Related stories: Greyhound stops Goulburn-Canberra service
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Many took to Facebook to dispute the lack of changes and discrepancies between Goulburn and Highland train services following the most recent timetable announcement by MP Pru Goward last week.
But Ms Goward maintains there are more factors involved than providing more trains to Sydney from Goulburn.
“I think [in Moss Vale] it’s driven by population and closeness to Sydney. There’s been cuts to rail services for 30 years because we’ve never been able to make case of us being a commuter town,” she said.
“It could never be viable for people who need to travel for medical appointments or to see friends, until we become a commuter belt to Sydney, which is going to be about faster trains I think, it is difficult to justify more services.
“It’s very difficult. I am doing everything I can. In government it is about big business and the fact that I’m in cabinet gives me an advantage.”
She said any upcoming community consultations to push back the departure time from Goulburn to Central Station to 6.40am would be led by Transport for NSW.
Establishing stronger commuter services from Goulburn to Canberra is another discussion she believes can be added to the consultation.
“It’s time we got the same treatment as the Highlands,” one person commented.
“What a crock, we get two city rail trains to Sydney and they leave at the most inconvenient possible times,” another person wrote.
In early September, Greyhound Australia unexpectedly announced their decision to terminate the only bus service between Goulburn and Canberra.
“Ever since I have been a member I have been lobbying for a bus service to Canberra, it’s the obvious route that needs to have public transport,” she said.
“Until we solve the ARTC problem, as we are the third heaviest used freight track in the state and build another train line and move freight services to evenings – we’re going to be bumping into this problem. It wasn’t my government who sold the ARTC, we have almost no influence.”