Almost three months after a trial finished, Illawarra commuters are still waiting to see if a train stop at Austimner will become permanent.
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A trial of an Austinmer stop for express services ended in June and, if the sudden influx in parking in the two station car parks is any indication, it was a roaring success.
Since then, it’s been a waiting game as Transport for NSW (TfNSW) crunch through the data before reaching a decision.
It’s a waiting game that has frustrated Keira MP Ryan Park.
“The Austinmer trial was a success, it’s no failure, now lets not waste time and money doing an in-depth analysis,” Mr Park said.
“Stop stalling and make it a permanent stop – it’s a no-brainer.”
In a letter Mr Park received from Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Roads John Sidoti, he said Transport Minister Andrew Constance was awaiting the results of the TfNSW review before committing to making the stop permanent.
Writing on behalf of Mr Constance, Mr Sidoti also responded to Mr Park’s concerns about crowding on South Coast trains – in particular the 3.22pm service from Central.
“Transport for NSW regularly monitors patronage on the South Coast line to ensure eight-car trains are prioritised for use where demand is the highest,” Mr Sidoti wrote.
“While no extra carriages are available for the South Coast line at this moment, the [Thirroul Transport] committee’s feedback will be considered when more carriages become available.”
Mr Park said crowding on South Coast trains needed to be addressed
“It is unacceptable we have passengers standing or sitting on the stairs for the duration of their journey from Sydney,” Mr Park said.
“To say, more carriages are unavailable at this stage is just not good enough.”
TfNSW has said passenger numbers on afternoon services on the South Coast line thin out by the time trains reach the Illawarra.