After years of community campaigning, the long-awaited Newtown Railway Station upgrade is completed and, on November 5, Newtown Neighbourhood Centre organised a community celebration to mark the occasion. A small but enthusiastic group of locals gathered at the station with balloons held aloft.
Ann-Mason Furmage, president of the Physical Disability Council of NSW, said: “I’m so delighted that the station is finally accessible. It’s just so important to me that I can travel around just like everybody. I’m just an ordinary person and I’d like to be able to travel like any other ordinary person.” Instead of a $30 cab fare to the city or a $60 fare to Parramatta, the Enmore resident will now be able to use a normal $2.50 concession ticket to travel by train to either destination.
Also in attendance was local State Member Carmel Tebbutt. “I pay tribute to Lisa Burns and the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre for the role they played in lobbying to have this very busy station upgraded,” Ms Tebbutt said.