country's slowest network.

Apart from electrification of the line to Wollongong way back in 1985 and later to Dapto (1995) and Kiama (2001), not much has changed since the days of steam trains.

We can only live in hope that one day governments, both state and federal, will finally realise the vision of those Wollongong businessmen who had the foresight and plan for a world-class rail network between two of our biggest cities.

NOTE An accompanying article observes that the 72 km Perth Mandurah train journey takes just 48 minutes as opposed to 78 or so minutes from Thirroul to Central - also 72 km.  Also Gold Coast to Brisbane and Melbourne Geelong trains, again about 72 km, take about 60 minutes.

If you have a concern about our slow trains, please post here.

Please consider signing this petition: http://www.fastrail.com.au/