Wollondilly Commuter Frustration Continues to be Dismissed

The ‘Endeavour Railcar’ that is causing much frustration. Photo: Madilyn McKinley

Written June 2021.

Commuters on the Southern Highlands line are about to brace for the cold longer on station platforms, with another winter approaching of continued delays and inconsistencies for the train service expected. The service has yet to see any improvement despite continued calls for change, leaving passengers tired and frustrated.

The problematic service is leaving many commuters with no choice but to seek alternative transportation, with many choosing to bypass the service altogether.

“Sometimes you are left waiting for over an hour for the next train,” says local commuter Lisa Matthews. “We have to live with a timetable that fits around the freight trains instead of commuter demand. I used to travel on the train from Bargo everyday but now instead carpool straight to work.” Many Wollondilly residents are in similar positions as Ms Matthews, with the 2016 census showing 65.7% of Wollondilly Shire’s residents travel out of the area for work.

Currently, there is only one direct trip to Central per day, arriving at 10:34am.

“It would be great if an early morning direct train happened to get people to work on time. A lot more residents would catch the train with a frequent and reliable service,” Ms Matthews says. An article in March 2017 in the Wollondilly Advertiser article highlighted that commuters pushed for this direct service to happen, however there has still yet to be any progress.

Deputy Mayor Michael Banasik says Wollondilly Council has been persistent in calling for changes to be made to the service, with no luck so far. “Council has been continually lobbying on this issue. With a growing population we certainly deserve a proper rail service,” he says.

In addition to the delays of the train service, many travellers are left struggling to find a seat. With many commuters returning to work after working from home due to COVID-19, the two-carriage diesel trains are now quickly filled, leaving only approximately 110 seats available due to social distancing restrictions.

According to Transport NSW, there were 34,000 trips made on the Southern Highlands Line in the month of August 2020, however in March 2021 there were 53,000. This significant increase is not being appropriately addressed by Transport NSW, with no modification to the timetable or an expansion of services.

According to the Wollondilly Centres Study 2020, with projected growth in the Wilton region, Council will continue to campaign for an improved rail service for residents, including the possibility of establishing the Maldon Dombarton rail line, to also help reduce traffic on the roads.