Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

Greg Smith, the MLA for Epping, and a NWRL official had trouble with Smith's constituents when selling them the North West Rail Link's small rail cars with minimal seating.

Couldn't the trouble have been averted with a bit of candour?

Instead of saying that small rail cars are better because they can climb steeper hills than existing rail cars, wouldn't it have been better to explain that the small cars will be fitted with motors on all axles that are powerful enough to handle steeper grades? And instead of just saying that an 8-car single-deck train can carry about 1330 people, wouldn't it have been better to explain that over 60% of those passengers will have to stand at four to the square metre?

Incredibly, important details like the width of the emergency footway in the narrow tunnels or how many months the Epping-Chatswood line will need to be closed for conversion, will be settled later - long after tunneling contracts were let.

Another matter that is not being shouted from the treetops is that the very successful M2 buses are to be cut back to railway feeders, resulting in a slower trip to the CBD for most passengers.