HUNTER residents may have to wait half a year to learn the fate of the Newcastle rail line, as a recommendation from a new State Government transport committee set up to consider a Wickham interchange isn't due until June 2010.
Costings for the work are to be provided to the Government by September.
Transport Minister David Campbell's office released broad terms of reference for the Transport Steering Committee to The Herald yesterday.
The committee, to be chaired by NSW Transport and Infrastructure, will also include officers from RailCorp, the Roads and Traffic Authority, the Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Planning Department, the Hunter Development Corporation and Newcastle City Council.
It will oversee a scoping study of the termination of the rail line, to be done by consultants reporting to RailCorp, and complete a "transport management and accessibility plan" that looks at all forms of public transport.
Premier Nathan Rees announced the scoping study in September, to properly cost a Wickham interchange, and was widely criticised when he announced last month the development of a new transport plan.
The terms of reference show that, subject to the outcome of the rail line study, the broader transport plan would take into account the cutting of the rail at Wickham and look at the resulting need to improve the city's bus system.
The plan would include detailed planning of sites for commuter car parks in key regional locations.
Recommendations on the rail line and the transport plan would be put to the Government by June 2010, with costs to follow by September.
Despite the official timeframe, sources said the Government had suggested the rail line findings could be known by March, when the General Property Trust Group expected an indication on the matter.
Hunter Minister Jodi McKay said yesterday that GPT had given no ultimatum and its executives were "aware of my commitment to advancing their project".
She was due to meet with the group again shortly.
Ms McKay said she continued to advocate for the assessments to be done quickly.
"I believe this study should be completed as soon as possible and I have raised this issue with Minister Campbell," she said.
A spokesman for Mr Campbell said a brief for the transport plan was being finalised and would be released soon.
A RailCorp tender for a rail operations plan and interchange cost estimates closed last week.
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