More than 2000 train carriages in NSW’s passenger rail fleet will undergo critical repairs and upgrades to reduce the likelihood of defects inflicting delays and cancellations on commuters.
Government figures show train faults have increased 28 per cent in the year to June, on the prior period, resulting in 595 cancellations and 2445 delays to services. The faults have been most acute in the state’s Oscar, Tangara and XPT passenger train fleets.
Following the defects over the past two years, the government has decided to spend $35 million on repair work to more than 2000 carriages, which make up 372 passenger trains.
Maintenance work on the state’s train fleet will be ramped up over the next year.Credit: Kate Geraghty
The project will effectively compress two years of maintenance work into a year by running production lines around the clock, including on weekends. This will occur at seven train maintenance facilities including at Flemington, Mortdale and Eveleigh in Sydney.
The upgrades will entail technology, communications and operating systems improvements, as well as critical repairs to doors, toilets, brakes, windows, air-conditioning and CCTV cameras. It is targeted at fixing more than 2000 train defects, and clear a maintenance backlog of about 300 repair jobs.
Premier Chris Minns said the focus on essential upgrades was critical to minimising commuter disruptions given the rail network’s size and complexity.
“Incidents on the rail network are inevitable, but keeping our fleet in top shape is our key priority to reduce delays and cancellations,” he said.
A V-set train travels through the Blue Mountains in winter.Credit: Dean Sewell
The project will also extend the life of the diesel-powered XPT, Endeavour and Xplorer passenger trains by at least another five years, as well as clean and paint 1622 carriages.