Waratah Series 2 trains to roll out on Macarthur lines
THE days of Macarthur region commuters toughing it out on the non-airconditioned, old silver tin rattlers are numbered with brand new trains to begin service but commuters will still have to be patient.
Macarthur
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THE days of Macarthur region commuters toughing it out on the old silver tin rattlers are numbered.
Twenty-four new Waratah Series 2 trains are set to enter service in the coming months, and in a reprieve for the region’s long-suffering commuters they will replace the S-Set trains commonly seen on the T2 and T8 lines commonly used by local train travellers.
A spokeswoman for Transport NSW said the new trains will be rolled out over the coming months.
“The 24 new Waratahs will enter service over the next six to nine months,” she said.
“The new trains will arrive progressively, with the entire fleet expected to begin rolling onto the tracks in early 2019.
“Priority will be given to services on the T2 Inner West and Leppington, T3 Bankstown and T8 Airport and South Lines. Once the new trains are in operation and proven reliable, the S-sets will be gradually decommissioned.”
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Transport Minister Andrew Constance took a test ride on the new Waratah trains earlier this month.
“It is exciting to see the first of the 24 new airconditioned Waratah Series 2 trains entering the final stage of testing,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The delivery of these new trains means that all of our customers will be able to travel in airconditioned comfort across the network.”
The new trains are being provided as part of the NSW Government’s $1.5 billion More Trains, More Services program.
Sydney Trains CEO Howard Collins told the Macarthur Chronicle in December last year that Macarthur region commuters would see the non-airconditioned S-Set trains replaced over winter.
Campbelltown state Labor MP Greg Warren said the decision to keep the S-Set trains running on the South West network for so long showed contempt for the region.
“The old S-Set trains — the oldest model in the Sydney metro fleet — were intentionally dumped on the south west line due to their ‘unreliability’,” he said.
“At a press conference with Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Transport Minister Andrew Constance, Sydney Trains’ Tony Eid admitted the S-Sets were too unreliable to cater for the massive growth in the west and northern corridors, so the decision was made to send the sweatboxes to the south west.
“It’s a frightening admission from a state government that has continually treated Campbelltown residents with contempt.”
Mr Warren has recently launched a petition to build a multi-storey car park at Campbelltown Station.