Airport commuters give 122,000 reasons to get our train services right

There’s growing anger amongst rail commuters over the changes to South Coast train services, with the introduction of the new Mariyung fleet that is currently being phased in.

Long-suffering travellers had hoped the new trains would provide a more efficient service, saying the travel time to Sydney hasn't improved in 50 years. They’re struggling to understand how, for many of them, the situation is now getting worse.

It‘s those needing to access the airport who are most aggrieved, and even more so by statements from Transport for NSW which says “data shows only a very small proportion of South Coast Line passengers travel to the airport stations from the Wollongong area”.

The Illawarra Flame can reveal the true numbers of commuters who currently travel to and from the airport from South Coast railway stations on a daily, weekly and annual basis – and they‘re in excess of 120,000 a year.

Dawn Peacock, from Woonona, is a regular train traveller. She’s petitioned Keira MP Ryan Park, raising concerns about the extra hurdle for commuters wanting to access the domestic and international airports via Wolli Creek.

The new trains were launched amidst much fanfare last month but Dawn says the true impact on commuters is only just being understood, with airport-bound travellers now required to make an extra stop at Hurstville.

“It’s not acceptable,” Dawn said. "I think there’re a lot of people on the South Coast that don’t even know about this yet, and when you speak to them, they’re totally shocked, and they can’t see the logic of it whatsoever.”

Dawn invited The Illawarra Flame to Thirroul Station to hear from other regular travellers who say they can’t understand why South Coast commuters will be worse off with the introduction of the new trains. Some say they‘ll no longer catch the train when travelling to the airport. Others have warned the inconvenience could hurt Labor’s local MPs at next year’s election.

“The NSW Government’s drip feed of information on the impact of the introduction of the new trains on the South Coast rail line is shameful,” Dawn said. “I think it could become an election issue.”

Popularity of the airport service

When initially contacted by The Illawarra Flame, Transport for NSW said only two percent of South Coast rail travellers ended their journey at Wolli Creek. When we pointed out that the true numbers should reflect those who finished their journey at the two airports – and not at Wolli Creek – we were provided with new passenger numbers, based on Opal Card activations, which reveal just how popular the rail service to the airport really is.

A Transport for NSW spokesperson said: “On a typical weekday, an average of 8,600 South Coast passengers travel on South Coast Line services. Of these, approximately 70 passengers travel to Wolli Creek as their end destination, and a further 440 utilise Wolli Creek as an interchange location for T8 stations, including the airport stations.”

This equates to 2,200 South Coast passengers each week who travel beyond Wolli Creek, airport bound, or on their return.

“On the weekend, approximately 44 passengers travel to Wolli Creek as their end destination, and a further 80 utilise Wolli Creek as an interchange location for T8 stations, including the airport stations," Transport for NSW said.

122,720 trips a year

Tallying up the numbers; with 2,200 people travelling through Wolli Creek to the airports on Monday to Friday every week, and an additional 160 making the same trip on weekends, on an annual basis that means a total of 122,720 train trips are made each year from the South Coast to the airports.

John Prior, from Figtree, described the introduction of the new trains as “a decline in what is a popular service”.

“I travelled up in April to catch the plane to Launceston and there would have been 30 people that got off at Wolli Creek on this line.

“This is a tourism thing. It’s regularly commented on how great our trains are, but now we’ve gone backwards,” John said. “The local members need to be reminded that this has not always been a Labor seat. In the past we have had independent members, and if there are enough of these issues and we will actually change the politics of this area. Wollongong is the third big city in NSW and we have got nothing, while Sydney gets more and more and more.”

Dawn Peacock is critical of the lack of public consultation. “These changes to current services are falsely dressed up as improvements and new services, and they don’t give any consideration to less mobile travellers and will create chaos on the South Coast line," she said.

“This whole plan is a recipe for serious incidents, injuries and chaos. It also undermines certainty about getting to the airport, which is time critical, and it adds an extra 40 minutes to an hour of travel time to the airport. None of which is acceptable.”

Christine Thorn, from Gwynneville is a keen traveller. “My biggest beef is the chopping and changing at Hurstville. I’ve had joints replaced and arthritic bones, and so I certainly don’t want to be adding to this trip by having to change trains and clamber upstairs with luggage.”

Christine said the changes being introduced were a backwards step. “I’m very surprised because the other method was so streamlined. We went straight through to Wolli Creek and changed there. It was a very smooth process.”

Kate Morritt, from Bulli, didn’t mince her words. “I think this is appalling. It’s going to be very awkward for people like myself, along with elderly people.”

Joan Fisher, from Woonona, agreed. “So many retired people live down here and further south, and consequently trying to manage suitcases as you get older is very difficult. I just don’t understand the reason why this is happening.”

Figtree’s Margaret Lorenz is worried about commuters who start their journey at Bomaderry. “It concerns me that there are people travelling from the Shoalhaven, who also have to change trains at Kiama, and that could add hours to the trip.”

Mother and daughter Margot and Alison Druce rely on the trains for their regular catch-ups.

“I travel from Hobart with my husband," Margot said. "We come up here about six times a year, and to be able to get off the aircraft at the domestic terminal, catch the train to Wolli Creek, then change and come straight to Thirroul is fantastic. It takes us about an hour and it’s a really good service. To have it taken away would be just devastating and it will mean family will have to come up to the airport to pick us up.”

Margot’s daughter, Alison, said the decision-makers seem oblivious to the impact these changes will have on people.

“We relocated a few years ago from Melbourne to Thirroul specifically because of this train stop,” Alison said. “We commute from Thirroul back to Melbourne for work every second week and changing this journey will add significant time and reduce my productivity in my workplace. It also adds to the risk when carrying bags on and off the train, and up and down the stairs. That’s a real issue for me.

“So, I’m disappointed that the government would invest significant funds to have a lesser and poorer service. I think I’ll have to start driving to the airport, which worries me for the environment, and I just cannot keep voting for the party that is making my local area worse.”

Maxine Lacey also prefers train travel to car travel.

“There are currently so many people going through Wolli Creek,” Maxine said. “It gets cars off the road; it’s much more economical and environmentally friendly. It’s got everything going for it, getting off at Wolli Creek, for people travelling overseas and travelling to visit family around Australia.

“The old service has all the benefits and I don’t see the Illawarra and South Coast should miss out.”

Calls to find a solution

Maxine joined with others who called on their local members to find a solution.

“It impacts so many people, and I don’t think they understand how many people it will impact, and how inconvenient this will be.”

Transport planner Louise, from Figtree, says she travels a lot interstate “and sometimes overseas.”

“There’s a lot of confusion. It takes extra time and of course you’re carrying your luggage a lot further, and it just makes it tricky to do, and it’s a disincentive. I thought they were trying to get cars off the roads and this is not helping,” Louise said.

“It could affect the way people vote but I think people need to be heard in the Illawarra, and I sometimes think that strategic decisions in transport planning tend to focus on Sydney and the bigger population, which makes sense, but very, very frequently we get left behind in the Illawarra."

A massive inconvenience

Jill Vickery lives at Port Kembla but when she travels by train to Wolli Creek she boards at Coniston “for convenience”.

Jill worries about how the changes will impact her travels to the airport in future. “Right now, we know exactly how long it takes, but it’s going to add at least a half an hour plus changing with luggage. The Premier [Chris Minns] was in Kiama recently and he was so non-committal about doing something. It’s such a massive inconvenience that we are all paying for really, and we can’t work it out, it’s so unfair.”

Austinmer couple Richard and Lynda Willson say they already have an extra stop, changing at Helensburgh to get to Wolli Creek.

“If you’re just catching a train it’s not such a problem,” Richard said. “But if you’re carrying luggage and trying to get in and out of crowded trains it makes it a lot more complicated and difficult. I know I’m getting older and often I’m trying to help my wife with her bags. It just makes it so much more difficult to get there.”

'A monumental task'

Richard said the option of getting off at Central to double back to Wolli Creek was even worse. “It’s such a monumental task, a bit of a nightmare, having to take your bags from one platform right across the station to your next connecting train.”

Richard’s wife, Lynda said she “dreads the thought of having to get off at Hurstville with a bag because at the moment you nearly get run over by people trying to get in to the train".

Lynda said: “When you’re coming home and you’ve been how many hours on a plane, and you’re tired, where do we have to go to get a train to come home? It‘s just ridiculous.”

Looking for solutions

Local state MPs Ryan Park and Paul Scully have responded to the concerns raised, acknowledging the issues and saying they’ll try to find options to minimise the inconvenience.

Keira MP, and Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast, Ryan Park, said: “I appreciate the advocacy of Dawn (Peacock) on behalf of South Coast commuters, and I acknowledge the community’s feedback, particularly from seniors, regular travellers, and families, regarding the convenience of the historical direct link to Wolli Creek for airport and CBD transfers.

“While the introduction of the new Mariyung fleet brings much-needed modern amenities, increased capacity, and improved overall reliability to the South Coast line, we know that any adjustment to commuting routines causes understandable frustration,” Mr Park said.

“Because the fleet purchased by the previous government is physically unable to navigate the Eastern Suburbs Line tunnels, or use the turnaround infrastructure at Bondi Junction, these trains are structurally required to operate on the ‘Main’ rail lines to reach Central, meaning there is physically no platform at all at Wolli Creek for the trains to pull up to.

“This track alignment is the only way to safely deliver the 15-minute peak frequencies the Illawarra community has long requested.

“To directly address these commuter challenges and minimise the impact on those travelling with luggage or with limited mobility, the new timetable has been purpose-designed around a seamless, step-free, same-platform transfer at Hurstville.

“I will always advocate for improved public transport in the Illawarra and will continue to engage with Minister for Transport, John Graham, to ensure our community’s voice is front of mind as the new network rolls out.”

Important improvements

Wollongong MP and Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, said there were important improvements to the service with the introduction of the new network.

“For years, commuters to and from the Illawarra have been arguing for a more reliable and more frequent service, and the new Mariyung fleet allows this to be delivered,” Mr Scully said.

“In addition to comfort and safety improvements on the trains themselves, the new fleet will allow the South Coast line to move to a service every 15 minutes during the morning and afternoon peaks, as well as improvements on weekends for services operating between Wollongong and Sydney CBD.

“I understand the disappointment of passengers who will now need to interchange differently for the domestic and international airport lines, and I will continue to work… on options to minimise any inconvenience. The new timetable is being designed to make any changes between services will be as simple as possible.”

Port Kembla’s Jill Vickery said: “I think they [local politicians] need to actually get on a train.”