Inner West trams suspended amid safety concerns after cracks found
A leaked memo has revealed cracks have been discovered in some Sydney trams, resulting in one route’s light rail services being suspended until the end of the week.
NSW
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Cracks have been identified in a number of Sydney trams, leading to some services in parts of the city being suspended.
Services on Sydney’s Inner West light rail will be on hold for several days after cracks were spotted in various trams, raising the alarm for potential risks to staff and passenger safety.
A Transport for NSW alert informed customers that buses will replace tram services along the L1 Dulwich Hill Line until Sunday.
A memo distributed to staff read that a “minor cracking to welding on a limited number of vehicles” had been found during a routine maintenance inspection, resulting in the light rail services being suspended until the end of the week, Nine Newspapers reported.
“We do not believe that the identified cracks pose an immediate threat or major risk to the network,” the memo read.
“As a precaution, we will be suspending all services on the line while more detailed inspections take place.”
A spokesman for Transdev Sydney, the operator of Sydney’s light rail network, did not confirm or deny reports of cracks in the trams, instead stating that a “mechanical fault” was identified on inspection of the vehicles.
“A mechanical fault was identified during routine inspections of vehicles that operate on the L1 Dulwich Hill Line. While the issue poses little risk, we have made the decision to suspend services on the line while more detailed inspections are undertaken by the maintenance teams,” he said.
“Buses are replacing light rail services on the L1 Dulwich Hill Line. Extra customer service staff are on hand to advise passengers of the service disruptions and guide them to replacement buses. Additional signage has also been deployed.
“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused by this issue and thank customers for their patience during this time.”
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