Maintenance backlog worth $1.6 billion forecast for Sydney Trains

Sensitive government documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph have forecast a huge maintenance backlog for Sydney Trains.

James O'Doherty

less than 2 min read

November 18, 2021 - 1:59PM

NSW

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A maintenance backlog worth $1.6 billion is forecast for Sydney Trains by the end of the decade, with funding not keeping up with work required to maintain assets at an “acceptable level”.

The forecast is contained in “sensitive” government documents obtained by The Daily Telegraph.

A maintenance backlog of $670 million is expected in this financial year, according to the document written in December 2020.

The backlog was expected to “hold or potentially reduce over time” because “risk and mitigation is a key focus of Sydney Trains,” the document said.

A maintenance backlog worth $1.6 billion is forecast for Sydney Trains by the end of the decade. Picture: Toby Zerna

It was expected to reduce to $1.4 billion if Transport for NSW received its “preferred” level of funding over 10 years.

The December document also identified a backlog worth $119 million across “top criticality assets”.

This could “potentially be a source of considerable risk and performance impact,” officials warned.

Labor Leader Chris Minns said the government’s handling of transport was a “train wreck”.

“The larger the backlog, the greater the risk,” he said.

“These are essential safety works that must be undertaken.

“The Government needs to focus on fixing the mess within transport that Andrew Constance has left and clear the backlog,” Mr Minns said.

A Transport for NSW spokeswoman said that “none of the maintenance backlog … is safety critical”.

Over 30 per cent of the $119 million maintenance backlog in “top criticality assets” comprised of ballast cleaning, which is currently being addressed, the spokeswoman said,

“Additionally, over the past 12-18 months, through the budget and additional stimulus funding, the NSW Government has funded hundreds of millions of dollars to support the renewal and refurbishment of existing assets as well as new projects.”