G'day all

Having seen what the new New South Wales Coalition government has said about light rail, we are at least being given some hope that something good will happen. We certainly need good news after the past few years of despair.

For all but the last dying moments of the previous government, their view was that light rail was of no value and that more buses (usually 300 was the oft quoted figure) were the answer to everything. Add those to the already congested road system and it is difficult to see how they would help. The number of cars using the roads never decreases. the "300 buses" principle would do nothing to help.

A few years back, former Transport Minister John Watkins, at an event which I attended, said that the (then) government was most definitely opposed to light rail. I didn't notice much change in this stance in following years and with the continuous succession of Transport Ministers. The State Treasury was also anti-rail in all forms and opposed major heavy rail extensions. I note that the chief of State Treasury has been stood down following the revelation that the coffers have been plundered.

The big worry seems to be that Gladys Berejiklian, the Transport Minister elect, does not seem to have much of a grasp of how a complicated rail system such as we have in Sydney is compelled to operate. There seems to be an opinion that we have trains standing idle in peak periods, which certainly is not the case. She is to meet with "people involved with the rail system" during this week, so it is hoped that she talks to the right people.

Give them time, I say. At least they appear to be interested in rail transport, both heavy and light, which is something different to what we have been used to in the past.

Dick, who won't be surprised if he's disappointed.