Sydney’s Inner West Light Rail Line can be unavailable for up to 18 months to fix significant cracks found in all 12 trams.
Rob Stokes, New South Wales Minister of Transport, said time was the “worst scenario” and he hoped the question would be fixed and the service would get back on track sooner. .. But until then, “there was safety advice to discontinue service until these vehicles could be repaired.”
According to Stokes, an exchange service is taking place this week, already transporting 5,000 passengers a day.
Approximately 1,000 similar trams are used worldwide, not just in Newcastle and Canberra, and Stokes said the cracks found during regular maintenance by the New South Wales Department of Transportation have a global impact. He said it was likely a design flaw.
“Many countries will consider what is happening here with great interest,” the minister said.
He advises global operators, “Please let us know that this same design flaw can be a challenge for your system.”
Howard Collins, Chief Operating Officer of New South Wales, visited Lilyfield Depot on Friday morning, including a crack of up to 30 centimeters in the wheel arch, “Understanding what we found. “.
He said the tram wasn’t safe, but for the seven-year-old tram, “it could be a problem if the cracks spread further,” and “there’s no quick solution.”
“We are a very talented engineer in Australia who can permanently modify, strengthen and organize these cracks and want to fill the workshop with these trams,” Collins said. ..
“The government’s transport procurement policy is tattered,” said Joe Halen, a labor transport spokeswoman, given that “all foreign-built trams purchased by the government had to be abolished.” Stated.
“They bought a whole fleet of trains that didn’t fit on the tracks, ferries that didn’t fit under the bridge or couldn’t run at night, and trams that simply didn’t work,” Halen said.
Thousands of passengers will experience delays and unreliable service until the tram is repaired, and the discovery of a crack came just as people began to return to work, she added.
According to Halen, Australia needs to resume building its infrastructure to achieve high quality products and cost performance.
Rail, Tram and Bus Coalition Daniel Jaguars, president of trams and buses in New South Wales, said the government must provide alternative employment to workers in Inner West Lightrail.
He said the union [government] “Fully responsible” after ignoring calls from transport workers to build and maintain infrastructure in Australia “for decades”.
“Since the New South Wales government turned its back on Australian manufacturing … it’s been a disaster,” said Jaguars.
“The biggest losers are the people of New South Wales, who don’t have the public transport services they need and fork billions of dollars in taxpayer money to correct government mistakes.”
Inner West Mayor Rochelle Porteous is demanding that the government provide free alternative transportation.
“The Inner West pays for a stupid decision,” she said.
“This is a disaster for the Government of New South Wales, and it’s up to Minister Stokes to fix it.”
Jack Graments
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