THE state government is promising to install lifts and build a multi-storey car park at Tuggerah train station, if re-elected in the March poll.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tuggerah would be one of five stations on the Central Coast to get accessibility upgrades, the government said.
Two levels and about 220 more parking spaces would be added to the existing Tuggerah station commuter car park, increasing its capacity to about 350 car spaces.
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance revealed Ourimbah, Lisarow, Niagara Park and Narara train stations would also have lifts installled.
The announcement comes after design plans for lifts and an upgrade at Wyee Station were approved this week, and works scheduled to start in March.
“We are delivering lifts and commuter car parks as part of access upgrades statewide and I’m pleased customers at Tuggerah will benefit from both,” Mr Constance said.
“Installing lifts at all of these Central Coast train stations will benefit our less mobile customers, including those with a disability, limited mobility, and parents with prams.
“Labor was only doing two access upgrades a year and it would have taken 90 years to upgrade all stations. Since 2011, our government has committed over $2 billion to the Transport Access Program, with more than 450 projects completed or under way.”
Shadow Minister for the Central Coast David Harris welcomed the commitment to install the Tuggerah station lifts, but said it came eight years after the Liberal state government first cancelled the project under then Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian.
Mr Harris said Mr Constance had repeatedly denied in writing that the lifts were necessary.
“The Liberals have a terrible record on this project,” Mr Harris said.
He said the minister had misled locals on multiple occasions about why the project couldn’t be funded.
“It’s good to see the minister finally bend to pressure but it really shouldn’t have taken this long.”