Shirley MacLaine has a wonderful saying. “It is useless to hold a person to anything s/he says while s/he is in love, drunk, or running for office.”

During the federal election, Federal Labor announced $2.1bn for the Parramatta-Epping Rail Link, plus $500m to be provided from the NSW State Labor.

I was also very sceptical because I received a letter from the NSW Transport Minister dated only 10 days prior stating that the NSW State Government’s 10 year horizon does not include the Parramatta-Epping Rail Link.

So, is this promise to be taken seriously? After all, for the last 12 years since 1998, Western Sydney has been seduced so many times, and also just before another election. With Labor’s record thus far, forgive me for feeling hesitant until it is actually constructed.

On examination, this new Labor promise will not even begin to materialise until after the two more elections, and is also contingent upon the NSW State Government delivering on its newest promise of $500m towards the Parramatta-Epping Rail Link. It should be noted that the NSW State Government’s official 10 year plan transport blueprint for Sydney does not have $500m for the Parramatta-Epping Rail Link. So where is the $500m going to come from?

Yet Federal Labor has already given $3.2bn for Melbourne’s Regional Rail Express, $365m for the Gold Coast Rapid Transit, $293m for South Australia’s Gawler Rail Line upgrade, $291m for the Seaford Rail Extension, as well as $300m for Perth’s Northbridge Rail Link. So why does Western Sydney have to wait at least another 4 years, including two federal elections and one state election in between, for its share of attention for much needed infrastructure?

The Parramatta-Epping rail link, if delivered, will undoubtedly ease congestion on the existing Sydney rail network and provide much needed transport capacity along the Parramatta-Epping-Chatswood corridor.

However, it is worth noting though that Labor failed to promise any funding to the North-West or South-West rail link during the federal election. The Labor Federal Government's State of Australian Cities 2010 Report released on 5 March 2010 mentions the significance of the north-west and south-west regions of Sydney and their needs for infrastructure support, yet no practical assistance is apparent.