On April 11, Jo Haylen, Minister for Transport, announced new bus services connecting Helensburgh and Bulli High School would begin in term 2. 

"We're just very, very happy," said Helensburgh mum Danielle Beazley, who founded the "Better transport for Helensburgh and 2508 Bulli High School students" group in February 2023 after her son was the victim of an attack.

"I'm getting a lot of feedback from a lot of the other parents," Danielle said. " I'm getting pulled up at the shops, [people are saying] 'I can't believe you've done this; I'm so happy that my kids will be able to get home quicker.'

"There's a lot of very happy people in Helensburgh as a result of this decision."

Helensburgh meeting a tipping point

The catalyst for the announcements was an April 3 community meeting at Tradies Helensburgh attended by about 70 people, including parents, students, Transport for NSW representatives, Bulli High School principal Denise James and Member for Heathcote Maryanne Stuart.

The meeting heard of a boy who was punched, a child pushed down stairs and allegations children had been threatened with a knife, with the Heathcote MP promising “to move heaven and earth to make sure that we get the bus service". 

Afterwards, the mother of a 13-year-old Bulli High boy allegedly punched by a stranger on an after-school train in April told the Flame: “I don't feel like I've ever been so emotionally charged in my entire life. Some of the things said by other parents – those things were really tough to hear because these kids were petrified.

“People threatened them with a knife and it wasn't just one or two kids. They were threatening carriages full of kids.”

A student’s view

Bulli High student Lilly described the April incident on her afternoon train as "petrifying".

"Me and my friends were frantically banging on the door as we arrived at Coalcliff, the two people were a mere metre behind us shoving kids around. There were about 18 kids banging on the door to get out when we arrived at Coalcliff.

"I am in year 7 and starting in high school and that is scary as it is, but this is the third big incident I have witnessed. When catching the train I have to be alert or I worry what might happen to me or one of my friends."  

Is a bus enough?

The year 8 boy’s mother, who asked to remain anonymous, was concerned that a bus might not solve the wider problem of safety on public transport.

“It's not just about travelling to and from school. We are big believers in letting him have his independence and for him to be able to do things like go out to the beach or go to Miranda or go to the movies with his friends, and not have us take him there and take him back.

“The fact he's got that independence, it gives him the confidence.”

A support worker who’s lived in Helensburgh for almost 20 years, the mother said safety concerns affect more than students. 

“I work with aged care, if something like this would've happened to one of my clients, it'd be heartbreaking. It’s not just the kids that are vulnerable.”

The day after the April 3 meeting, police were on the afternoon train service from Bulli and TfNSW said it was “partnering with NSW Police to increase patrols of Illawarra train services”. 

The boy’s mother wondered how long a daily presence was sustainable: “Police have a hard enough job as it is.”

The longtime Helensburgh local said her son’s assault was one of many tales of trouble from school trains. “It's just horrible that it continues to happen. It's just not right that our kids feel unsafe to go to school.”

She believes dangerous incidents are a growing problem. “These situations, not all of them, but a majority of them are happening with general members of the public.

“We're not being over the top. We're not trying to get attention for the hell of getting attention. We actually are scared for our kids.”

Looking for solutions

One suggestion at the April 3 meeting was for closed carriages reserved for school students, a “reasonable” idea, she believes. The mother also thinks cameras on trains and uniformed officers would be “massively beneficial”. 

“Ultimately I would love there to be some form of security, whether it be police or the transit officers.

“We've got Opal and it's a new system, progress and all of that, but at the end of the day there's still elements that we need people for.”

She said children should not be expected to cope with situations even adults would struggle with.

“These kids, they should be worrying about if their footy team's going to win or whatever. Not what's going to happen today on the train ride home from school.”

Trouble the new normal

The Flame spoke to numerous parents and students who said various incidents were common, some said it was “the norm”.

When asked if data showed that incidents on trains were increasing, a TfNSW spokesperson said numbers are “stable”.

“The overall number of security incidents on trains and at train stations in the Illawarra remains low.”

"That's not our experience," Danielle said ahead of schools returning.

"I think nine-tenths of these [incidents] aren't being reported. We're only getting attention because we made a campaign to say anything that happens, any single thing – report it."

As an example, Danielle mentions a person harassing girls last year by sitting on their laps. "The 'intimidating but no harm done', your near-misses are not being recorded."

With the promised bus now delivered, the next step is to introduce cameras on all trains, Danielle said.

"CCTV is definitely the big one. It's not just the 3.25 from Bulli that has these problems – there are problems along the whole train line. There's people getting on trains who are affected by drugs, mental illness, who are drunk … it's affecting everybody and everybody has a right to be safe on the trains.

"Fixing a lot of these issues helps everybody, not just our kids."

Where to catch the new bus

From term 2, the Route 2 bus will extend to Helensburgh and include a new stop at Bulli High School. Students will be able to catch a bus from Helensburgh Station Interchange at 7:31am and an afternoon bus from Bulli High School at 3:25pm. 

For students travelling by train to Helensburgh and arriving at 4.01pm, a new 4:05pm bus will cut wait times. The existing Route 15 4:20pm service will remain in place.

How to get help on a train

A Transport for NSW spokesperson said serious incidents should be reported directly to NSW Police on 000. “Emergency help points on every train carriage are there to report any serious incidents and call staff for help. These are also at stations.”

• Report antisocial behaviour or criminal acts: call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
• For matters such as vandalism, graffiti, unattended baggage, or suspicious activity, call TfNSW on 131 500 or notify TfNSW staff.
• Feedback or complaints to TfNSW can be made by phone on 131 500 or online. 

Read more in MP backs school bus after ‘emotional’ community meeting