NSW TrainsLink has maintained that its preferred operating method of the new fleet involves a driver and an “on board customer focused role outside the suburban network”, those stations west of Penrith, north of Hornsby and south of Waterfall.  

Cr Cassandra Coleman moved a motion on September 24 urging that the council write to Mr Toole expressing the community’s concerns on the issue, including potential risks to safety and potential job losses. 

“It has been brought to my attention that there are potentially 24 train guards based at Lithgow and 23 at Mount Victoria; the majority of these people live in the Lithgow LGA,” she stated in the motion. 

“Loss of their jobs would impact severely upon our community and local economy.”

Cr Steve Ring moved an amendment seeking clarification from the local member instead, as well as advising him of council’s concerns for safety if guards were removed from the service. 

“We’ve got nothing concrete on their decision, we’ve got newspaper reports, we need clarity on it,” he said. 

“I’m focusing on the inner city rail as opposed to what’s on the urban network in the city itself and I would like clarity on that.”

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Cr Wayne McAndrew supported Cr Coleman’s original motion. 

“If Cr Coleman is right and we simply ask for a response and then it is put in place, we are left chasing our tail trying to do anything about it so probably it’s appropriate to be on the offensive instead of defensive after the event,” he said. 

Cr Stephen Lesslie moved the debate into broader issues around the future of the passenger trains to the Blue Mountains. 

“They’re just trying to get past the next election, then they will announce it, so we need to get it done now, we need to keep hammering the point,” he said. 

“This is one of the plans they’re putting in place so that trains will stop at Mount Victoria. There’s no question about it – they're not going to widen these tunnels. They bought these trains from South Korea and they knew full well they didn’t work…

“Without trains coming to Lithgow, Lithgow is done.”

Bathurst MP Paul Toole has previously committed to providing passenger trains to Lithgow into the future. 

“[Minister for Transport] Andrew Constance made reference to the work that would be carried out on the tunnels and the fact that Lithgow would be getting new trains,” Mr Toole said during a visit by the minister to Bathurst earlier this year, at which he announced funding for design works for the Bells Line of Road and the Great Western Highway. 

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