Passenger Rail, Research & Development

ARA blasts airport plan for ignoring rail

Airport. Photo: Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development

Plans to build Sydney’s second airport without a direct rail link got mixed reviews from the aviation industry earlier this week. But the Australasian Railway Association made its views very clear.

Acting ARA chief operating officer Phil Allan called the omission of a direct rail plan a “blunder,” and called on the Federal Government to ensure the supposed “world class” airport at Badgerys Creek had a rail link from day one.

“The ARA is pleased that the NSW Government is looking ahead by starting to secure a rail corridor, but we need the Federal Government to step up on this in order for it to happen,” he said.

“The rail option needs to be there from the start.

“We are very supportive of the construction of a second airport for Sydney to not only cater for its population, which is expected to grow by almost six million by 2031, but also for the millions of tourists visiting the city every year.

“What we cannot support is the construction of such an important transport hub without the necessary public transport infrastructure links required that will enable people to move in and out of the airport efficiently, safely and sustainably.”

Allan warned the airport could become “another frustrating bottleneck adding to Sydney’s congestion woes,” should it go ahead without rail.

His sentiments were similar to those expressed by Paul Bredereck, managing director of regional airline Jetgo, to Fairfax earlier this week.

Bredereck, speaking at the CAPA 2015 Airport Innovation Day on Monday, reportedly labelled plans to build an airport with no rail link “small league”.

“For God’s sake, it is a major international airport and no express rail service to the CBD?” Brederick was quoted. “In the last few weeks I have driven from Bankstown to Sydney Airport. It is not a pleasant experience. Buses from Badgerys Creek to the CBD? Who are you kidding?”

One of the Australian aviation industry’s most influential figures – Qantas boss Alan Joyce – however, was not as alarmed at the plans.

“The last thing we want to do is to add cost burdens on these things that are not justified,” Joyce was quoted as saying on Tuesday. The Qantas chief executive reportedly believes low passenger figures in the early years of the airport’s operation mean a train line won’t be needed, adding it was important for a major infrastructure project not to be “overdeveloped from day one”.

“You don’t want to build an infrastructure facility that can carry 100 million people from day one but … have only 2 or 3 million people using the facility and you’re paying for that,” Joyce was quoted by Fairfax.

“It’s not good for the airlines, it’s not good for the taxpayer, it’s not good for anybody developing it.”

Allan, however, believes the opposite is true.

“To not have a rail line connect this airport to Sydney’s CBD from the get-go would be an unforgivable infrastructure blunder, that would take decades and cost millions to reverse,” the acting ARA chief said.

3 Comments

  1. Fully agree with Phil Allan’s comments on this – an extremely shortsighted design approach.

  2. Apart from not being able to get to an airport which doesn’t have a rail connection, air is a discrimatory form or transport, inaccessible to a range of people with disabilities. Bus is difficult to access and far less comfortable for those with mobility problems.

    Building a 2nd airport at Badgerys Creek removes the political imperative from high speed rail between Melbourne – Canberra – Sydney – Brisbane, meaning we are denied the opportunity of fast comfortable ground transport, instead forced to use transport which is actually slower than rail city to city.

    The issue is that HSR should be top of the agenda, not a second airport for Sydney. HSR will remove the need for Syd-Mel flights every 30 minutes, and remove most of the Syd-Cbr flights, meaning that Kingsford Smith Airport has enough capacity for decades to come.

    In my own family situation, unsuitable XPT times (arriving Brisbane aound 3-4am) and disabilities affecting air travel, mean that travel from Sydney to Queensland is no longer possible.

  3. I thought Sydney Airport held all the cards on anything associated with Badgerys Creek. It has always made a motza from car parking, so is unlikely to even countenance rail to Badgerys. Bugger the public interest!