WYONG RAILWAY STATION UPGRADING
Mr CRITTENDEN (Wyong) [5.41]: I raise an issue of major concern to the Wyong electorate, that is, the upgrading of Wyong railway station and the rail services provided from that station, in particular for senior citizens. It is no secret that the Wyong electorate has a high proportion of senior citizens, many of whom like to avail themselves of opportunities to visit relatives and friends in the country. The XPT to Murwillumbah stops at Wyong railway station. Unfortunately, the Brisbane XPT and the Northern Tablelands XPT do not stop there. People from Wyong have to travel to Gosford very early in the morning in order to use the Northern Tablelands XPT and the Brisbane XPT late in the afternoon. That causes major inconvenience to these people. Even more confusing is the policy of the State Rail Authority relating to luggage for those who use the XPT services. Those who travel from Wyong on the Murwillumbah XPT cannot book in their luggage on the previous day. They must be at the station at least 30 minutes beforehand and book their luggage in on that day.
For the other two services, the Northern Tablelands XPT and the Brisbane XPT, luggage be booked in the previous day either from Wyong railway station or from Gosford railway station between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Passengers have to make two trips. They have to take their luggage in one day, usually to Wyong railway station, then travel to Gosford railway station the next day.
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Obviously the problem would be obviated if the Northern Tablelands XPT and the Brisbane XPT stopped at Wyong railway station. The problem is even more complex when someone from Wyong travels to a part of the State in the south, such as the Riverina. People who travel from Wyong to, say, Cootamundra - if there is still a rail service provided to that destination - must buy a CityRail ticket to book in their luggage on the day of travel. There are two types of rail services provided in this State, one by CityRail and one by CountryLink. They seem to be in major competition with each other rather than providing the best possible service to the people of this State.
People travelling to, say, Cootamundra must buy a CityRail ticket or book their luggage in on the previous day. The staff at Wyong railway station are very good and assist passengers wherever possible, but I understand they are constrained by Government policy. We hear much about profit centres and cost centres, but we must provide an adequate service to the public and a service that allows people to avail themselves of opportunities. If those passengers do not buy a CityRail ticket, they must book the luggage in the day before. If they do buy a CityRail ticket, the railway staff voluntarily take their luggage to the Sydney platform, where it is loaded on to the train and the passengers are responsible for the luggage from disembarkation at Central railway station and to book it in on the CountryLink service at Central, Strathfield or wherever it might be. Obviously this causes anguish to senior citizens and, indeed, to any passenger. It is something that should be avoided if at all possible. Senior citizens are also disadvantaged by virtue of the fact that the upgrading of Wyong railway station has been put back. The Minister for Transport visited the Wyong electorate during the State election and promised an upgrading of the pedestrian footbridge so that ramps would be provided in place of the present footbridge.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The honourable member's time for speaking has expired.