More Buses for Wallsend under Revamped Timetable

BY JESSICA ROUSE

From January next year, there will be double the number of bus services operating out of Wallsend.

Keolis Downer has announced a more frequent route will operate between Wallsend and the city with better connections to Broadmeadow Station and Merewether Beach.

"We've certainly sought to maintain the geographic coverage and we have a number of frequent services with an extension attached to them so, for example, the frequent service that goes to Wallsend every 15 minutes throughout the day, every second service will go on to Maryland," said Keolis Downer CEO Campbell Mason.

In addition, the frequent service that goes to Charlestown every 15 minutes, every second one will go down to Belmont.

The core route will operate until midnight on weeknights and night owl services will run every hour on Friday and Saturday nights until 3am.

The new timetables come into effect on January 14, 2018.

Bus route map: http://newcastletransport.info/uploads/files/NT-NetworkMap-20171130a.pdf

Facelift for Broadmeadow Station

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Broadmeadow Train Station has undergone a massive facelift worth $18.5 million.

As part of the Transport Access Program, the station now has three new lifts, improved access from Brown and Graham Roads, more protection from the weather and upgraded security features.

This is the first upgrade to the station in more than 40 years and Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald says it's a great, and much needed, improvement.

"If you were here a year ago it was dark, it was gloomy, there wasn't much weather protection, it didn't feel friendly but look all credit to these guys its bright, it's airy, there's a lot more CCTV, the signage is so much better, it's a 100 per improvement and I think they should be really proud and the community will really take a lot of heart in these upgrades."

The underpass has also undergone a lively transformation with a bright new piece of public art which celebrates local history with the quote 'We've built many things along the way, the path we're on now leads to even more'.

The upgraded security is of particular interest and has made for a much safer train station for the public.

"There wouldn't be many blindspots I can imagine, I think they've done a terrific job and if that gives people confidence and deters a little bit of antisocial behaviour that's wonderful but this is the standard that you see now and it is getting higher and higher all the time," said Scot MacDonald.