Waratah trains a commuter threat
- The Daily Telegraph
- June 03, 2011
THE state government's $3.6 billion Waratah train project is in disarray with RailCorp refusing to again accept the first train due to serious passenger safety concerns.
Glare from the first train's windscreens is so concerning a second employee will now be required to ride in the driver's cabin as a short-term solution, when the train eventually takes passengers on the network.
The windscreens are made up of a laminate that has a "milky effect" when hit by sunlight at certain angles, a RailCorp source told The Daily Telegraph yesterday.
It has been an ongoing issue in Oscar and Millennium trains, but has now been found on the Waratah.
"You can come out of a tunnel and the light hits the windscreen and it looks all foggy, like someone has blown up a balloon inside the cabin," said the driver, who did not want to be named.
The first of the 78 Waratah trains will now be further delayed - possibly for a number of weeks - because of ongoing issues also relating to engineering and software defects. The train, known in the industry as A03, was to have been delivered in April last year, while another deadline set by contractor Reliance Rail will be broken today.
Drivers have revealed other problems include doors that won't close at platforms, sunlight hitting the driver's dashboard restricting vision of the speedometer, hundreds of electrical faults that have caused internal communication and airconditioning problems and driver's doors automatically alarming or locking, restricting employee safety.
The union representing RailCorp drivers said passenger safety was a priority. "We are working closely with RailCorp to get this first Waratah train on the network," said Rail Tram and Bus Union representative Bob Newham. "The good thing is RailCorp isn't going to accept it unless it is fit for service."
He confirmed a safety issue had been identified in relation to the windscreen.
Last night RailCorp said the "inspection and associated reviews" were still under way, and the train had not been accepted from contractor Downer EDI, the main shareholder of Reliance Rail.
It can also be revealed the train's first passenger journey will be from its Auburn yards to Central, and then on the Airport and East Hills Line for one return trip to Campbelltown, because there are four tracks on the line. "The nature of this line means if there is an incident it can be isolated so that other services are less likely to be affected," the spokesman said.
RailCorp also confirmed there had been "a number of minor incidents" involving the Waratah during testing.
It can be revealed the train damaged a set of points on November 16, 2010, causing network-wide chaos.
My journal comments:
It is with deep regret that both the Greater Western Sydney and Sydney commuters have to wait furthermore time for more comfortable and smooth running technological trains. Yet if commuters have to wait for correct safety issues to be rendered and attended too then what the heck let's wait - we do not want a major catastrophe if there was one slight safety issue missed : whether it is safety for commuter and/or transport officers.
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