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

P O Box K606
Haymarket NSW 1240
14 February 2025


NSW TrainLink,
Transport for New South Wales,
Sydney.
Submitted via email: trainlinkcoachreview@transport.nsw.gov.au

Dear TrainLink,

NSW TrainLink Coach Network Review

Submission on proposed changes to routes and timetables

Introduction

Action for Public Transport (NSW) Inc. is a transport advocacy group which has been active in Sydney since 1974. We promote the interests of beneficiaries of public transport - passengers and the wider community alike.

Discussion

Constraints: We note that many coach services need to co-ordinate with rail. That can be a constraint on improving the coach service. The most obvious example is north of Grafton, where the Brisbane XPT's unfortunate timetable means that most people would only ride coaches at those overnight hours because that's when the train arrives.

Capacity: Generally, we understand that too many Train Link services are fully booked and some prospective passengers are consequently unable to use their desired service. We think this is undesirable and that it should be addressed, perhaps by using larger coaches or more of them.

North Coast:

Commuter route: We think the transport for the Northern Rivers region should be planned to eventually have a commuter service for this route: It would be somewhat different from existing coach services. It would be aimed at day trips by students and workers. It would not need a raised floor with large sub-floor luggage space. Rather, there could be small luggage racks around the front wheels like those on many Sydney buses. The booking system would ideally include season tickets suitable for workers and students. However, the service would also be suitable for single-day trips to large centres such as for medical appointments. Obviously, there would need to be multiple services each day, perhaps hourly until 7pm. There might sometimes have to be standing passengers.

The motivation is that, according to locals, many SCU students travel in cars between coastal towns and the Lismore campus. Providing a reliable and adequate coach service could replace a large number of car trips and should see many coastal families less reliant on owning multiple cars. Other people would use the service too.

We include Ballina Airport on the list because it also serves as the airport for Byron and several smaller towns within 50km. We suggest that a suitably reliable and frequent coach service could be expected to attract many passengers who otherwise would use cars.

We include Gold Coast Airport because it is an obvious destination for people who live within 50km of it and also because it stands to be the southern terminus of the planned Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 4 if that goes ahead.

Therefore, we suggest that the possibility be examined carefully and, if found worthwhile, steps be taken to introduce and develop such a service, probably starting with Ballina-Lismore.

North Western NSW:

We note that Sid Fogg's runs an express coach service between Dubbo and Newcastle. Newcastle is a large centre and a powerful trip generator. Making it more reachable by coach could remove a lot of car kilometres.

Western NSW:

Again, there might be scope for services to Newcastle. This should be investigated.

We see that Dubbo Regional Airport is to be covered by coach services. Again, that should improve the vialility of those services and perhaps eventually lead to more frequent services.

Southern NSW:

The map: We think the timetable map would be easier for passengers to understand if it showed (in orange) the rail routes from Sydney to Dubbo and Broken Hill. After all, many coach passengers will also be train passengers on those routes.

Rail timetable: Consider the following day Syd-Mel XPT timetable extract:

StationSyd-MelMel-Syd
Cootamundra12:4614:38
Junee13.2713:51
Wagga Wagga13:5413:07
If the two trains consistently crossed near a major town (or at a major town with two rail platforms), it would be possible to make that town a hub for coach services. Coaches from multiple origins could meet both trains and the return with minimal waiting and no need for separate buses to meet the two trains. Unfortunately, that doesn't happen. web counter