On the Right Track: Why NSW Needs Business Class Rail

NSW TRAINS NEED AN UPGRADE TO BUSINESS CLASS

Rail connections between Sydney and neighbouring cities need to improve substantially and business class carriages would be a good first step, says a report released Thursday by The Centre for Independent Studies.

In On the Right Track: Why NSW Needs Business Class Rail, Jennifer Buckingham and Dr Oliver Marc Hartwich look past the excuses for deteriorating standards on NSW’s rail network.

‘Travelling by train was once a pleasant experience, but standards have fallen on routes like Sydney to Wollongong, Katoomba and Newcastle,’ says Jennifer Buckingham.

Not only does the train trip from Newcastle to Sydney take longer today than it did in the 1920s and 1930s, it is also less comfortable.

In 1974, all intercity trains in NSW became single class trains. A single class makes sense for short trips, but passengers on longer journeys have different needs, especially regular commuters. ‘Isn’t it odd that nowadays drinks are served even on short-haul budget flights at 30,000 ft but not on slow-moving CityRail trains on the ground?’ says Dr Hartwich.

‘Sydney’s dated intercity train connections are not playing in the league of the world’s great cities,’ says Dr Hartwich. In contrast, South Africa’s Business Express, linking Johannesburg and Pretoria, offers comfortable seats, Wireless Internet, and free parking at the station. VirginRail customers in the UK have access to lounges before the journey, with free newspapers and meals onboard.

There would be no need for additional public funding for the rail network. ‘Relatively simple modifications could be made to the existing carriages,’ argues Buckingham. Business class carriages or compartments could be operated by CityRail or be contracted out to private companies and ticketed at a higher price to cover the costs of improved amenities. A simple solution would be to charge twice the price of a standard fare, which would not even require new ticket machines.

‘Making rail journeys a more pleasant experience is not rocket science – what’s so difficult about serving a coffee on the train?’ asks Dr Hartwich.

The embargoed report is available at:  https://www.cis.org.au/issue_analysis/IA119/IA119.pdf

Jennifer Buckingham and Dr Oliver Marc Hartwich are Research Fellows at The Centre for Independent Studies. They are available for comment.

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