Victor P Taffa

The decision by the O’Farrell Government to bore smaller diameter rail tunnels for the North West Line is small in thinking and small in planning. Had these transport planners been around in the 1920’s Sydney would only have had a 2 lane Harbour Bridge rather than the 8 lane bridge that we have today.

Well-paid transport planners are going to build railway tunnels to suit single deck carriages only. The North West Line tunnels will not be able to accommodate double deck carriages.

Where is the planning in Railways for Sydney for the next 30 years? Where are the plans to duplicate and quadruple existing rail corridors? Where are the plans to build new suburban rail lines?

The only plans announced in the 20 year transport plan by the O’Farrell Government are:

• North West Line
• Second Harbour Rail Crossing
• New City Line

These plans are good however all they will do in 30 years when complete will simply be band-aid solutions to what is needed.

Where are all the rest of the plans to expand railways? My website www.isput.com.au contains many more badly needed improvements for the New South Wales Railways.

The smaller diameter tunnels for the North West Line are also according to the New South Wales Treasury to be a ‘cost saving’ measure. Again had these same treasury officials been around during the 1920’s then the Sydney Harbour Bridge would have only been 2 lanes instead of the 8 lane bridge that we have today.

Furthermore the North West Line is not initially planned to connect to the Richmond Line. This is also typical of the poor planning by the O’Farrell Government.

The fact is that Metro Rail was Barry O’Farrell’s meal ticket into Parliament in 1995. Sitting idly by for 16 years in opposition he now faces up to a mess as Premier. Had O’Farrell taken the bull by the horns earlier he could have been Premier years earlier and have more money in treasury coffers to be able to build infrastructure for New South Wales.