Transport for NSW claims rail underpass talks continue

The State Government department responsible for progressing the Woy Woy rail underpass, Transport for NSW, has claimed it is continuing to liaise with Gosford Council.

No progress has been made on the $36 million second stage of the project in six months, and Gosford Council claims the department has not responded to it letters.

However, the transport department has claimed in a statement to Peninsula News that it was continuing to liaise with Gosford Council on the next steps in the Rawson Rd level crossing replacement project at Woy Woy.

The statement said that the NSW Government had committed $45 million over five years as a special grant to Gosford Council for the upgrade of Woy Woy Rd and a new rail underpass at Bulls Hill.

The objective of those works was to close the existing Woy Woy rail level crossing.

"A further $7 million was then committed in February 2015, bringing the government's total contribution to $52 million.

"Transport for NSW is continuing to liaise with Gosford Council on the next steps," the statement said.

The statement was issued on Sunday, March 20 in response to questions sent by Peninsula News on Wednesday, March 16.

The statement did not address questions about which parts of stage two of the Rawson Railway Level Crossing Replacement Project were the responsibility of Transport for NSW.

It did not respond to a request for specific and detailed information about the designs and costings it had been working on for the rail bridge that would be required for the level crossing to be closed.

It did not say when those designs and costings would be finalised.

It did not answer questions about when it expected work on stage two of the project to commence or be completed.

Member for Gosford Ms Kathy Smith said: "Unfortunately the NSW Baird Government is keeping its options and plans for the long-awaited underpass close to its chest.

"The Peninsula community deserves to know what is happening with this project," Ms Smith said.

"We hear of the unexplained cost blow-out for the work but we won't accept this as an excuse to cancel the project.

"I will certainly be continuing to push for answers from the Minister and Mr Scott MacDonald, the Parliamentary Secretary, until we get them to stop ignoring us," she said.

Media statement, 20 Mar 2016

Transport for NSW

Email, 21 Mar 2016

Kathy Smith, Member for Gosford