Minister's Metro Defence Steers Clear Of Hard Truths
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday August 2, 2008
The Minister for Transport, John Watkins ("Ignore the hysteria, this metro is our best solution", August 1), fails to answer most, if not all, of the points raised in the Steer report.
There is the assumption that car users in the low-density north-west can be converted to metro users in large numbers. No doubt people will use it to travel to work in the city or other points on the line, but will the car be the preferred means of travel at other times? Mr Watkins does not address the issue of whether commuters from the north-west will be prepared to stand on a train for 42 minutes to get to the city."High-frequency, single-deck underground electric trains" which have been the answer overseas would be better suited to a metro line running in the more densely populated areas, for example from Drummoyne to Maroubra Junction. The minister has again raised the analogy of London's Jubilee line, which starts at Stanmore and passes through the huge Docklands area via central London, a similar length to the metro line. However, it is unlikely that the metro, in its present form, will ever carry similar numbers. The line, as proposed, does not go anywhere after it reaches the city. A significant reason for the success of the Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra line is that it continues to Bondi Junction after the city and serves a densely populated area. Another problem with the metro is that it continues the radial system. For example, if a passenger at Castle Hill wants to travel by train to Campbelltown, Liverpool or Parramatta, there is no direct rail access. It would involve travel via Epping or the city, which means travelling in the wrong direction for a considerable distance. A way must be found to link the north-west directly to the existing rail system in the west. Yes, minister, we can ignore the hysteria, but it's harder to ignore the facts. Geoffrey B. Williamson Woollahra
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald
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