Last stop: Sydney's monorail to be scrapped

[Matilda]

The New South Wales Government has announced that it has bought Metro Transport Sydney (MTS), the company that owns the monorail and light rail, in a $19.8 million deal.

It is part of the plan to re-develop the Darling Harbour Convention Centre and precinct.

The Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian says the monorail is in the way and it will be removed as soon as possible.

She says it is not integrated with Sydney's wider public transport network and has never been embraced by the public.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-23/last-stop3a-sydney27s-monorail-to-be-scrapped/3908166


Thank God, Barry O'Farrell has made a good decision!

I've always hated the monorail - I'm sure it was built simply to put money into the pockets of Neville Wran's mates, who sat on boards of companies where he one day expected to have a seat.

It's an abomination, destroying the facades of some beautiful old buildings, going nowhere and achieving nothing useful. It can't come down fast enough as far as I'm concerned.

[PoliticAverse]

1. A monorail?...

[pink]

2. I remember when it was first built.

There was a lot of scandal around the idea but it was Laurie Brereton's baby, so it went ahead. I'm indifferent to whether they keep it or not. If they're going to tear it down, I wonder if it would be too outrageous an idea to reconstruct it somewhere else. Maybe somewhere in the outer suburbs where public transport hardly exists. Or maybe Bondi Juncion to Bondi Beach where the tourtists would take full advantage.

It seems a shame to scrap it altogether.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. NO!!! Not the monorail! How else will I do pointless laps that end at Darling Harbour?

I don't think Barry O'Farrell's thought this through properly and looked at it through the perspective of a tourist visiting Sydney.See, you get to Darling Harbour, you book into yr hotel, then you head for the monorail, purchase an overpriced day ticket, get annoyed coz every monorail that stops is packed with stupid tourists and there's no room to get on, get on, get off at the next stop, spend hours at Paddys Market, get annoyed again at the stupid tourists taking up all the room in the carriages, get off after a few stops and shop till you drop in the city, get back on and get off again at Harbourside, drop the shopping off. Rinse and repeat. It's fun!

RIP, monorail. You provided me with many hours of pointless laps around the city. I'll miss you!

[peakhillfm]

4. what a big pity....

How far would I be wrong in saying that the only reason that Mr.O'Farrell is dismantling the monorail is because the NSW Government is broke and they are having a fire sale.......
I was there when the monorail was being built,I have even ridden on it and sorry BUT I believe that as a tourist attraction it should remain there,BUT just cleaned up and updated,BUT B.O'F dosent want it and well I suppose that the end of it.
The Tasmanian Government has shown interest in it so at least it wont go to waste.
We heard that the Transport Minister has admitted that the 'public transport' in Sydney is crook and that they have alot of work to do to get it up to scratch.
I suggest that the whole ofthe Liberal Government come out to RURAL NSW and see how we live and how we get on with life and survive the best way we can.
This Lib Government will only get one term as B.O'F is onbly interested in metro Sydney and BUGGER the bush.
I actually sent an email to one of his ministers and they didnt even know where Lithgow was located,and they are MP's.Please give me strength.

[Matilda]

5. It's got more to do with redevelopment in Darling Harbour.

I don't know what's being planned, but the monorail is in the way, so the government bought out the company that owns it and will pull it down.

I really don't care, because I've always thought it was an eyesore - I hate the way it runs along the facades of some beautiful old buildings. We don't have much of a heritage here, but I think we should preserve what we do have.

[peakhillfm]

6. Wish we knew what he is thinking

Its a pity that he dosen't put as much thought into RURAL NSW as what he does in Metro Sydney.
Interesting question...where did he get the dollars to purchase it,when we are waiting for Dubbo Base hospital to be fixed up and also we are waiting for the Parkes Forbes Hospital to have the soil turned.He can find the dollars to do this,but of course BUGGER the bush.
Our roads out here are a mess,as is infrastructure,and also education is shot as well,BUT good old B.O'F can find the dollars to buy out the monorail.
Where is his priorities??????

[Matilda]

7. If he hadn't had such a huge win, he'd be more dependent on the Nationals' support.

But I guess he thinks that for the moment he can do whatever he wants. Just like Campbell Newman.

It may be a different story afte the next election, but there's a few years to go on that.

[Violet_Crumble]

8. Hobart warns Tuggeranong in monorail tilt

Canberra is being urged to join the scramble to buy Sydney's cast-off monorail.

But it's already being warned by Hobart to ''back off'' because the Tasmanian capital city got in first.

Hobart Deputy Lord Mayor Ron Christie reckons his answer to the NSW government is to ''put [the monorail] on eBay and we can all bid for it''.

''It's not worth anything to them. We're doing them a favour,'' he said.

But both Sustainable Development Minister Simon Corbell and ACT Light Rail chair Damien Haas have rejected the idea of acquiring the monorail, Mr Haas saying its carriages are too small and like ''sitting in a row of old Kombi vans''.

The Tuggeranong Community Council has formally called on the ACT Government to buy the monorail and erect it in Canberra as a public transport option.



Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/hobart-warns-tuggeranong-in-monorail-tilt-20120328-1vz3a.html#ixzz1qVW7BG2C