Report 1-55 - Inter-regional Public Transport

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INTER-REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTTHE ROLE OF INTER-REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN REGIONAL NSWservices to regional NSW and increase the uptake of those services by regionalpassengers.Transport for NSW initiatives2.33 In its evidence to the inquiry, Transport for NSW made reference to two wideranginginitiatives that it had put in place, which, amongst other things, weretargeted towards making improvements to the current inter-regional publictransport network. These initiatives are the Fixing the Trains program and theCountry Passenger Rail Services Strategy.2.34 In its submission Transport for NSW described RailCorp as being an agency whichattempted to service both city and regional and intercity customers in a similarway, with the result being that neither metropolitan nor regional customersreceived the services they deserved. 322.35 The Fixing the Trains program commenced in mid-2012. It aims to address thechallenges presented by RailCorp’s organisational shortcomings and, ultimately,to deliver improved passenger rail services to customers across NSW. 332.36 A major component of the program was the dismantling of RailCorp and thesubsequent establishment of two new specialist rail organisations to service thedifferent needs of Sydney and regional/intercity rail customers:• Sydney Trains – operating frequent and reliable trains in the greaterSydney suburban area and• NSW Trains – operating train services focusing on the needs of longerdistance regional and intercity customers, and also looking afterconnecting road coach services. 342.37 Infrastructure Partnerships Australia commended the organisational reformseffected by the Fixing the Trains program, stating that the establishment ofSydney Trains and NSW Trains will enable the two entities to focus entirely onimproving service provision and customer service:The restructuring of RailCorp to form two new entities – NSW Trains and SydneyTrains – achieves a number of welcome structural reforms to improve the value andquality of regional and inter-regional rail services. By structurally separating serviceprovision and maintenance from infrastructure ownership, which remains a separategovernment entity, NSW Trains and Sydney Trains will be free to concentrate onservice provision and customer services. Equally, by separating NSW Trains andSydney Trains into distinct entities, the two organisations will be able to bring arenewed and dedicated focus to the improvement of urban and regional services. 352.38 Mr Les Wielinga, Director General, Transport for NSW, explained that theelements of the Fixing the Trains program that are aimed at improving theSydney metropolitan train network would also result in flow-on benefits for32 Submission 145, Transport for NSW, p 1.33 Submission 145, Transport for NSW, p 1.34 Submission 145, Transport for NSW, p 1.35 Submission 136, Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, p 1.MARCH 2014 15
STATE AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEETHE ROLE OF INTER-REGIONAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN REGIONAL NSWregional passengers. Mr Wielinga stated that new technologies were beingintroduced to bring metropolitan trains closer together and that this will improvethe frequency and reliability of inter-regional trains going into and out of theSydney metropolitan network:Making the network work well inside Sydney will have a beneficial effect for thosecountry trains that come into and out of that network. The technologies that we willintroduce into the rail network generally to improve getting trains closer togetherand so forth will also benefit those country trains. 362.39 In parallel to the Fixing the Trains program, Transport for NSW is also in theprocess of developing a Country Passenger Rail Services Strategy, which is aimedat delivering efficient resourcing and customer services based on current andforecast future demand. 372.40 Transport for NSW further stated that the Strategy will outline marketrequirements, while recognising the constraints of various road and railinfrastructure and rolling stock, as well as competition between passenger andfreight trains for access to rail track under the various track access agreementsbetween NSW Trains, the Australian Rail Track Corporation and the Country RailNetwork. 382.41 The Country Passenger Rail Services Strategy will also aim to provide context forthe future planning of all non-private country passenger travel in NSW andadjacent states, and guidance for strategic decision-making in relation to interregionalrail services, within the developing NSW TrainLink business model. 392.42 Moreover, Transport for NSW anticipates that the Country Passenger RailServices Strategy will deliver shorter-term benefits in relation to the regional railnetwork, through prioritising improvements to existing rail services and betterintegrating NSW TrainLink-administered train and coach services:The Country Passenger Rail Services Strategy will prioritise improvements in order todeliver better services across the future NSW Trains network. This will include anumber of service options capitalising on opportunities to better integrate theexisting train and coach networks over the short, medium and long term. 40Committee comment2.43 The Committee notes that Transport for NSW is reforming the existing interregionalpublic transport network and the standard of services being provided byNSW TrainLink, through initiatives such as the Fixing the Trains program and theCountry Passenger Rail Services Strategy.2.44 The Committee encourages Transport for NSW to continue its program ofreforms to NSW TrainLink in order to deliver ongoing service improvements for36 Mr Les Wielinga, Director General, Transport for NSW, transcript of evidence, 15 October 2012, p 9.37 Submission 145, Transport for NSW, p 6.38 Submission 145, Transport for NSW, p 6.39 Submission 145, Transport for NSW, p 6.40 Transport for NSW, Response to supplementary questions following 15 October 2012 public hearing, 17December 2012, p 4.16 REPORT 1/55
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Report 1-55 - Inter-regional Public Transport

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