Opal card now active on all Sydney Trains lines - NSW TrainLink by the end of next week but not ETA for Concession or Students cards

Opal Card certainly has been successful in its rollout, with the new ticketing system now available and operational on all Sydney Ferry routes and all Sydney Trains suburban lines, with NSW Trainlink availability to become fully operational by the end of next week (11 April 2014). However one question yet remains to be answered - when will concession card holders and students get their own cards?

Now whilst most people might see this as a petty move, it actually isn't. For example, since October last year, the Sydney Trains, NSW TrainLink, Transport for NSW and the Transport Minister, Gladys Berijiklian announced that anyone needing to get concessional fares from the stations ticket windows after 9am, on weekends and public holidays, this caused major frustration and anger within the disability community, as this would make things a little more harder for people with disabilities.

For example, someone in a wheelchair, walker, or using walking sticks has to travel from Blacktown to Richmond or to Cambelltown cannot get a ticket from the Richmond line concourse, they need to head over to the main concourse to get their ticket, then travel all the way back to Richmond Line concourse to get on their services.

Now whilst Blacktown is only one "minor" case according to the Transport for NSW, there are similar issues at NSW TrainLink Stations such at Tuggerah, Wyong, Morisset on the Newcastle & Central Coast line, Mt Victoria on the Blue Mountains Line, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Bowral, Bundanoon on the Southern Highlands Line with Dapto, Albion Park, Dunmore, & Thirroul on the South Coast/Illawarra Line having similar issues.


Transport for All NSW has sought comment from TfNSW and the Transport Ministers office along with Cubic who run the Opal Card system on behalf of the NSW Government and we are so far still awaiting to hear or be given a reply in regards to this matter.

Inner-west light rail extension issue

With the inner west light rail extension currently being built in preparation for it's opening in early 2014 (the current NSW Liberal/National Government have not given a firm date/month as of yet), which is a boost for people with disabilities within the area who currently only have access to wheelchair accessible bus services operated by Sydney Buses, it would seem that if you require to go to Dulwich Hill Interchange to catch a train service to either Bankstown, Liverpool, Sydenham or beyond, then your in for a very rude shock.

It would seem that whilst the interchange tram stop at Dulwich Hill will in fact be wheelchair accessible with a lift and ramps, it would seem the current CityRail (soon to be Sydney Trains) Station will not be getting an upgrade to become wheelchair accessible if the artist impression is to go by:

It would seem there is actually nothing stating if the train station would be made accessible anytime within the next five years or so, yet the next station down the road, Marrickville station, is currently earmarked for an upgrade and early preparation/consultation analysis is being undertaken.

Given that the current Transport Minister, Gladys Berjiklian has stated on numerous times, she and her so called team at Transport for NSW (TfNSW) are fixing the backlog of projects and have undertaken and will ensure the delivery of the inner-west light rail project will be delivered without any real additional concerns nor issues such as this, as they were ensuring they got it right the first time, you only have to ask yourself this - who is she trying to kid?

Surely this is an oversight that can be easily corrected immediately with works also being looked into for an upgrade of Dulwich Hill Station, to make it too accessible to all?

TfANSW will be putting the issue to the Minster for comment and will advise via this blog and our Facebook/Twitter/Google+ pages of the outcome when it comes to us immediately.