Campbelltown MP Greg Warren wants to see Campbelltown’s hot trains off the tracks

Campbelltown state Labor MP Greg Warren called for the immediate removal of S-Set trains from the Sydney Trains network in parliament today.

Campbelltown MP Greg Warren with then-opposition transport spokesman Ryan Park at Campbelltown station in 2015. Picture: Robert Pozo

• One in six trains lack airconditioning
• Commuter frustrated by old trains during heatwave

Campbelltown state Labor MP Greg Warren called for the immediate removal of S-Set trains from the Sydney Trains network in parliament today.

Mr Warren’s motion follows last week’s Macarthur Chronicle report that revealed one in six trains on the T2 line between Macarthur and Circular Quay were non-air-conditioned S-Set trains, according to a review by Sydney Trains last year.

Mr Warren moved a motion in NSW Parliament calling for the immediate removal of non-air-conditioned trains from the Sydney Trains network and hitting out at the Liberal Government which promised to remove the trains from the network five years ago.

Ruse resident Jess Bernard’s complaints to Sydney Trains prompted a review of trains on the Macarthur line. Picture: Peter Kelly

In his motion, Mr Warren noted the sauna-like conditions experienced by Macarthur commuters.

“In the past few weeks Campbelltown has experienced extreme heatwave conditions and that recent media reports have shown the temperature inside train carriages at Campbelltown to exceed 50 degrees,” he said.

“I reject the Minister for Transport’s repeated excuse that non-air-conditioned trains are only used as a backup as being completely inconsistent with the experiences of Campbelltown rail commuters.”

Mr Warren told the Macarthur Chronicle last week that he had fielded several calls and letters from local commuters frustrated by the hot trains and had grown frustrated by NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance’s responses.

“Several people contacted me about the Macarthur and Cumberland lines, particularly after the heatwave in January,” he said.

Campbelltown state Labor MP Greg Warren speaking in parliament

“In my view Campbelltown should be prioritised. We’re one of the areas with the furthest to travel so it makes sense we should put the most comfortable trains on our tracks.

“We want people to use our public transport network so we should be encouraging them to commute.”

The NSW Government expects 24 eight-car Waratah-style trains to be on the tracks in late 2018.