REDUCING staff at Goulburn Railway Station will compromise safety and service levels, says a rail user group.
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Southern Tablelands Rail User Group (STRUG) president Greg Price said he was aware NSW TrainLink was conducting a station review but the plan to cut jobs was a surprise.
"We're against it," he said. "This goes back to the (introduction of) the Opal card. You can't buy one at the station, you have to go to Service NSW or a shop . . . It's been about training people to go somewhere else to buy a ticket. When you do that, you can reduce station staff."
Mr Price said without sufficient people on hand, passenger safety would be jeopardised and people with disabilities would not have the help they needed.
STRUG is awaiting a further meeting with Transport Minister Andrew Constance about the train timetable. Mr Price said he would certainly be raising the mooted job cuts with him as well.
He argues they're a forerunner to further privatisation of rail services.
The former Rail, Tram and Bus Union local rep said he'd been advised the State Government had a five-year plan to sell the passenger side of rail.
"What we don't know is when that five-year plan started," he said. "I think they want to sell it in 2017/18. The election is due in 2019 and I think they probably want everything sold by then."
Mr Price said this would be done by "franchising out" sections of line and stations, as they did in England. Tenders would be called as part of the process.
Companies had to meet certain requirements and minimum standards but inevitably it meant that people paid more for the service, he argued.
Just as the State Government had privatised Sydney Ferries and Newcastle ferries and buses, Mr Price said rail would be next.
"This is just another piece in the puzzle on the way to privatisation of passenger rail services," he said. "In the long run it will cost people more than if the government runs it."
But Goulburn MP Pru Goward scoffed at the suggestion. "Privatisation has never been put to me - ever," she said. In any case, "I think it would be very difficult to do as the line currently runs at a loss and is the least-used on the network. I'd be very surprised if anyone wanted to buy a line that doesn't make a profit."
