Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

Infrastructure Partnerships Australia’s executive director Brendan Lyon welcomed the budget, but added that “too little” of the NSW Government’s spend on infrastructure will be invested in next generation projects to ease congestion and enhance productivity. “Instead, large sums will be invested in State-owned assets and services which could be appropriately and competitively delivered by the private sector,” Lyon said. “Even with the current, modest infrastructure programme, net State debt will reach 12 per cent by 2013, leaving little room for major new programmes.

“...The lack of progress on critical new projects highlights the need for NSW to undertake important, difficult and critical reform or risk being left behind by other States.” Up 68 per cent on last year’s budget, spending on transport includes $4 billion on public transport services, $3.1 billion on rail infrastructure upgrades, new train carriages, new buses and commuter car parks, $580.8 million towards the CBD section of the Sydney Metro and $108.7 million towards the West Metro (including $91 million of Federal funding).

While Lyon welcomed State funding for the Metro project, he emphasised that it is time for NSW to “take the next step” to deliver the economic and social infrastructure needed to “future proof” the State’s economy.

2009-10 investment in rail in NSW includes:

• $117 million towards the introduction of 626 new air-conditioned CityRail carriages.
• $6 million to complete the purchase of 81 CityRail Oscar carriages and $125 million to purchase an additional 72 Oscar carriages
• $186 million for the construction of Stage One of the South West rail line, including a new train stabling facility at Auburn and a transport interchange at Glenfield
• $350 million to continue the $1.9 billion Rail Clearways program
• $642.3 million on maintenance of track infrastructure and stations, and $383.6 million for maintenance of CityRail and CountryLink carriages
• $17.4 million to improve CityRail passenger information systems
• $6 million for training equipment including train driving simulators
• $33.6 million towards introducing a Digital Train radio system to replace the current analogue system and boost safety
• $156.5 million for the Country Regional Network and a further $11.6 million for the ARTC’s investment on the east coast rail corridor
• A further $4.5 million investment in level crossing upgrades
• $9 million towards the $15 million investigation into the Northern Sydney Freight Rail Corridor project (with an additional $840 million in Federal funding for the separation of freight and passenger services through network improvements from North Strathfield to Broadmeadow)
• $15 million towards the $82.3 million project to purchase land and continue design works for the Southern Sydney Freight Line.

From http://railexpress.com.au/