Thank you Greg Raffin ( Opinion "Wauchope Gazette" April 4) for reminding us how long it has been since our political masters promised a bypass of High Street Wauchope.
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There is however a pre-requisite for such a bypass and that is an overpass of the North Coast Railway line. Although regional services have been grossly neglected, there is a bright future for a frequent, 200km/hour passenger rail service along the north coast.
Melinda Pavey M.L.A. could support the Wauchope community in three positive ways here. Firstly, she needs to ensure that the train controllers in Broadmeadow don't set the road for the morning XPT to Sydney until the train driver calls for it. This will reduce the traffic congestion throughout the town.
Secondly she can actively campaign for the necessary overpass to maintain traffic flows on the increasingly busy Oxley highway.
Thirdly she needs to see monies allocated for track straightening, track deviations, track duplication and track electrification, as well as the purchase of a fleet of higher speed modern trains.
Without the overpass, local traffic and bypass traffic will be stopped by every passenger and freight train running through Wauchope. Trains entering or leaving the loop line extend waiting time at the level crossing for motorists because the trains are crossing points. This means further delay and further frustration.
The time for putting the bypass in the'too hard' or 'too expensive' basket has elapsed. It's time for joint action on the overpass and the bypass.
Geoff Richardson, Byabarra
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