This week the federal government released its budget which has promised a whole heap of investments in tech initiatives like EV, NBN and quantum. But interestingly, it has also promised better internet for a handful of Aussies that commute on a particular Sydney train line.
If you are a Sydneysider and commute along the Hornsby and Wyong train line, congratulations you are getting better internet and mobile connectivity!
Deep in the third budget paper, Federal Financial Relations, the paper that tells us the tea on the Australian Government’s financial relations with state, territory and local governments, on page 90, there is a small mention of internet access on a specific Sydney train line.
It reads: “The Australian Government is providing funding for mobile and internet connectivity along the train route between Hornsby and Wyong.”
This specific train line is the Central Coast and Newcastle Line that starts from the northwest Sydney suburb of, you guessed it, Hornsby and finishes in Newcastle.
This internet connectivity promise was mentioned in the Infrastructure Investment Program section.
The Australian Government provides funding for road and rail infrastructure through the Infrastructure Investment Program under the National Partnership Agreement on Land Transport Infrastructure Projects.
But this isn’t really a new announcement, in fact, it has been a government promise for a while.
In 2018, the federal government revealed that it would establish continuous internet connectivity on station platforms and mobile coverage in trains and on station platforms for the train route between Hornsby and Wyong.
The project finished in June 2020, but the NSW government announced it would create a free NSW Wi-Fi trial for 19 stations between Hornsby and Wyong. This trial ran for 3 years at all 19 stations between Hornsby and Wyong. The trial has ended very recently, since 9am Sunday 22 April 2024.
But wait there’s more! In 2019, the then Liberal government, the NSW Government and Telstra announced a $29 million upgrade to the Hornsby to Wyong rail corridor through free Wi-Fi at train stations and better mobile connectivity.
The Hornsby to Wyong rail corridor winds through more than 68 kilometres of track, including several tunnels, hills and valleys creating mobile coverage black spots.
Once again, if you live or travel on this train route and are over your Instagram feed not loading, the government is making sure you get clear coverage ASAP.
Image: Google Maps/iStock