The heavy rail line that has for so long divided the city of Newcastle in so many ways will be removed.
A bill to close the line passed through the New South Wales Upper House on Wednesday night 17 votes to 14, with the help of members of the Shooters and Fishers Party. The vote allows infrastructure along the corridor to be ripped up between Wickham and Newcastle Station and comes 10 months after the last train left Newcastle Station.
Transport Minister Andrew Constance says it will allow the city to get on with plans for revitalisation.
“Today is the start of Newcastle’s tomorrow and we can crack on with revitalisation,” he said.
The Greens have described the outcome as a betrayal with concerns the corridor will be an open canvas for developers.
The Save Our Rail Group says it will fight on.
The vote didn’t go all the government’s way though. 
It’s agreed to a range of demands from the crossbench MPs, including that proceeds from development on the rail line go back in to revitalising Newcastle, a business case to look at extending light rail into several inner city suburbs and that carriages accommodate people with disabilities and those with bikes and surfboards.
It’s expected attention will now turn to the corridor itself. Plans are for light rail to run along to the corridor to Worth Place where it will then move on to Hunter Street, freeing up a large chunk of the corridor to Newcastle Station. Newcastle City Council will consider all development applications to rezone land on the corridor.
