THE state government has still not explained how it plans to incorporate trains from the north west rail link into the rest of the network, in the wake of criticism of the line by the federal infrastructure adviser.

Infrastructure Australia, the federal government's adviser, wrote to the state government two months ago questioning whether it was worth spending $8.5 billion on the line to Sydney's north west suburbs, and lamenting a lack of detail about the plan.

The criticism, released yesterday by the state government, mirrors arguments made internally by Barry O'Farrell's advisory body, Infrastructure NSW. The chief executive of Infrastructure Australia, Michael Deegan, said he was not convinced the long-promised rail link to Rouse Hill was the top transport priority, and it was based on little economic analysis.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/infrastructure-chief-blasts-lack-of-detail-over-85b-rail-link-20120507-1y91d.html#ixzz1uFk8ewME

 

THE Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, is refusing to release a consultant's report into the future of RailCorp, after her department spent $6.5 million on it.

The Booz & Company report, commissioned in December and written over 3½ months, is understood to recommend deeper cuts to staff numbers than the government announced yesterday.

But the report will remain under lock and key, as will several other inputs the government has commissioned to help produce a new transport master plan.

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Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/minister-refuses-to-reveal-the-full-report-20120515-1yp38.html#ixzz1v180gtzw