- Trams Downunder

NSW’s $2.6b train fleet running three years late, confidential documents show
Greg Sutherland

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nsw-government-warned-that-2-6b-train-fleet-running-three-years-late-confidential-documents-show-20220928-p5bll5.html

NSW’s $2.6b train fleet running three years late, confidential
documents show

Matt O'Sullivan

By Matt O'Sullivan
https://www.smh.com.au/by/matt-o'sullivan-hvehy

September 29, 2022 — 5.00am

Key points

* The NSW government purchased the trains to replace the state’s
regional fleet, some of which are almost 40 years old.
* The order of 117 new carriages was due to start entering service in
NSW next year.
* Confidential emails show the new trains will be delayed by “1205
days” - far longer than a 558-day delay outlined in internal
documents in July last year.
* Documents show the dispute centres on directives by NSW transport
officials to modify the trains.
* Government documents warn passengers will be left with
“significantly degraded legroom and comfort” if unresolved.

The delivery of a fleet of new Spanish-built passenger trains for NSW is running more than three years late due to a dispute between the state government and the manufacturer over design changes to carriages.

Confidential documents and emails show the dispute between the government and a consortium led by Spanish company CAF centres on directives by transport officials to modify the trains, which have been purchased for key rail lines from Sydney to other capital cities and across NSW.

The pitch of passenger seats has been a major point of contention between the government and the train manufacturer.

The pitch of passenger seats has been a major point of contention between the government and the train manufacturer.Credit:NSW government

The proposed pitch of seats is one of the main points of contention, which the government documents warn will lead to “significantly degraded legroom and comfort” for passengers if unresolved.

A delay to the $2.6 billion project means passengers will be stuck with travelling on decades-old trains much longer than planned, which also poses risks to the reliability of services and increased maintenance costs for the government.

Emails between senior Transport for NSW officials show that the government was warned in February that the delivery of the new regional trains will be delayed by “1205 days” as a result of the consortium’s claim over the cost and time impact of the modifications.

That is far longer than expectations of a “558-day delay to delivery” outlined in July last year in a “sensitive” government document about the dispute.

An artist’s impression of the new Spanish-built regional trains.

An artist’s impression of the new Spanish-built regional trains.Credit:NSW government

Under the original plans, the first of the new trains were due to start entering service in NSW next year. The order comprises 117 new carriages, which will form 29 train sets of various lengths.

The other areas of dispute between the transport agency and the private consortium have been over toilets, rubbish bins, crew seats and audio entertainment system, and the location of bicycle racks.

Modifications to the designs were also sought to the trains’ automatic doors, driver seats and communication systems, and carriage lighting and crew fridges.

An artist’s impression of the new Spanish-built regional trains.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/another-multibillion-dollar-nsw-train-project-at-risk-of-delays-cost-overruns-20220629-p5axs0.html

Exclusive

Public transport
https://www.smh.com.au/topic/public-transport-610

Another multibillion-dollar NSW train project at risk of delays,
cost overruns
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/another-multibillion-dollar-nsw-train-project-at-risk-of-delays-cost-overruns-20220629-p5axs0.html

The dispute over “contentious design issues” https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5axs0 comes as a separate fleet of Korean-built intercity trains is at the centre of a prolonged stoush https://www.smh.com.au/link/follow-20170101-p5bidz between the government and rail unions, which has led to major disruptions for commuters.

The intercity train fleet, first slated to begin entering service in 2019, is sitting in storage on the NSW Central Coast, costing taxpayers $30 million a month.

Labor regional transport spokeswoman Jenny Aitchison said people would be stuck with old trains for years longer than expected because so many modifications needed to be made to the new regional fleet.

“This is another stark example of how the government’s transport procurement policies have failed,” she said.

Driverless trains for the yet-to-open City and Southwest Metro rail line are stored near Rouse Hill in Sydney’s north-west.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/expensive-feast-at-15-million-a-day-sydney-s-mega-rail-projects-hit-costly-speed-bumps-20220804-p5b770.html

Public transport
https://www.smh.com.au/topic/sydney-public-transport-62q

‘Expensive feast’: At $15 million a day, Sydney’s mega rail
projects hit costly speed bumps
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/expensive-feast-at-15-million-a-day-sydney-s-mega-rail-projects-hit-costly-speed-bumps-20220804-p5b770.html

Regional Transport Minister Sam Farraway said the government was still working through the design of the trains, “based on extensive consultation, to get it right”.

He accused Labor of whinging about regional NSW getting a new state-of-the-art train fleet. “Our new regional rail fleet will have all the modern comforts that customers expect and deserve, like charging ports, improved accessibility and more storage,” he said.

Transport for NSW said in a statement that it was working closely with the private consortium to finalise the detailed design of the new trains, and a timeline for their delivery would be known at the completion of the process, “although production of train units is well underway”.

“Commercial negotiations are common in any major infrastructure project to assess any implications of the design confirmation process,” it said.