First passenger services for Sydney’s long-awaited new intercity fleet revealed

Sydney’s long-awaited new intercity trains are set to begin passenger services on the Newcastle and Central Coast line on Tuesday morning after more than four years of delays.

The first passenger service will depart at 5.20am from Central to Newcastle, with a back-up time scheduled for 8.20am from Newcastle to Central.

The independent regulator has approved Sydney’s much-delayed Mariyung intercity fleet for passengers.

The Sydney Morning Herald understands that both services have appeared on crew rosters.

The $4.03 billion fleet, built in South Korea, has been stuck in limbo due to a prolonged dispute between the state government and the Rail, Tram, and Bus Union (RTBU) over safety concerns. The trains, which arrived in 2019, have been sitting unused in sheds on the Central Coast since, awaiting modifications to address issues raised by the union, particularly regarding passenger safety and train door operations.

The Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator approved the fleet for passenger services following months of testing and implementation of agreed-upon safety modifications.

These changes include upgrades to the CCTV system, door operations and the addition of two staff members on each train – a driver and a guard – to monitor passengers and ensure train safety.

The RTBU raised concerns that the trains lacked proper systems for ensuring passenger safety at stations and while on board. As part of the resolution, the new set-up allows for the crew doors to be opened while the train is moving and ensures guards are present to monitor CCTV footage and manage train doors.

There were also concerns that the trains were too wide to fit through some tunnels on the Blue Mountains line, prompting the need for tunnel-widening work, along with platform extensions at Katoomba, Mount Victoria and Lithgow railway stations.

The trains still require approval for operation on the South Coast and Blue Mountains lines.

The Mariyung fleet, named after the Darug word for emu, features several modern upgrades, including wider two-by-two seating, charging ports and extra space for luggage and bicycles.

The first service will run as an eight-car set, doing the normal express line stops.

NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the fleet “should never have taken this long”, promising the trains would provide a “massively improved level of comfort” for all passengers travelling between Newcastle, the Central Coast and Sydney.

“These trains were supposed to be on the tracks five years ago. It’s been a priority of mine to ensure that we got them out of sheds and on the tracks by the end of this year. I’m incredibly proud that our government has been able to deliver that,” she said.

“I also want to thank our rail staff for working with us to get these trains ready. This is an example of what can happen when the government and the rail workforce work together.”

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