Sydney Trains hires 'baggage handlers' as station lifts remain broken for weeks

Sydney Trains has deployed "baggage handlers" to help elderly passengers and families navigate stairs after faulty lifts go out of order again.

Staff are on hand to assist pedestrians up and down the stairs, carrying prams and trolleys. The lift on Beecroft Rd at Epping Train Station have been out of order for six weeks, and have broken down over 60 since 2023. Picture: Rohan Kelly.

Two lifts that provide access to a busy Sydney train station have broken down more than 60 times in two years, with Sydney Trains now employing “baggage handlers” to carry prams and suitcases and help the elderly up the stairs.

The lifts that lead to a busy footbridge connected to Epping station, which crosses over Beecroft Rd and joins the bustling town centre to the station, have become a source of frustration for the thousands who use the key transport hub every day.

It has been more than six weeks since the lifts last worked.

When the Daily Telegraph visited the station, elderly people and young families were struggling to climb up and down the stairs.

Christopher Wagstaff, 72, said it was a “difficult” task.

“I am very weak at the moment,” Mr Wagstaff told The Daily Telegraph.

“I’ve got health issues and it’s an effort to climb upstairs and downstairs as well.”

Pictured is commuter Christopher Wagstaff. Picture: Rohan Kelly.

The lift on Beecroft Rd at Epping Train Station have been out of order for six weeks, and have broken down over 60 since 2023. Picture: Rohan Kelly.

Epping Station sits in an electorate that has been held by the Liberals since its creation in 1999.

Kamal Athar, 63, called out the lack of action taken to fix the lifts, saying it was a “very big problem”.

“I was expecting that somebody responsible would solve this problem quickly, but it has been such a long time and the problem is still pending and no solution has been offered,” Mr Athar said.

“I expect better than this from the government.”

The lift on Beecroft Rd at Epping Train Station have been out of order for six weeks, and have broken down over 60 since 2023. Picture: Rohan Kelly.

Signs have been placed around the footbridge, showing the nearest working elevators, which are hundreds of metres away on the other side of the station.

The broken lifts are more than two decades old and have undergone repeated repairs and maintenance over recent years.

Transport for NSW has cited faulty machinery and vandalism as reasons for the ongoing issues.

It means people with no other option must use an alternate lift to access the station and must travel hundreds of metres to do so.

Staff are on hand to assist pedestrians up and down the stairs, carrying prams and trolleys. Picture: Rohan Kelly.

A spokesperson for Transport for NSW said the state government agency acknowledged “the ongoing challenges” and was “working to expedite repairs and apologise for the inconvenience to passengers”.

Replacement parts have been ordered from overseas, with repairs expected to be completed by the end of January.

It is understood reports of a fault were first registered at the beginning of 2023.

Epping recently became home to a new Metro station, which is under the heavy rail platforms.

The lifts there are also reported to have broken down sporadically.

The lift on Beecroft Rd at Epping Train Station have been out of order for six weeks, and have broken down over 60 since 2023. Picture: Rohan Kelly.

State Liberal MP Monica Tudehope called on the NSW Labor government to replace the lifts immediately, saying short-term repairs had only prolonged the issue.

“Epping residents don’t want broken promises and broken lifts,” Ms Tudehope said.

“They want a new lift that allows them to get to the train station.

“A functioning lift is a pretty basic element of the government but parents with prams, people with mobility issues and people with a disability have been unable to access the train station for weeks.”

Originally published as Sydney Trains hires 'baggage handlers' as station lifts remain broken for weeks