New Intercity Fleet: Troubled regional trains will need $973 million to get them moving

Almost $1 billion in taxpayer cash will be needed to roll out the trouble-plagued New Intercity Fleet – amid years of delays, defects and union backlash over proposed changes to its operation.

Almost $1 billion in taxpayer cash will be needed to roll out the trouble-plagued New Intercity Fleet - amid years of delays, defects and union backlash over proposed changes to its operation.

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey’s second budget allocated a massive $973.8 million over the next four years to the New Intercity Fleet on Tuesday, which is set to provide a swath of new trains for commuters from the Central Coast, Newcastle, the South Coast and the Blue Mountains travelling to the Sydney CBD.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey. Picture: Newswire / Gaye Gerard

NSW Budget papers confirmed a massive $3 billion has already been spent on the embattled transport project, which is made up of 55-trains and more than 550 carriages.

A total of $276 million has been allocated by the NSW Government this year, with a revised “completion date” of 2024.

The project promised “a new, state of the art fleet and associated power supply upgrades to provide a new level of comfort and convenience and improve accessibility and safety for customers”.

A commuter waits on a platform at Central Station. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

In 2021, The Daily Telegraph revealed a series of safety defects had been uncovered in Transport for NSW testing of the fleet, which saw train guard doors malfunction and fall off their railing if opened while the trains were moving.

A confidential report to Transport for NSW revealed an investigation into the New Intercity Fleet found doors on the trains “would fail” and “deflect outwards” if opened or closed at speed.

The investigation into the controversial trains, conducted by contractor RailConnect, found the doors failed three out of the four tests conducted in a six-month study.

The study found the rails holding doors on the Intercity Fleet trains could break when guards open or close them, to check for hazards, while the train is moving.

The new Mariyung train as it arrives at Central station. The Mariyung is part of the new intercity train fleet. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

The defects were revealed before Transport for NSW blamed Covid-19 lockdowns for continued delays in the rollout of the new fleet of trains — currently sitting unused in a Central Coast stabling yard.

Internal government documents, released following an order for papers by Labor MLC Mark Buttigieg in 2021, argued the New Intercity Fleet was “late” as the trains use “technology and components from all over the world and this requires specialist engineers to be present for parts of the testing”.

At the time, a Transport for NSW representative said testing by internationally-based specialist engineers “wasn’t possible while overseas and interstate travel restrictions are in place”.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the funds were existing money in the budget “reallocated” for enabling works to complete the project.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - NewsWire Photos JUNE 14 , 2024: L to R: NSW Premier Chris Minns speaking at a press conference with Co-ordinator General for Transport NSW Howard Collins, Deputy Premier Prue Car and Transport Minister Jo Haylen. NSW Premier Chirs Minns, Deputy Premier Prue Car and Minister for Transport Jo Haylen at a Busways Depot in Glendenning to announce a funding boost to the state’s bus network as part of the 2024 budget. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

“Existing funding from the ‘More Trains More services’ program for enabling works is now recognised in the budget within the existing Intercity Fleet budget,” she said. “Modifications are needed within the rail corridor along the Central Coast and Newcastle, Blue Mountains, and South Coast Lines to support the changes made to the Mariyung fleet’s operating model.”

“These include modifications to platforms, train stopping markers and signalling equipment.”