Illawarra commuters are fed up with being packed like sardines into overcrowded trains. It doesn't matter whether its peak hour, sunday or the middle of the day - we are often forced to stand up all the way from Sydney to Wollongong.
We need more frequent train services, and more carriages on existing services.
PETITION TO SOLVE TRAIN OVERCROWDING ON THE ILLAWARRA LINE
To the Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of New South Wales.
This petition of passengers using the South Coast Rail Line and concerned residents of the Illawarra and South Coast brings to the attention of the House the severe state of overcrowding of many South Coast Line Services. We also bring to the attention of the House our serious concerns that the proposed new intercity fleet to be introduced in 2019 will exacerbate overcrowding due to a reduction in seating capacity in the new trains. We hold grave concerns that the new fleet will not even be able to meet current demand let alone the demands of an increased population. In 2014-15 the Illawarra experienced the largest population growth in NSW outside of Sydney and future fleets must be able to meet this increased growth.
The undersigned petitioners therefore ask the Legislative Assembly to immediately increase the capacity of overcrowded South Coast Line Services with the addition of new carriages and extra services. We also ask the Legislative Assembly to ensure that the introduction of the new intercity fleet will not result in a reduction in current seating capacity.
Further, we request that the Legislative Assembly ensure that the new intercity fleet will result in an increased seating capacity to meet the demands of population growth and increases in rail use in the Illawarra and South Coast regions.