The eye-popping cost of a train fare to Sydney Airport is set to remain, despite a NSW parliamentary inquiry finding the high charge adds to road congestion and unfairly penalises workers and families.
The government has rejected calls by a cross-bench committee to lower the cost of a train trip to the airport for families, groups and airport staff.
Passengers alighting at the privately run airport stations pay a $12.60 "station access fee" on top of the normal fare. It means an adult return peak ticket from Parramatta to the international terminal costs $35.60. Without the fee, it would cost $10.40.
About 150,000 people travel to the airport each day. Just 15 per cent of trips are made by train – an extremely low figure by international standards.
By 2016, the government is set to receive about $50 million annually in fee revenue generated by Airport Link Company, the operator of the airport stations.
The upper house inquiry, dominated by government and conservative MPs, found that airport staff – many of them low-paid – were worst hit by the station charges. While the fee is capped at $21 a week, it still equates to an extra $1092 a year.
The inquiry called on the government to consider discounting the fee for airport workers, families and groups of three or more.
It said removing the station access fee would reduce traffic congestion around the airport and "provides the greatest direct benefit to the public". It would also cost the government about $600 million over 30 years.
The inquiry wanted more direct bus services to the airport, including a "rapid" route from Bankstown. This would require removing a contract provision enabling Airport Link Company to be compensated if rival public transport services are established.
The report said government revenue from the fares should be deposited in a new fund and reinvested "transparently" into the transport system. It also called for the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal to be involved in setting station fees.
The government rejected most recommendations. It said additional bus rotes could not be established until bus station facilities were built at the airport and revenue from station fees was already accounted for in budget forward estimates.
Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian said the government had increased the number of airport trains and removing the station access fee "would cost hundreds of millions of dollars".
"It would take a lot of convincing for me to divert this money away from other important public transport services across the state," she said.
Tourism and Transport Forum acting chief executive Trent Zimmerman said it was "very disappointed" by the government's response.
"We desperately need to encourage more people to use public transport if we are to reduce traffic congestion around the airport, but the cost of the train is a real turn-off," he said.
Greens MP Mehreen Faruqi said the response "further confirms [the government's] outdated and ill-conceived approach to transport planning in our city".
