Inland Rail - Albury to Illabo

I would like it noted that I, and my husband, do not support this project. We feel this will directly impact us and our home by disturbing our peace, through the noise of the increased trains running past our home, and will significantly reduce the value of our home. We are also concerned that the heavier carriages and the vibrations, caused by their being moved, could effect our house.

Thankyou for the opportunity to make a submission.

Hello, whilst supporting the concept of the Inland Rail plan, I object to the short sighted proposed Inland rail route through Wagga Wagga when considering the short & long term ramifications if the proposed route is selected.
The proposed Inland rail route through Wagga has known & unknown social & environmental impacts that will be a burden upon residents during and forever after should the planned route be selected.

Issues with the proposed route.

Short term traffic congestion with Edmondson St Bridge upgrade
Traffic detours “A traffic detour to the east and west of Edmondson Street” these detours will only compound the current traffic bottleneck around the Railway St / Lake Albert Rd, Sturt Hwy / Lake Albert Rd, Urana / Bourke St, Coleman St / Bourke St and Bourke St / Sturt Hwy intersections particularly at peak hours.
Could you please clarify “and it is expected that a proportion of diverted vehicles would seek alternative routes to avoid this congested intersection” as per Chapter 09 Transport & traffic Albury to Illabo Impact statement, 9-41, (attached). What are these alternative routes based on your expectations? What models or assumptions were the basis for these expectations?
What are the expected social impacts of noise for residents along these detours?
Safety concerns for school Children, bus operators and pedestrian when the Edmondson St and Mothers Bridges are closed?

Long term issues
More significantly will be the long term inconvenience to traffic users, in particular around year 2040 when an average of 20 freight trains a day are expected, traffic wait times will be more considerable than expressed.
This inconvenience will only be exasperated with the expected population growth in Wagga and the reliance to transverse the Fernleigh Rd & Bourke St Railway crossings.
Not all vehicles for convenience can use the Edmondson & Pearson St’s overpasses from the South.
The proposed “bridge aesthetics” design for the replacement footbridges at the Cassidy Street and Mothers bridges are hideous and have no relevance or take into consideration the values of the Wagga Wagga Conservation area and their landscape impact is unacceptable. (Mother bridge replacement North & South attached)
The Albury To Illabo Environmental Impact Statement, Chapter 15, Noise & Vibration refers to "if", “less or not expected”, “unlikely”, “may be”, “likely”, worst case scenario”, "up to" and “expectations”, surely this infers that parts of the EIS are questionable and based on predictions and assumptions.

To alleviate the above issues I implore the ARTC to revisit the planned Inland Rail route through Wagga Wagga with an obvious alternative bypass route around Wagga Wagga City. This is possible as with the ARTC decision to bypass the Coonamble Town and its existing rail infrastructure. Has an alternative bypass route been explored or is it a case of simply pushing the Inland rail through regardless of the economic, social and environmental impacts in order that the Sub 24 hour transit time be achieved.

As an affected resident of the proposed Inland rail project through Wagga Wagga, I have serious reservations about the Inland Rail EIS, thank you for your consideration.

I do not support the proposed route through Wagga Wagga. I have attached my submission with some reasons why.

As a precursor to my comments, I state that I am a landowner who will be substantially impacted by this Project. I own a residential property that is located on a street that fronts the current rail line, which will be significantly impacted by the increase in frequency and duration of passing trains. It is my belief that my property will suffer a reduction in value, and a significant change to quality of life, with the expected changes in rail traffic, if this Project goes ahead as currently proposed.

I am fully supportive of the development of the Inland Rail Project. My concerns relate to the routing of the rail line through the Wagga Wagga area.

This is a major infrastructure development, that is planned to have long term future benefits. There appears to be a major flaw in the planning of this Project, in that it fails to consider all the impacts of the development on the growth and development of a significant rural/urban area. It seems illogical for such a Project to, on the one hand, increase the use of rail as a major means of transporting goods along the eastern seaboard, whilst on the other hand, having a deleterious effect on what is the largest inland city in New South Wales.

Wagga Wagga is reported to have a projected population of in excess of 100,000 people within a reasonable timeframe. Currently, the city has 2 level crossings that affect relatively major roads in the city. One in particular (Docker Street) is a main arterial road servicing the southern areas of the city - particularly significant as it is the main artery leading to a number of areas of current and projected population growth.

It is well known that there are significant delays to traffic flow with the current rail,traffic through this crossing. With the substantial increase in rail traffic, in both the frequency and length of trains passing through this crossing, the delays will become longer and more frequent.

I am concerned that the increased interruptions to traffic flow may have implications for the passage of emergency vehicles along this main arterial road, particularly as it is the most direct access to the Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.

Given that this is a generational infrastructure development, that is expected to have long term impact, I cannot understand why a more long term view has not been taken regarding all implications of the development. To be setting in place infrastructure, at huge cost, that would have a clearly identifiable deleterious impact on a current major population area, let alone one that is projected to grow substantially within a relatively short period, appears to lack significant foresight.

Given the high cost of the Project, one would have thought that routing it away from a significant population area, with substantial growth projections, would have been a sensible and more reasonable addition to the total cost of the Project, given the clear current and future detriments to that community, from routing the line through the centre of that community.

The Project as currently proposed will deliver a rail corridor that will enhance the use of rail freight transport. Unfortunately, the City of Wagga Wagga will be forever disadvantaged by this if completed as proposed. It is highly unlikely that, once rail transport becomes entrenched in the proposed route, there will be a change in the future to redirect the route around the Wagga Wagga City precincts to a more suitable route.

The time to act is now - to get it right in the first place and "future-proof" rail transport in this region on a long term basis, not to take the easy option for for short term expediency. The people of Wagga Wagga deserve better than this.

It’s dangerous and no suitable for the city to be a city better planning needed

The EIS lacks proper traffic modelling data that does not reflect the liveability of homes and residents.
It does not have any input from other government agencies and using their knowledge to see what impacts there will be on traffic in the area.
The building of the new Edmondson Bridge and footbridges in Wagga does not account for the long term impact that this will have on nearby residents.
This needs to go back to the original studies and look at the benefits creating a freight bypass will have on all towns. The issue shouldn't be about money but rather the livability of a town and those who live close to the rail line should be the highest priority.
Ideally a new freight bypass through Wagga could allow for another Murrumbidgee Crossing for both vehicles and trains which will be needed in the city as it grows.
There has been a lack of traffic modelling on the proposed detour route for the rebuilding of Edmonson Bridge, the intersection of Macleay and Coleman struggles with school traffic and pedestrians as is. To divert further traffic through this intersection would be catastrophic and clearly no thought or study has gone into this. I have been told the Contractors will be in charge of this and know that they will be ill equip to handle this. One only has to watch the traffic bank up (especially on rainy days when there is even more traffic) to witness the fact the intersection cannot handle it's current capacity. Adding further vehicles on this route is not only catastrophic but ignorant.
I object to this project and urge Inland Rail to think about people rather than infrastructure. This is where you are going wrong, we are tax payers too and you need to show some empathy.
I have attached a copy of the leaflet I was provided giving me instructions on how to make a submission. You didn't even include the website address to go to! Yeah sure, can easily google but I think this exactly sums up how disappointing the 'consultation' has been for this project and the lack of thinking for the communities and 'people' you are impacting. I hate to think how older people and those with disabilities will be able to provide their feedback.

I believe that having the Inland Rail going through the centre of our city on our present train line is a huge negative for the enjoyment and good functioning of our city. I would encourage a route around the city.

I support the concept and route in general to use the existing alignment between Albury and Illabo.
The Nation needs to have a minimum population centre of minimum of 10 million persons to survive economically and therefore socially in the global village of the future. This can only be achieved by safe reliable and economic and climate change friendly by linking the 3 significant population centres of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. This can only realistically economically and environmentally (including climate change requirements ) by rail. This means that rail with its steel wheel on steel rail technology has fuel , safety andreliability. Road has greater flexibility BUT at a cost in terms of noise, safety internally and externally, and especially cost in initial capital and subsequent maintenance. The science is there and has been for many decades that quantifies the exponential cost of damage / maintenance costs to road pavements by increasing road vehicle wheel loads. It is an exponential relationship not straight linear. In effect ordinary motorists are subsidizing the maintenance of roads for the damage/maintenance demands caused by heavy road lorries. The news last night featured Caroline Appelbee as an ordinary motorist complaining about the state of the roads in Wagga.
But back to the submission. Each 5000tonne train effectively does the work of 100 B double road lorries. The complaints have been made about the long term increase in numbers of trains. The existing roads cannot handle the the existing road traffic. Yet restricting the rail and the figuers bandied on television news indicate minimum of 7 extra trains per day. That would require Edward Street or its equivalent to carry an extra 700 B double trucks each and every day of the year. The noise alone would be felt by the persons adjacent to the existing railway line would be terrifying. 700 extra B doubles each and every day is an extra B double every minute of every day, 24/7 throughout the year. Not to mention the noise and pollution as they stop and start or try to negotiate round abouts. Cross traffic will never get a chance.
It is recommended that no public level crossing be tolerated at all on the Inland Rail. Fernleigh road can easily be made either an overpass or underpass, Docker street should never be a level crossing. Technology has been there for a century to push bridges under railway lines or build over them Ans after years of trying and eventually succeeding in closing the Dampier street level crossing at Bomen the call is to reinstate it. How retrograde is that. There is no reason, There is a new underpass giving access to Bomen Insdustrial area. The existing 2 footbridges. Yes rebuild them clear of the double stack profile and good you have put in ramps for wheelchair access but the ramps need to be slightly ammended in their lower half by providing 2 directions of access, to avoid pedestrians having to walk excessive distances . Simply split the lower half . Best street. can be rebuilt along the lines of the newly built overpass at Mittagong which has a similar road layout and restrictions.
That brings me to drainage. The reparian laws are quite explicit. New developments must not increase the rates or quantities of runoff. Any such developers must at their cost protect those downstream. Wagga Council knew this 20 years ago by requiring developers to build retention ponds adjacent to the ir new Redhill Road bridge and also further upstream in Lloyd. These upstream retention ponds have not been built and building obligations restrict lawns and gardens so will result in increased rates of runoff which will compromise the existing stone culvert under the railway line just east of the RedHill Road bridge.
Noise and construction delaysand effects have been bandied about. If one looks at ARTC;s record it is light years ahead of the roadconstruction effects. They built a new railway bridge over the Murrambidgee River and only affected traffic for 3 days. Even WWCC despite their feelings to the contrary managed to get their Redhill Road bridge in the same window. Yet Roads and maritime needed 6 months of stopping all traffic on their Eunony Road bridge repairs recently. It was deemed acceptable by WWCC to allow 6 months of this extra road traffic through the CBDs streets.
It needs to be re-iterated that ARTC put concrete sleepers into the full railway from Sydney to Melbourne for the same cost that 10 km of road bypass was built in Albury. Yes , ARTC need to look a little closer at penny pinching on a project that is truly Nation Building and needed if this country is to survive as we know and have come to expect. A Wagga bypass railway is definitely not justified. The town demanded the railway go through Wagga Wagga in the 1880s and the economic benefits to a region of 200000 people now benefits.
The railway line to Tumbarumba joins the national network in Wagga. Since the fires of 3 years ago the timber mills have had to import timber at exorbitant road haulage rates . Despite the source forests being on the national rail network. The future of this country needs long term thinking like Inland Rail provides and not the temporary noise of a few self interested few or short sighted planners. If noise is the issue some would have us believe, either buy up those adjacent houses and use them for either construction and public housing. Or at worst box the railway line in as a double stack tunnel. like has been done at Subiaco in Perth.
And finally the Oalands to the Rock railway line needs to be reinstated to provide an alternative crossing of the River Murray should war or maintenance require.

I object to the disruption of traffic by the upgrading of the Edmonson st bridge. Inconvenience to families and Kids using foot bridge to go to schools
The holdup of traffic waiting for the proposed long, and frequent trains at level crossings in the city area mainly at Docker st near the two hospitals. Emergency vehicles stopped for up to 15 minutes
The noise, dust, rattling and shaking of houses in Railway St. Erin Earth peaceful reflective garden being impacted. The whole vibe of long, noisy trains frequently passing through the centre of our beautiful expanding city
The whole plan is an absolute, ill thought out disaster. Please by pass our city. Thank you

I have the Power of Attorney for my daughter at 4/1 Jennifer Place, Wagga.
Her unit is 192m from the railway line. My immediate concerns are not just the two new trains it is my daughter’s future. The train traffic is still and will increase year after year. This will devalue her home and interrupt her stable life style.

The reasons why her home is increasing in value is nothing to do with the railway. The reason it will decrease will be the effect of the proposed increase railway traffic.

She needs this home to ensure her future, eg her nursing home etc, will be guaranteed and not one of poverty. As do all the others along the line have similar reasons.

Interesting I was advised that people were advised within 200m if this proposal. If this was not going to impact them why were they advised. Of course it will impact all those households and businesses. And will increasingly impact them.

For examine - just because the railway station was built in the 1800s does not mean that it has to continue to do so.

It is not too strong a word to say my daughter is collateral plus the others. As this line becomes more successful there will be more train traffic as has been planned by the authorities. More noise and more disruptions.

Maybe do this right this time. Do future planning not just what is convenient. Be people of vision.

I strongly oppose this Inland rail project, on many fronts. Please refer to the attachment.

The problems associated with the proposed changes to the railsway through Wagga Wagga is a complex and a shortsighted fix to the problem which will be regretted in the long-term. There are two level crossings which need a long-term solution particularly the Docker Street crossing as it is in a main connection to the hospitals. The many changes to be made are expenses that could be avoided and would be better spent on a by- pass. ( more expensive in the short term) that would be a much more long term solution for the expanding city of Wagga Wagga.The initial extra expense on a bypass will pay for itself over time and give the Railway a more efficient service.

Please see attached Rail submission

I object to the EIS for the Albury to Illabo Inland Rail route as it fails to properly consider the extensive disruption, health & safety impacts that the construction & the completed project will cause for the Wagga Community & for the pragmatic functioning of the City transport network.
Neither have the impacted landholders been transparently informed & justly treated.

I am totally opposed to this Inland Rail route altogether - believing that it is NOT in the best interests of Australia & should instead be going via Narrandera - Shepparton.
There needs to be an independent inquiry into the obvious political interference & pandering to big business political party donors that have produced this very unacceptable outcome for the typically, poorly consulted Wagga community.
Why is it that the local victims - the Wagga community & numerous impacted landholders have still not been properly consulted or informed of the full details in a reasonable & transparent manner?
This unacceptable, dismissive procedure is all too common for the burdened Wagga community - with Wagga politicians & Wagga Council making extremely detrimental, environmentally destructive, illogical decisions for the sole benefit of their developer, big business, colluding corporate buddies - whilst burdening locals with ongoing suffering & heartache!
Prime examples cursing rural Wagga communities are the environmentally vandalising, contaminating fake green Solar/Wind/BESS Transition, CCP controlled Project Energy Connect, HumeLink & VNI-West Transmission nightmare plus the disgracefully torturous Wagga Council supported plan to dump Visy's contaminated recycling waste at Bomen - Northridge Waste Facility - which has thankfully been knocked back for now at least - hopefully forever!

Regional communities & impacted landowners deserve far more consideration, transparency & well publicised consultations & far better treatment from planners & approving bodies.
Unbiased, balanced media - which is sadly & unjustly lacking in the Riverina - especially with such a hopelessly biased, activist public broadcaster - needs to properly inform the community in a detailed & timely manner.

It is completely illogical to inflict yet another inappropriate, obnoxious proposal midst the Wagga Wagga community - burdening us & our visitors with excessive & ever increasing noise & vibration disturbance from longer, heavier, more frequent trains & severe, prolonged, dangerous traffic disruption.
The EIS fails to properly outline effective mitigation plans - probably because they are impossible anyway! Truthful, accurate revelations are needed.
From past experience, mitigation claims are a proven failure with Wagga's RE nightmare & essential, basic conditions never being met.
This EIS gives no reassurance whatsoever that there would ever be any noise, vibration or frustrating roadblock relief at all for impacted residents, school communities & travellers.

The forced traffic delays & consequential banking up has not been taken into account from the reduced speed of the trains as they negotiate the city route. This will have a significant impact on emergency services & the lives of those in need of a far swifter trip to the hospital.

The increased length, weight & frequency of the Inland Rail trains will compromise the stability of the old Bomen to Murrumbidgee River viaduct which will not have the strength to endure & safely bare the vastly increased load stress.

Upgrading of the Edmondson Bridge will cause extreme traffic flow problems with usual commuters forced to find alternate rail crossing for at least 9 months & with almost 2,000 local residents detrimentally impacted as well as South Wagga Public School, Kildare Catholic School & Wagga Wagga High School.
These harmful changes will have unacceptable health & safety outcomes for pedestrians - including the elderly & numerous school children daily - with the ramp from the Edward St intersection steepening substantially.

The ongoing, excessive noise & vibration from construction & repetitive train operations will also have severe & distressing impacts on the local residents & school community which is completely unjust when logical, far superior alternatives for the Inland Rail route are available.
Even the very leaders who have foolishly used their political influence to pressure for this Wagga route are now back peddling given the clear stupidity of this disruptive & harmful decision for the whole Wagga Wagga community's health & safety.

In the best interests of Australia, for future generations, positive growth of Wagga Wagga & for sensible traffic management, this route must not be approved.

Level crossings have to be replaced by over passes.

The Inland rail and Wagga’s Special Activation Precinct are positive, innovative and exciting projects which will help Wagga grow as a regional city.

The current level crossings cause congestion and are an example of 19th Century planning. In 2022 we can do better. Build overpasses. Let the traffic flow and people be safe. Make the aim to have trains pass with little or no interruption to the towns and cities.

Build overpasses. Victoria has done it NSW can too.

I object to the Illabo albury train line upgrade. We appreciate what the government is trying to improve transport volume by train, however as a householder whose house is within 100m of the trainline, I am concerned about the lack of information from the parties concerned in regards to noise emissions and more importantly as a land owner damage caused by ground movement if the amount and weight of the trains is increased. What protection and what rights do we have for possible damage to our property if it goes ahead.
A solution would be to bypass Wagga, as the train line goes through the heart of the city and it’s ludicrous and impractical that has been proposed when it affects so many people.

Hi guys,

In reference to the Albury to Illabo Inland Rail I would like to protest. I understand and appreciate the intention and vision behind the project, but as someone who lives near the railway in wagga I can honestly say you must have all never been here, as it is bad enough as it currently functions. It is pure folly and reeks of hubris to think Wagga is capable of having this line run through town. With the current load our railway experiences, there are frequent issues with traffic banking up along roads and personal experiences with interrupted sleep and daytime activities due to noise and rattling ground. Wagga as a town suffers enough, and I do believe adding more to the railway line will only be a disservice to both what the railway needs and the town as a whole. If you are going to bother doing something of this magnitude, you are better off going the whole hog and bypassing town. Just like previous Prime Minister Tony Abbot's short cuts with the NBN, this will suffer the same perception as honestly, someone has not thought this through well enough, or even visited Wagga for longer than a day. You may think this will improve our railway system and provide something of some benefit to Wagga but I completely disagree, and I know many who disagree with me. You have also made protesting this beyond a reasonable amount of difficult, as your website is truly only focused on letting technologically savvy people through, and counting on the lower socio-economic, the elderly, the busy, and frankly the majority of Wagga's population not having the energy to figure out voice their say.

The Inland Rail Project - Albury to Illabo will be of benefit to the district, but I feel that the current proposed route through the centre of the City of Wagga Wagga may not be beneficial to the lifestyle & future growth of the City.
We need to take into account that while the current proposed work is being implemented it will make it extremely difficult to commute from the two sides of the city that will be divided by the railway works taking place. It will have an impact on emergency services, schools, commute times for workers & disruption to residences near the work zones.
Traffic will be redirected to routes that are already extremely busy resulting in further traffic congestion in these areas.
With future increases in the size, length & frequency of trains through the centre of the City this will have an impact on the residents of the City, especially those along the railway corridor.
Does this also result in increased noise and vibration along the railway corridor through the City of Wagga Wagga?
Will this change the way our city develops in the future?
Could an alternative plan be investigated that will address all areas of concern raised from the current Inland Rail - Albury to Illabo plan

I object to the Albury to Illabo train-line upgrading. As someone who lives in a residence that is within 100 meters of the train-line I am quite concerned about the lack of information from the people and parties concerned in regards to noise emissions and more importantly the ground movements that will result from larger and heavier trains coming through more frequently. Quite frankly, the noise and vibrations that we already experience from the current trains is incredibly noticeable and as someone who has family who has houses and businesses in the area I am quite concerned about the damage that follows from such movement to the structures of the buildings in the area, many of which are heritage.

Whoever came up with the idea to run this train line through the middle of Wagga quite obviously has not been to Wagga. Even without the problems of noise and ground movement it would just be a massive eyesore and impeding the traffic flow of very busy streets.

In all honestly, to even be able to put in a submission has proved to be quite a difficult task - information has been scarce and the process is not easily accessible - it is almost like it has been made too hard on purpose so no-one can put in a submission.