Four minutes too slow: Rookie drivers stall Parramatta Light Rail

With safety issues and learning drivers delaying the Parramatta Light Rail indefinitely, small businesses are asking the state government to “help us”.

Rookie drivers have stalled the opening of the Parramatta Light Rail, with current test journeys four minutes off the required pace.

It comes as small businesses on Church Street struggle to keep their doors open, demanding “help” from the State Government to survive.

The speed between stations on the entire route, from Carlingford to Westmead, are lagging behind Transport for NSW’s requirements for the $2.875bn project.

There were 53 light rail operators recruited earlier this year, from more than 600 candidates, with 80 per cent of them first time drivers.

It’s understood those speeds will improve as the new drivers improve their confidence and continue practicing the journey.

On Friday the new light rail was seen regularly passing through Church Street, with carriages loaded with heavy sandbags to replicate the weight of passengers.

Of the 53 light rail operators recruited earlier this year for the Parramatta Light Rail project more than 80 per cent of them were first time drivers. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Other issues identified during testing include power supply problems and software glitches. Despite promises for the service to be up and running by mid-2024, it has now been delayed indefinitely.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen told The Daily Telegraph “our new drivers will keep working to become more familiar with the route. Transport for NSW and the contractor are working to fix the issues that we have found during testing. We are not far off.”

Work began on the Parramatta Light Rail in 2019, which construction turning the popular Church Street into a ghost town.

Small businesses claim their trade has regularly been down by 50 per cent over the past five years. In the same time period, much of the local street parking has vanished.

Anthony, who has owned Lichaa Menswear and Formal Hire, said he had given up “making a quid” and was “just trying to survive.”

Besides rookie drivers other problems, including power supply problems and software glitches, were identified during light rail testing. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“It’s been the worst five years we’ve had in 27 years of business. They have let us down. They don’t give us any compensation. We have a lot of late bills. Rent is way behind, we are just lucky our landlord has been patient with us.”

Surplus City owner Eric, who is also on Church Street, called on the state government to “help.”

“Help us. Give us something to pull through until it all pans out. It’s been delay, delay, delay. Before construction, on weekends you couldn’t move here. You can see places are closing. We need help.”

Despite being a State Government project, the future of the light rail has become a key issue at the upcoming local government elections

Parramatta Lord Mayor Pierre Esber said he “felt for the small businesses” but he would “rather have these delays now than later on.”

“It is frustrating... people are telling me about this every day. But we have to get it right. Just imagine if we opened it and three months later it had to shut down.”

Tanya Raffoul, Liberal candidate for Dundas Ward said the delay “isn’t just a setback, it’s a crushing blow. The NSW Labor Government’s latest delay is proof they can’t deliver on infrastructure.”

Independent candidate for Rosehill Ward Lee Malkoun added “our city has been held crippled by the state government and its contractors long enough. I wouldn’t be surprised if the light rail doesn’t open until 2025.”

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Originally published as Four minutes too slow: Rookie drivers stall Parramatta Light Rail