NBN News speaks to Save Our Rail and commuters keen to keep the rail line in Newcastle.
Some business people also have an economic argument for maintaining the track.
Should the Newcastle rail line be cut at Wickham?
- No (61%, )
- Yes (39%, )
Loading ...text will be replaced
Why would we want to cut the line just to have more high rise buildings along the foreshore. It is obvious that GPT want to get into the development of the foreshore. Comments made by the GPT spokesman just support this when he suggests that the State Govt can recoup their costs to cut the rail line by selling off the land on the foreshore!!!!!
DONT LET THE PEOPLE WITH NO IMAGINATION RUIN THIS CHANCE TO MAKE THIS WONDERFUL PLACE TO LIVE MISS OUT IN BECOMING A BEAUTIFUL AND EXCITING CITY ONCE MORE.
The Rail line into the city has been holding back developement for many years. While waiting for the many holdups at the gates we never see more than 6 or 8 people on the trains. Hunter Street badly needs a boost and it would be sad to see GPT Development Group walk away
GPT’s re-development of Newcastle is supposed to hinge on removing the rail line.
On October 30, Westfield in London opened the largest in-town shopping and leisure destination in Europe. It cost A$4.3 billion. Amazingly (for Newcastle developers anyway), there is a new above-ground railway station, two bus stations, a taxi rank and extensive cycle and pedestrian routes as well as being served by 2 other London underground railway stations. The new above ground station is the first new station to be built on an existing line in more than 70 years.
One does not even have to look as far away as London to see what can be done with rail. Look at what has been done in Chatswood and St Leonards – both suburbs divided by rail – to see how money could be spent to retain and improve public transport, as well as substantially improve the amenity and shopping precinct of the area.
These big ticket developments in London working hand in glove with rail services seem to fly in the face of GPT’s piddly $600M+ development and their “my way or the highway” approach. Improve the rail to provide a better amenity to the community and commerce in the area – don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater by closing it at Wickham.
GPT share price down to 0.87c – drop of over 85% in last 18 months. Would you really trust the future of your city to these people?
3000 people use the train into Newcastle each day – that’s 3000 less shoppers you’ll have.
Come on people, a bit of imagination is needed here.
All we have are the same old people STILL against change even though I believe what has happened to date has been a bonus to inner city dwellers like myself.
Nobody likes strong arm tactics but business is business and if the numbers don’t add up, nothing will happen and the city will languish.
Regards
Brian Dirou
This is the greatest opportunity the City has had during most peoples lives.
We should be welcoming GPT with open arms.
Hunter street is a blight on this community and will be far worse if this proposal does not proceed.
The shameful appearace of the rail line,the low level of use and the disruption of conectivity from the harbourfront to the city does not warrant maintaing the line.
It is time the political leaders show leadership otherwise Jodi, you may as well be the last one to turn out the lights.
A great opportunity exists to open up the city to the foreshore with a light rail/public tranport type corridor that is open to pedestrians and traffic alike.
Just look at the light rail system through Sydney to Pyrmont and beyond – its corridor is generally unfenced and open for traversing by pedestrians, cars, bikes and the like – apart from the usual cost argument, why cant we have something like this? It could even extend around past Nobbys down to Newcastle Beach – a fantastic tourist attraction. An integrated transport exchange located at Hamilton Junction could accommodate the heavy rail from Maitland/Central Coast and the light rail into the CBD, with passengers just stepping off one train onto another to continue their journey. Not much of an incovenience considering the potential benefits to the CBD
Wake up Newcastle and realise that this type of wholistic approach is the answer to the needs of the commuters, the business owners and the residents of the CBD
GPTs proposal is not just about the railway line . It is creating a new urban landscape for Newcastle CBD to encourage better pedstrian flow between precints , improved traffic management and a chance to rejuvinate Hunter street by connecting to the foreshore. This is in line with Steffan Lehmann’s ideas and in fact all town planners and architects that have some skills and experience in these areas both nationally and internationally . As happens all to often in Newcastle the debate has been highjacked by myopic self interest groups who fail to see the bigger picture. It is not removing the rail line it is replacing it with a a more efficient transport sytem that incorporates Rail, vehicles and pedestrian movement in a manner that will encourage redevelopment of a very tired city.
I unfortunately work with GPT, and trust me when I say we don’t want them anywhere near our town. Yes, I definitely believe that the Newcastle CBD badly needs a facelift, but I also believe that GPT is not the one to do it. The level of incompetence and corruption I see on a daily basis in their management staff, and how they treat the store owners in their center’s, is absolutely pathetic, the only reason the remaining shop owner’s don’t leave is because they can’t afford to. I can’t say my name because they regularly threaten, and from time to time punish store owners and their staff to keep them in line. For example, in Charlestown Square not too long ago, there was a ice cream shop, originally doing quite well, when GPT started their development, naturally because of the increased difficulty getting to the centre, the customer base dropped and things started getting hard, they made do for a while but eventually they were losing money, they asked GPT to drop their already exorbitant rent ($80,000 pa for a 5x2m kiosk) in accordance with the reduced income. After about a month, they finally got back with a no. GPT then started various tactics to make life even harder for the owner, in response to this, the owner closed down and took them to court, while the staff were out of the shop, GPT then proceeded to try and sell, for their own profit, the owner’s machines and equipment, valuing nearly $100,000 and which they have no legal right to touch, to the owner’s direct competitor. To date, another 25 shops owned by locals and screwed by Sydney-siders have closed, and I’m still counting. A team of million dollar lawyers puts out less crap in a year than what weekly comes out of the mouths of their marketing team. I strongly recommend NBN knocks down their door and start demanding some answers.
Not to mention when they started illegally changing the surrounding roads, without notifying the RTA, or even putting up basic warning signs, which caused a number of accidents, ranging from minor bingles to two people being put in hospital, all covered up by GPT.
The Newcastle CBD does need to be rebuilt, but we can’t trust GPT to do it.
Thanks Anon,
You confirm what most of us have heard about GPT. My wife has a small business in Market Square and she confirms all you say. She also reminds me that everyone seems to have forgotten that as Honeysuckle evolved, Hunter Street deteriorated. It’s just common sense. As Honeysuckle became available the traders abandoned their Hunter Street businesses to rot. It had nothing to do with the rail. Strip shopping is no longer popular. Shoppers want to drive in under or beside the shops as they do at Kotara, Charlestown and Waratah and park their cars for free. Not find themselves with a big parking fine when they come back. The developers don’t want any crossings of the rail line installed, because then they wouldn’t have any stories to pump emotive people up with, Delays at the railway gates are far less than at the traffic lights. If you want to stand there you can frequently observe the traffic banked up straight through the open railway gates and no trains in sight. The parking fees drove the people out of Newcastle. Take away the rail and it will become a ghost town.
George Paris
I’ve been vacillating on this issue for quite a while now but I believe it is time to free up the land and access that is being occupied and restricted by this rail line.
Firstly, I disagree with George’s assertion that the delays at rail crossings are far less than at the traffic lights – particularly at the Merewether or Hannell Street crossings which are always busy. I’ve noticed that the boom gates lower long before trains arrive (and often before they are stop at civic station). I’ve also waited long periods seemingly because the signaller has not allowed the gates to rise. I see these unnecessary delays as a waste of time and, amongst other things, carbon (emission of which is increased by forcing cars to slow and stop unnecessary, then idle before accelerating again). Removing the line and increasing the number of crossings will reduce the demand on gated crossings such as Hannell St.
Apart from delay and obstruction, the line also causes a strong physical and cultural divide in the CBD, with the new/popular on one side and the sad/shabby on the other. I believe that removing this rail line will help heal this divide. Another issue is that it can be quite confusing for visitors to establish where the heart of Newcastle is: is it Darby St, is it the CBD, Honeysuckle, Wheeler Place, Newcastle East/Newcastle Beach, Nobby’s..? Removing the line and forming a clearly defined precinct will no doubt minimise this confusion.
In summary, the current line is:
– an eyesore
– a waste of space
– the basis for unnecessary delays
– an obstruction
– superfluous, if decent bus services exist
– a stumbling block for Newcastle’s reinvention and rejuvenation
Also ending the line at Wickham falls inside the free bus routes and may encourage some much needed development in Newcastle West.
Come on Newcastle, think of the growth and potential of this city, rather than focussing on its past and clinging onto its old infrastructure! Let’s see some modern, attractive open spaces (whether built by GPT or not!), rather than steel, gravel, dirt, fencing, overhead wires and litter!
I Agree with sean Fox’s comment on Nov 7
“Just look at the light rail system through Sydney to Pyrmont and beyond – its corridor is generally unfenced and open for traversing by pedestrians, cars, bikes and the like – apart from the usual cost argument, why cant we have something like this? It could even extend around past Nobbys down to Newcastle Beach – a fantastic tourist attraction. An integrated transport exchange located at Hamilton Junction could accommodate the heavy rail from Maitland/Central Coast and the light rail into the CBD, with passengers just stepping off one train onto another to continue their journey. Not much of an incovenience considering the potential benefits to the CBD”
However While I genrally support Cutting the Rail Line, I haven’t heard any proposals of a better option, which I think if it was put forward as part of the plan, I feel more people would support it.
Also If we had parking stations around the wickham area, local people from around the Newcastle suburbs could park their cars & also use the alternative transport arrangements, so It wouldn’t just be people from the already used rail from (say Maitland, Or Central coast) who would be using & Paying for an alternative city link transport arrangement.
Keep the Rail.
Rail lines are being built or replaced at great expense in city’s all over the world.
We have the transport corridor and the infrastructure which could be addapted for greater access to the fore shore.
The cost of alternatives such as cars and buses does not fit with the environmental issues and ignores the big picture of carbon reduction. Light rail would be very expensive.
The debate goes on as no viable alternative that includes suitable service to the area has been placed on the table. Our Rail service to Newcastle can be adjusted to meet needs and is a greener solution that buses or cars. Imagine 10,000 people on buses to and from the fore shore as in the resent Fat as Butter Concert.
For so long Newcastle has been overshadowed by Sydney, it is about time the people of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Valley pull together and demand that more money be spent on the important issues such as infrustructure at a state and federal government level. I support the GPT project one hundred percent, and the cutting of the rail line at wickham. There is plenty of room at wickham station to develop a first class terminal/exchange. Ideally, Newcastle as Australias seventh largest city is entitled to a have a rail line that is underground. Why do we in this region accept second, third, fourth best compared to our Sydney counterparts? This City, Oh, and it is a City you minority groups, has he potential to be one of the truly great cities of Australia if not the world. The asthetics of the place are probably second only to Sydney. Newcastle must be allowed to grow, we must throw caution to the wind, we must do it now, no matter what!
The rail line must terminate at Wickham to allow the city to develop.
Not only is the line an eye sore but the CBD itself falls into this catagory.
So many vacant deralict buildings, that have out lived their usefullnes.
Re build and develop the city for the sake of prosperity, for future generations.
Given Australia’s track record on retail developments how ugly is GPT’s proposal?
Yes a light rail system would be the more sensible alternative not getting rid of the line all together. If they are going to build a better city it has to be one with greater ease of access for people but not by opening up the mall streets to cars.
From the looks of GPT plans they want to invent a traffic nightmare where they have the oportunity to create something truly beautiful and unique. Their planning should be about better travel round & through the CBD as well as opening up the foreshore for better views and pedestrian access. Cutting out rail totaly just gives a license to build ugly parking garages and charge the big bucks for a space.
Heaven forbid they get too carried away or Newcastle will end up with a Monorail not unlike the useless heap of garbage Sydney has. Its about as functional as it is good looking.
No Newcastle needs a design that fits the landscape & the heritage of its city making Newcastle foreshore & beaches as irrisistable as a weekend on the Gold Coast without spending the big bucks.
Forget the light rail – it is just a dream and will never happen. Instead, travellers will be forced to wait for a bus, which will add 15-20 minutes to the already ridiculously long travel time from Sydney.
Eyesore, what nonsense! Come to Sydney and have a look at Parramatta Road, then we can start talking about eyesore
Why would we want an underground railway in Newcastle? It’s very pleasant just the way it is. I think some people are simply desperate to spend millions, just for a ‘change’ or ‘progress’. Do we have such money to blow?
This is a coal town, and we’ve already had an earthquake, imagine if we start drilling underground
Please take note everyone who is so very keen on change for the sake of it. I have an idea: let’s move the train which is working perfectly well taking people already on it right into the centre of Newcastle and spend millions of dollars!
Then, because we will need to come up with alternative travel options, let’s have people standing at Wickham handing out skateboards to younger passengers. And how about rickshaws to carry older people with luggage? That would save on pollution and costs.
Maybe if it’s raining there can be a huge covered interchange with buses and the whole thing may only add an extra half an hour to people’s trip, or even less if the connections are good. Never mind that is was only taking three minutes before.
Of course we could also spend even more money building a whole new tram system to somehow link it up with the trains we have but hang on, will that not defeat the whole argument of opening up the rail corridor?