NewsBite

Light rail debut: trapped on board, mystery breakdown, emergency stops and medical incidents

It was supposed to be the day Sydney fell in love with its new $2.9 billion tram system but emergency stops, mechanical failures, a mystery breakdown and stuck passengers put a dampener on the event.

Light Rail opens in Sydney

Premier Gladys Berejiklian had warned that Sydney’s CBD light rail would have months of “teething problems” — and yesterday it ­delivered on her promise.

The first public run of the $2.9 billion light rail, the building of which has disrupted the city for the past four years, had more teething problems than an angry toddler and left plenty of Sydneysiders spitting the dummy.

Children help Gladys Berejiklian and Andrew Constance to cut the ribbon before the light rail made its first trip to Randwick. Picture: Tim Hunter
Children help Gladys Berejiklian and Andrew Constance to cut the ribbon before the light rail made its first trip to Randwick. Picture: Tim Hunter

The ribbon was officially cut at 8.51am yesterday in a flurry of smiles and upbeat publicity pictures.

But then people actually began using it and the wheels swiftly fell off.

MORE FROM BEN PIKE

330m towers set to supercharge Sydney skyline

Dead and buried: One foot deep and nine to a grave

‘Concerning’: Chinese telco’s links to Sydney Trains

An elderly woman riding on the first tram was the first incident after the driver ran a red light at Randwick before hitting the emergency brakes.

The dignitaries, special guests and transport chiefs had to grab on to anything handy, but the elderly lady fell forward on to the floor. Luckily she escaped injury. That was at 10.20am.

Anthony and Phillipa Perugini, with daughters Isabella, 6, and Savannah, 4, said: ‘The delays were hard, especially with young kids.’ Pictures: Tim Hunter
Anthony and Phillipa Perugini, with daughters Isabella, 6, and Savannah, 4, said: ‘The delays were hard, especially with young kids.’ Pictures: Tim Hunter

Already there are suggestions the trams need to be ­retrofitted with more handrails to stop similar events.

By 12.40pm trams had stopped in Haymarket, with announcements blaming “technical issues” and then “a medical emergency” elsewhere on the line.

Services resumed 20 minutes later, after police and emergency services boarded the tram.

But worse was to come at 2pm when a vomiting passenger forced the evacuation of a tram near Central.

Paramedics attend to a sick passenger. Picture: Tim Hunter
Paramedics attend to a sick passenger. Picture: Tim Hunter

Wayne Colman of Dee Why took his son Billy, 3, on the light rail to celebrate its first day but their tram was stuck near Circular Quay for half an hour before it was evacuated.

The tram stopped working at 2.45pm and halted services between Central and Circular Quay for more than 40 ­minutes.

“Luckily Billy is only three so he won’t remember,” Mr Colman said. “It was pretty terrible. They kept saying ‘the safest place for you is on the tram’ but people were starting to get a bit panicky. “It was very hot.”
Mr Colman said he had hoped Saturday would be a historic Sydney event, like the opening of Sydney Harbour Bridge, but was deeply disappointed.

“Andrew Constance is the Transport Minister and they offshored this whole project to a Spanish company and they still can’t get it working. It’s just unbelievable,” Mr Colman said.

Andrew Collet was unimpressed: ‘I’m not a fan of public transport anyway but I will never travel on the light rail again.’
Andrew Collet was unimpressed: ‘I’m not a fan of public transport anyway but I will never travel on the light rail again.’

Tourists Anthony and Phillipa Perugini, 42 and 39, tried and failed to catch a light rail three times between 12.30pm and 3.30pm.

“The delays were hard, especially with young kids,” Mrs Perugini said.

“No staff that we asked seemed to know a lot about what was happening. Our trams in Adelaide never have these kind of issues.”

Contractor ALTRAC held a press conference at 4pm — without Mr Constance — and said “it’s been a bumpy day” but “the mood has been good” despite the technical hiccups ­and delays.

A tram gets stuck at Circular Quay. Picture: Bianca De Marchi
A tram gets stuck at Circular Quay. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

“Tram failures do occur — it’s a reality — but it has been an outstanding success today,” Brian Brennan, chief officer light rail operations Transdev Australiasia, said.

“The atmosphere on the trams, the atmosphere with the people, has been excellent.”

Transport chiefs are also working through an audio issue because people complained that they couldn’t hear the announcements.

Services ran smoother later in the day, but the Monday morning ­commute could be a challenge.

Andrew Collet, 30, got on at Randwick and didn’t move for another 40 minutes.

“I’m not a fan of public transport anyway but I will never travel on the light rail again,” he said.

This little girl’s face summed up the day. Picture: Bianca De Marchi
This little girl’s face summed up the day. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

TRANSPORT MINISTER: I’D RATE IT 8 OUT OF 10’

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said he had “been blown away” by 53,000 people using the light rail between 10am and 3pm.

Mr Constance, who claims he was unable to make a 4pm press conference where the ­operators of the light rail outlined the problems, said the issues were to be expected.

“There are always going to be things that pop up when you bed down a new service; we have seen it with Metro and we will see it with this,” he said.

“It has been a bit like Metro, the demand has been incredibly high.

“It will get into a better rhythm once we get to commuter services Monday.”

Timeline of a 'Trambles' - day one of light rail
Timeline of a 'Trambles' - day one of light rail

Mr Constance said he would be monitoring the situation on Sunday and would be at the NSW Transport Management Centre on Monday to see how the $2.9 billion project handled the morning commute.

“Some customers were questioning things around audibility of the messaging on the tram — saying that it was not loud enough,” he said.

“On the first day we have had a lot of things thrown at the operator and they can ­obviously ­review everything, from handling of sick passengers to any customer ­feedback.”

Mr Constance said the ­operators would also investigate whether more handrails are needed after an elderly lady fell over when the emergency brake was applied.

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/light-rail-debut-trapped-on-board-mystery-breakdown-emergency-stops-and-medical-incidents/news-story/618631aea38ed8da21c3c41f1909dc38