Transport for NSW
 | |
| Statutory authority overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 November 2011 |
| Preceding agencies | |
| Type | Statutory authority |
| Jurisdiction | New South Wales |
| Ministers responsible | |
| Statutory authority executive |
|
| Parent Statutory authority | New South Wales Department of Transport |
| Key document |
|
| Website | www.transport.nsw.gov.au |
Transport for NSW, sometimes abbreviated to TfNSW, and pronounced as Transport for New South Wales, is a statutory authority of the New South Wales Government that was created on 1 November 2011 to manage the transport services in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is the leading transport agency of the state. The authority is a separate entity from the New South Wales Department of Transport, the ultimate parent entity of Transport for NSW[1]
The chief executive officer, called Secretary, for the agency is Rodd Staples.[2] The authority reports to the New South Wales Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, presently Andrew Constance and the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, presently Melinda Pavey.[3] Ultimately the ministers are responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.
Contents
History[edit]
Creation[edit]
Prior to April 2011, the main transport department/agency/ministry in New South Wales had multiple names during the Labor government. The names were:[4][5]
- Transport Co-Ordination Authority (March - July 2003)
- Ministry of Transport (July 2003 - July 2009)
- Department of Transport and Infrastructure (July 2009 - July 2010); and
- Transport NSW (July 2010 - April 2011)
After winning the 2011 state election, the new Liberal government under Barry O'Farrell renamed the department to Department of Transport.[6] Later that year, in November 2011, the Transport for NSW was formed and subsumed the Transport Construction Authority and the Country Rail Infrastructure Authority, and plans and coordinates the functions of RailCorp, the State Transit Authority and Roads & Maritime Services.[7] These functions were transferred from the Department of Transport upon creation of Transport for NSW, but the Department of Transport still exists as of July 2017, as the ultimate parent entity of Transport for NSW and its entitles or divisions.[8][9] Transport for NSW also absorbed the functions, assets and/or liabilities of Sydney Metro Authority, Public Transport Ticketing Corporation as well as some functions from the NSW Department of Planning & Infrastructure.[10]
The entities that were under Transport for NSW upon its creation, as underlined in the Transport Legislation Amendment Act 2011, were:[11]
- Roads and Maritime Services
- Sydney Ferries
- State Transit Authority
- Rail Corporation of New South Wales (RailCorp)
Sydney Ferries[edit]
Transport for NSW contracted the Sydney ferry services to Harbour City Ferries in 2011, who started operations in 2012. Transport for NSW continues to own the ferry fleet and the Balmain shipyard through its division "Sydney Ferries".[10] This division is not to be confused with the branding of ferries in Sydney, which also uses the brand "Sydney Ferries".
Purchase of Sydney Light Rail and Sydney Monorail[edit]
Transport for NSW established the "MTS Holding Company" on 12 March 2012, and through the holding company, purchased Metro Transport Sydney, the owner of the Sydney Light Rail and the Sydney Monorail, on 23 March 2012 for $19.8 million.[10] The company, light rail and the monorail also became under control of Transport for NSW and the government.[12] The Sydney Monorail was closed down on 1 July 2013, and on the same day, the Metro Light Rail brand was phased out as part of a broader rebranding and reorganisation of public transport services in New South Wales.[13] The light rail also became under direct ownership of Transport for NSW.[14][15] The process of shutting down Metro Transport Sydney and transferring assets to Transport for NSW was completed in September 2014 with the deregistration of MTS Holding Company.[16][17]
Creation of Sydney Trains and NSW Trains[edit]
Operation and maintenance functions of RailCorp were passed on to two newly-formed government agencies, Sydney Trains and NSW Trains in July 2013. These agencies are under Transport for NSW and are not a subsidiary of RailCorp. The suburban services of CityRail (part of RailCorp) were transferred to Sydney Trains, while CountryLink (also part of RailCorp) and the intercity services of CityRail were passed on to NSW Trains, trading as NSW TrainLink. RailCorp continues to exist as the railway asset owner, but it will be converted into a state-owned corporation and will be renamed to "Transport Asset Holding Entity" (TAHE) on 1 July 2019, due to the passing of the Transport Administration Amendment (Transport Entities) Act 2017 in April 2017.[18][19][20]
Purpose[edit]
The authority develops regulations, policies and legislation to ensure that transport is delivered to a high standard, meets community needs, protects assets and public money, minimises environmental impact, and ensures the community is safe. The authority manages an annual multibillion-dollar transport budget and in partnership with the transport operating agencies manages more than A$106 billion in property, plant and equipment assets. Funding is provided for bus, rail, light rail, roads, ferry and community transport services and related infrastructure. The authority also funds concession schemes such as the School Student Transport Scheme, the Private Vehicle Conveyance Scheme and the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme.[1]
Organisational structure[edit]
The authority was created as an integrated transport authority with six divisions, each headed by a deputy director general:[21]
- Customer experience – to ensure journeys are as simple and seamless as possible;
- Planning and programs – to consolidate planning for all modes and develop a comprehensive transport masterplan;
- Transport services – to ensure transport services cost-effectively meet the current and future needs of customers;
- Transport projects – to manage major projects;
- Freight and regional development – to coordinate freight services and facilities, with particular focus on regional NSW; and
- Policy and regulation – to develop and oversight policies and laws pertaining to transport across the state
Divisions[edit]
The NSW Department of Transport comprises all the following entities:[22]
- Transport Service of New South Wales
- Transport for NSW and its divisions
Transport Service of NSW is an agency created in November 2011, in charge of employing staff for Transport for NSW, which cannot directly employ staff, to undertake its functions. The Transport Service also directly employs staff for Roads and Maritime Services (RMS), State Transit Authority (STA), as well as senior executives of Sydney Trains and NSW Trains.[23]
The divisions of Transport for NSW (as of July 2018) are:[9]
- Roads and Maritime Services (RMS)
- Sydney Ferries
- State Transit Authority (STA)
- Rail Corporation of New South Wales (RailCorp) - to be renamed Transport Asset Holding Entity (TAHE) in July 2019
- Sydney Trains
- NSW Trains
- Residual Transport Corporation (RTC) - newly created in July 2017
- Sydney Metro authority - newly created in July 2018[24]
Out of these, RMS, STA, Sydney Trains and NSW Trains are also government transport agencies.[25]
Departmental leadership[edit]
There have been four departmental leaders of Transport for New South Wales since 2011:
| Name | Title | Term start | Term end | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Les Wielinga | Director-General | 20 April 2011 | 24 September 2013 | 2 years, 157 days | [26][27] |
| Dave Stewart | 17 October 2013 | 16 February 2015 | 1 year, 122 days | [28][29] | |
| Tim Reardon | Secretary | 1 July 2015 | 10 November 2017 | 2 years, 132 days | [30][31] |
| Rodd Staples | 18 November 2017 | incumbent | 334 days | [32][31][33] |
Public transport services[edit]
Transport for NSW directly manages most train, bus, ferry and light rail services in New South Wales. The authority manages the route design, timetabling and branding of these services and also provides passenger information via printed material, a telephone service and a website.[34] Operation of the services is contracted out to a mixture of other government-owned organisations and private enterprise.[35]
Transport for NSW public transport services are simply branded Transport. The following sub-brands are used depending on the type of service:
- Sydney Trains - suburban train services in Sydney
- Sydney Metro - forthcoming rapid transit services in Sydney
- Sydney Ferries - ferry services in Sydney
- Newcastle Transport - bus, ferry and forthcoming light rail services in Newcastle
- NSW TrainLink - medium and long distance train and coach services throughout the state and extending into neighbouring states and territories
- "Buses" - bus services in Greater Sydney, including buses in Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong
- "Light Rail" - light rail services in Sydney
Passengers made 676 million public transport journeys in the 2015-16 financial year.[36] Patronage on the Sydney rail network increased during this period–customer patronage grew by 10.5 per cent, while intercity patronage grew by 11 per cent.[37][38]
Transport Info[edit]
Transport for NSW provides a trip planner and transport service information on its customer service website, www.transportnsw.info, and via its 24-hour information line, 131500.[34] These services, outsourced to Serco since July 2010, were previously known as the Transport InfoLine or simply 131500.[39] A parallel Teletype service for hearing and speech impaired passengers is available on 1800 637 500.
Infrastructure[edit]
Current projects[edit]
| Project | Mode | Completion Date |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney Metro Northwest | Rapid transit | 2019 |
| CBD and South East Light Rail | Light rail | 2020 |
| Newcastle Light Rail | Light rail | 2019 |
| Parramatta Light Rail | Light rail | 2023 (stage 1) |
| Sydney Metro City & Southwest | Rapid transit | 2024 |
| Sydney Metro West | Rapid transit | Second half of the 2020s |
| North-South Link (stage 1) | Rapid transit (likely) | Western Sydney Airport opening (2026) |
| Automatic Train Protection Systems / Digital Train Radio Systems | Commuter rail | (ongoing) |
| Transport Access Program | Public transport interchange | (ongoing) |
Completed projects[edit]
| Project | Mode | Completed |
|---|---|---|
| Kingsgrove to Revesby quadruplication (Rail Clearways Program) | Suburban rail | April 2013 |
| Liverpool Turnback (Rail Clearways Program) | Suburban rail | January 2014 |
| Lilyfield - Dulwich Hill Light Rail Extension | Light Rail | March 2014 |
| Monorail Removal Project | Monorail | April 2014 |
| Auburn stabling sidings | Suburban rail | September 2014 |
| Opal Card rollout | Electronic Ticketing | December 2014 |
| South West Rail Link | Suburban rail | February 2015 |
| Gosford passing loops (Northern Sydney Freight Corridor Program) | Freight rail | February 2015 |
| North Strathfield underpass (Northern Sydney Freight Corridor Program) | Freight rail | June 2015 |
| Epping to Thornleigh triplication (Northern Sydney Freight Corridor Program) | Freight rail | June 2016 |
| Wynyard Walk | Pedestrian | September 2016[40] |
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Annual Report for the Department of Transport" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
- ^ "Officials Committee".
- ^ "The Cabinet". Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
- ^ Department of Transport and Infrastructure (2009-2010) Transport NSW (2010-2011) Department of Transport [III] (2011- ) corporateBody, NSW State Archives & Records, Retrieved 16 January 2018
- ^ Transport Co-ordination Authority, NSW State Archives & Records, Retrieved 16 January 2018
- ^ Public Sector Employment and Management (Departments) Order 2011 Part 9 Section 44 page 26, Legislation NSW, Retrieved 16 January 2018
- ^ Saulwick, J. (16 July 2011). "Synchronised timetables for travellers-but not yet". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Governance Arrangements Chart from 20 July 2017, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, Retrieved 16 January 2018
- ^ a b Transport for NSW 2016-17 Annual Report page 237, Transport for NSW, Retrieved 18 January 2018
- ^ a b c "NSW Auditor-General's Report to Parliament (Volume Eight 2012)". NSW Auditor-General. 2012. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ Transport Legislation Amendment Act 2011 No 41 Part 1A Section 3G(1) page 8, Legislation NSW, Retrieved 16 January 2018
- ^ Cosgriff, Stuart; Griffiths, Emily (5 July 2012). "Light rail strategy for Sydney". Clayton Utz Insights. Clayton Utz. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- ^ Saulwick, Jacob (18 April 2013). "All together now: Sydney's public transport united under one 'brand'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ Transport Legislation Amendment Bill 2011 Parliament of New South Wales 13 September 2011
- ^ "Notice of Proposed Deregistration - Voluntary". ASIC. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
- ^ "Transport for NSW 2013/14 Annual Report" (PDF). Transport for NSW. pp. 329, 344. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^ "MTS HOLDING COMPANY PTY LIMITED". ASIC. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- ^ Transport for NSW Annual Report 2016-17 page 142,237, Transport for NSW, Retrieved 18 January 2018
- ^ Transport Administration Amendment (Transport Entities) Act 2017 No 12 Schedule 2, Australasian Legal Information Institute, Retrieved 16 January 2018
- ^ RailCorp, Transport for NSW, Retrieved 16 January 2018
- ^ Berejiklian, Gladys; Gay, Duncan (15 July 2011). "RTA abolished as Transport for NSW takes shape" (PDF) (Press release). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
- ^ Transport for NSW 2016-17 Annual Report page 142, Transport for NSW, Retrieved 18 January 2018
- ^ Transport for NSW 2016-17 Annual Report page 124, Transport for NSW, Retrieved 18 January 2018
- ^ "New transport era as Sydney Metro authority comes into effect". 5 July 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ Our Organisation, Transport for NSW, Retrieved 3 February 2018
- ^ Saulwick, Jacob; Smith, Alexandra (20 April 2011). "Transport shake-up aims to give service back to the people". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ Saulwick, Jacob (26 June 2013). "Les Wielinga retires as head of state transport". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ O'Farrell, Barry (17 October 2013). "Premier announces David Stewart as new Transport for NSW Director General" (Press release). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ Saulwick, Jacob (16 February 2015). "Transport for NSW director-general Dave Stewart quits after a year in the job". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ Bajkowski, Julian (30 June 2015). "Baird plunders Canberra's digital talent". Government News. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
- ^ a b Bajkowski, Julian (10 November 2017). "NSW chief Blair Comley leaves top job as Transport's Tim Reardon ascends". The Mandarin. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ "Appointment of new Secretary for Transport". Transport for NSW. 21 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ Saulwick, Jacob (21 December 2017). "Sydney's metro rail chief takes top job at Transport for NSW". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ a b "About transportnsw.info". transportnsw.info. Transport for NSW. Archived from the original on 29 June 2015. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
- ^ "The Transport Cluster". Transport for NSW. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ "Transport for NSW 2015-16 Annual Report Volume 1" (PDF). Transport for NSW. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
- ^ "Annual Report (Sydney Trains)" (PDF). Transport for New South Wales. 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ^ "Annual Report (NSW Trains)" (PDF). Transport for New South Wales. 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
- ^ Integrated Transport and Information Services Archived 1 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Serco Asia Pacific
- ^ "Wynyard Walk is the ultimate shortcut to Barangaroo" (Press release). Barangaroo Delivery Authority. 20 September 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
