Maldon-Dombarton Line

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The 35km long M/D line was commenced in 1983 by the NSW Government under Premier Wran who spent a total of some $600m on the railway before its construction was terminated in 1988.  In today’s economy, this would be equivalent to between $1.2 and $1.8 billion, or even more. Further, a costly payout had to be made to the contractors for their broken contracts.   In the mid-1990s Premier Carr promised $200 million dollars towards the completion of the line, however this money was diverted to the Sydney Olympics.  Dr Phillip Laird, of Wollongong University, has estimated that it will cost in the order of $100 to $150 million to complete the M/D line.

Completion of the M/D line would drastically improve the Wollondilly Shire’s access to a hospital, theatres, shopping, cinemas, and in particular would provide young people with an alternative to driving to Wollongong University and TAFE.  There is currently no bus service for Wollondilly students to get to the university.  Further if the South Coast line is closed for any reason, an alternative rail route would be available from the South Coast to Sydney with only a small increase in travel time.

All freight trains carrying cargo for export from the north, west and south west of Sydney are obliged to travel through the Sydney Metropolitan rail system (SMRS) to get to Pt Kembla.  Freight trains have to travel at half the speed of passenger trains, and cause significant delays for the commuter network.  Whilst freight trains are banned from the SMRS for some 8 hours a day during morning and evening peak hours for commuters, this means that all freight must transit the SMRS during the two remaining periods, which must contribute to the delays on passenger trains during those periods.

With the increase of imports diverted from Darling Harbour to Pt Kembla, and the location of the intermodal depots at Liverpool/Menangle, the only logical way for the imported goods to travel from Pt Kembla harbour is by unloading directly onto the rail transport, travel on the M/D line to the Main South line and so into the intermodal depots and, in the case of motor vehicles, to Brisbane and Melbourne, without touching a road.