A PETITION to keep Wauchope train station staffed is gathering signatures fast.
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The NSW Liberal/National Party coalition government is undertaking a review of TrainLink staff and cuts are proposed for regional stations particularly at night and on the weekend.
The Port Macquarie Branch of Country Labor has drawn up a petition to keep the staff on at Wauchope Train Station in order to meet every train, including the night trains.
"Station staff are important, as some of the biggest train users are pensioners who need help boarding or with luggage when getting on or off the train. Luggage cannot be booked through, if there are no station staff when a train arrives at that station," says Colleen Carmody of Country Labor.
"This service is well used by anyone who is infirm or has a disability, and the friendly service of the Wauchope staff needs a special mention.
"All night train users benefit from having a staff member at the station for security reasons. A CCTV camera does not provide security, merely a record of what has happened.
"A staff member is needed to assist in any event of assault and to call the police. Unfortunately the station doesn't have a phone.
"We're calling on people to support the station staff and we want our local members to raise this issue in Parliament."
Oxley MP Melinda Pavey of the National Party has visited the stations affected, and spoken to staff about the proposed changes.
"I have spoken directly with Rob Mason, chief executive of NSW Trainlink, and raised the community's concerns," she says.
The petition can be signed in shops and businesses around the town and at the front desk of the Wauchope Gazette.