Save country rail services!

BY TOM FLANAGAN

LISMORE — One-hundred-and-fifty people gathered in Lismore's City Hall on December 4 to demand the retention and extension of rail services in the region. Organised by Northern Rivers Trains for the Future, the meeting called for the existing Countrylink XPT train service to be maintained, for the preservation of the Casino to Murwillumbah rail line and the establishment of a local commuter service on the line.

Currently, the only train service available between Casino and Lismore arrives in Lismore in the evening and departs for Casino shortly after 9am. At the meeting, speakers argued that if a useful passenger service was provided, there would be significant demand for it.

Recognising that freight is key to the economics of rail services, and the safety benefits of reducing road freight, the meeting called on the NSW Labor government to work with freight operators and the community to return freight services to the Casino-Murwillumbah line.

Lismore mayor Merv King pointed out that the usefulness of the line to the local community would be greatly enhanced by extending the line from Murwillumbah to link with Queensland rail services at the Gold Coast, and providing a commuter service linking south-east Queensland to northern NSW.

Jim Parker, representing the Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association, pointed out that replacing rail services with buses discriminated against people with mobility difficulties, for whom bus travel was both more difficult and uncomfortable. "Replacing rail services with buses means that older people will just sit at home and vegetate", said Parker.

The meeting heard that not only older people were inconvenienced by a shift from rail to bus transport. Decades ago, an early-morning rail service was known as the surf train because it was filled with surfers and their boards heading for the beach. The popular service was replaced by a bus, but despite significant efforts by the bus company the service failed for lack of business. There was enthusiasm for the return of the "surf train".

On December 6, a rally demanding better rail services was attended by 60 people in Byron Bay, despite pouring rain.

From Green Left Weekly, December 10, 2003.

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From GLW issue 565