Is Sydney's problematic rail network about to get worse?
An interim report paints an alarming picture of a network laden with safety issues.
Contributors
Breaking News
There are grave concerns for the immediate future of Sydney's rail network after the release of an interim report that discovered approximately 37,000 active network defects across Sydney metro lines, with the Western-Northern line most adversely affected.
The interim report includes a list of 12 key recommendations, the leading one being a proposed 'maintenance blitz' over the next 12 months - an accelerated program focused on repairing the issues during off-peak times where disruptions to customers and efficiency are expected to be minimal, especially given that passenger numbers are still only at 70-80% of pre-pandemic levels.
Urgency is paramount, with Transport Minister Jo Haylen agreeing with the report's finding that many of the issues will get significantly worse without immediate attention. Over 1,000 of the current defects are considered 'Priority 1', meaning they require weekly inspection due to their critical nature.
“If we don’t address the underlying issues on our network, things will get worse," the Minister told media on Monday.
“I do want to make very clear to passengers though – Sydney trains has remained vigilant and focused on safety – safety critical maintenance has been delivered in a timely manner."
A number of causes have been pointed to as the reason for the increasingly problematic situation - all starting with the implementation of a new timetable in 2017 to deal with 'significant growth' in customer numbers, creating a backlog of maintenance work that was worsened by the impact of significant events including the pandemic, bushfires and flooding, as well as recent industrial action.
The interim report's other recommendations include an audit of training and certification of rail workers, as well as better communication with passengers during outages and delays, as well as improved communication with employees and unions.
What do you think? Do you still regularly catch the train in Sydney? Are you surprised to learn about the state of the network?
