The Sydney Business Chamber says the NSW Government deserves positive recognition for agreeing to take on board all the recommendations included in a report on the NSW rail network’s ability to recover from major incidents.
 
“The Government is to be congratulated for acknowledging there are issues with the train network and that action is needed to reduce the risk of a train network failure, like the one Sydney experienced earlier this year,” said Patricia Forsythe, Executive Director of the Sydney Business Chamber.
 
“Failure to act would have put at risk the good work done improving the train network since 2011, which is evident in a recent customer satisfaction index, with the rate continuously increasing in the past four years and currently sitting at 89 per cent.
 
“Business supported the timetable change in November in recognition that increasing services was vital due to demonstrable increased patronage, and, for the whole of December, the new timetable performed satisfactory with 13,574 peak services with 92.7 per cent punctuality.
 
“The Chamber also welcomed the Government’s $1.5 billion More Trains, More Services Program, which will deliver 24 new Waratah-style trains that will start rolling out this year.
 
“The actions in the report are about building resilience so that what occurred on January 8 can be avoided in the future.
 
“Reliability is a hallmark of a good service and not acting would put at risk Sydney’s reputation for reliable transport services and all the good work that has been done to improve the rail network with its focus on customer service and improved service delivery,” Mrs Forsythe said.
 
“While we appreciate there is no quick solution to fix the rail network, the recommendations in this report are a vital start.
 
“We cannot afford to risk Sydney’s reputation as a global, vibrant and bustling city,” Mrs Forsythe said.