PICTURES: As a Supreme Court considers whether an Act of parliament will be needed to destroy the rail line into the Newcastle CBD, Transport for NSW has revealed plans for the line’s planned future terminus, Wickham Station.
NSW Premier Mike Baird and minister for transport Andrew Constance unveiled the new design for the station, which will act as a major transport interchange as the future terminus of the heavy passenger rail line into Newcastle, on Monday.
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“The Wickham transport interchange is a key part of the NSW Government’s plan to revitalise Newcastle,” the premier said.
“The state-of-the-art transport interchange will allow for the future development of Newcastle Light Rail that will help to reconnect the city with the foreshore.”
Constance said feedback on the original design prompted an update to the plans.
“We’ve listened and made design changes that reflect the city’s history, but changes that also show its future,” Constance said. “We want to create a striking public space that not only looks good, but will provide easy access for public transport customers.
“I’m pleased the new modern design also pays homage to Newcastle’s industrial past as a coal and steel port.”
Further feedback will be sought from residents, businesses and Council in the coming weeks to finalise the Wickham interchange design, including urban design elements, landscaping and public art.
The Wickham transport interchange is expected to open in 2017, allowing the design to incorporate the new intercity train fleet.
“We recently announced that four consortia have been shortlisted to tender for the supply and maintenance of a new state-of-the-art intercity train fleet for NSW – providing unprecedented levels of comfort, convenience and reliability,” Mr Constance said.
“We want to ensure the new station integrates with our new intercity trains seamlessly, providing the best outcome for customers.”
I’m sorry but the plans for the Wickham Interchange appear to remain fundamentally flawed. Based purely on the images presented in the article and available on the Transport for NSW website, the interchange between heavy rail and light rail is not at all convenient and not an incentive for public transport users. The station design appears to revolve around the convenience of heavy rail operations with the light rail interface added on to the side of the interchange as somewhat of an afterthought. Passengers will detrain from heavy rail and rather than having the convenience of a cross platform interchange, will be expected to follow an inconvenient meander off to the light rail area. This will ensure that end to end journey times will remain longer and links more inconvenient than they were a year ago for those going to Newcastle CBD destinations. (The minor hope is that the NSW and Commonwealth governments might put some effort into improving heavy rail corridor alignments and speeds south of Broadmeadow). It is all very well to dress this up with the promise of new intercity trains but hollow indeed if the journey is more prolonged and piecemeal. There also appears to be no thought at all for bus interchange! The only bus connectivity depicted is curb-side on Stewart Avenue, hardly conducive for a future public transport growth strategy. The Wickham site is hamstrung by size, and the surrounds will no doubt, be of greater value to developers rather than public transport operators. As a point of dispersion to the surrounding areas of the CBD, beaches, waterfront and neighbouring suburbs it will clearly be an underachiever.