Newsletter

Ads

NSW government pushes ahead with new train fleet despite safety concerns

| 13.05,22. 07:05 AM |

NSW government pushes ahead

with new train fleet despite

safety concerns

Major safety issues revealed in new intercity Sydney train fleet.
Major safety issues were revealed in the fleet. (9News)

The New South Wales government has decided to roll out a new train fleet despite major safety concerns, meaning further transport union strike action could be on the cards.
The $2 billion New Intercity Fleet is currently stuck in storage as Rail, Tram and Bus Union members refuse to operate it without safety amendments.
The intercity fleet is supposed to travel from Sydney to Lithgow on the Blue Mountains line, and to the Central Coast, Newcastle and down to Kiama on the South Coast line.
Major safety issues revealed in new intercity Sydney train fleet.
The New Intercity Fleet was ordered from South Korea. (9News)
The union says passengers would be at risk from crucial blind spots in surveillance, meaning they could have undetected accidents or fall into the gap between the train and platform and staff would be unable to hear them.
This is due to drivers and guards solely monitoring from CCTV cameras mounted on the sides of the trains, which have no audio and restricted line of sight because of the design of the carriages, instead of in-person intercity guards.
For the past five weeks, the government and union have been negotiating an interim operating model to get the trains into service.
Major safety issues revealed in new intercity Sydney train fleet.
Major safety issues were revealed in the fleet. (9News)
Major safety issues revealed in new intercity Sydney train fleet.
CCTV obtained by 9News showed the issues with the cameras. (9News)
Today, the NSW government blindsided the union by choosing to roll out the fleet.
"Today I advised the leadership of the union movement that I will not support any Rail, Tram and Bus Union demands that further delay the roll out of the New Intercity Fleet," Employee Relations Minister Damien Tudehope said.
RBTU secretary Alex Claassens was shocked by the government's decision to "force us into a position".
RBTU secretary Alex Claassens said industrial action is possible after NSW government decides to roll out New Intercity Fleet.
RBTU secretary Alex Claassens said industrial action was possible after the NSW government decided to roll out the New Intercity Fleet. (9News)
Claassens could not rule out further industrial action due to the decision, which would impede commuters once again after months of transport chaos.
"I'm certainly not ruling out any industrial action," he said.

The move came just three months after the government's decision to shutdown the train network left thousands of commuters stranded.
Farah News /9News


(Votes: 0)
  Facebook Twitter Google+ Digg

Other News

Australian Taxation Office resumes chasing small business debts as COVID holiday ends Woman charged over alleged fatal beating of daughter 30 years ago Emergency flood warnings declared in several south-east Queensland regions as wet weather set to continue Driver arrested after hit and run crash in Adelaide Horse-drawn carriages to be banned from Melbourne's CBD Health warning issued for mosquito-borne viruses in Sydney Man arrested over Newcastle cocaine bust while boarding flight to Singapore Woman dies after car is swept away by floodwaters Bikie boss shot, brother killed in shooting attack at Sydney gym Wet weather caused by La Niña could end by winter, forecasts show Labor leader Anthony Albanese backs minimum wage increase in line with inflation Brisbane flood review labels event 'worst-case scenario', emergency alert system to be upgraded 'Big four' banks made huge profits as Australians took out bigger mortgages for pricier housing Boy fights for life after falling from a height at a Maddington building site in Perth's south-east Albanese pledges $2.2 billion boost for Melbourne's new train network Diver's body found near 50kg of suspected cocaine in Newcastle's Hunter River Travellers hit by lengthy lines at Sydney Airport again Canberra man accused of strangling 11-year-old girl until she was unconscious faces new sexual assault charge WA man sentenced over 'depraved' child sex abuse will spend 10 years in jail Woman charged with two counts of murder after Brunswick stabbing Queensland police offer $500k reward in Deborah Anne Smykalla cold case murder Three years in prison for Tasmania Police officer who killed a man and injured his wife in Launceston crash Three-year-old Nevaeh Austin, found unconscious on childcare centre bus near Rockhampton, no longer in critical condition Darryl Trevor St Clair sentenced to four years in jail over South Plympton hammer attack الآلاف من معلمي نيو ساوث ويلز يضربون من أجل تحسين الأجور وتقليل أعباء العمل Cyclist dies after colliding with a truck in Adelaide's northern suburbs Loose loads causing chaos and destruction on Melbourne freeways Pensioners suffer largest increase in living costs since 2006 Child critical after being left on central Queensland bus Port Augusta teacher Ammy Singleton accused of grooming boy for sex