A TRIAL bus run between Wodonga and Wagga began quietly this week with a peak of just 12 passengers on one service on the opening day.
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The NSW TrainLink operation began on Monday with day-return journeys in each direction involving a 43-seat coach.
The Wagga to Wodonga morning service on Monday drew 12 passengers, with the three others on the opening day attracting four, seven and nine travellers.
On Tuesday, when Fairfax Media greeted the morning service from Wagga in Albury there were two passengers aboard.
One, Junee’s Janella Evans, 17, had taken the bus from Wagga to meet her boyfriend who was riding up to Albury from Chiltern on the train.
She said it was more convenient to use the coach, rather than having to board the train in Wagga “at 2.30 in the morning”.
Member for Albury Greg Aplin said passengers needed to turnout and “two would certainly not constitute a viable service”.
“Make the most of the trial and prove the need exists and use it in the future,” he said.
“Its very existence will be predicated on people’s patronage so we do need people to take advantage of the fact they can book it.”
NSW TrainLink regional director Candice Heine noted a demand had been shown through a community survey which attracted 300 responses.
“NSW TrainLink will review the service throughout the trial period to see if improvements can be made and I encourage the community to get on board to make sure the coaches become a permanent fixture,” she said.
The trial is due to run for six months.
Wagga councillor Vanessa Keenan “commended” TrainLink for the bus trial but still wants a rail service between the cities.
“I hope the trial is a success and people utilise it, but even if it was at capacity I would be arguing that patronage is not enough to make that assessment of whether a regional rail service is suitable or not,” Cr Keenan said.
“It’s chalk and cheese – they’re two different services and meeting two different demographics.
“A bus doesn’t meet the needs of the majority of the community, it’s quite limiting for pensioners and those that need time to make the journey.”
Cr Keenan wants Border and Wagga councils to combine for a feasibility study into an intercity rail service.
