NSW government tests new CBD trams on inner west line

The NSW government is testing the new CBD light rail trams on the inner west network in an attempt to revive the service that has been suspended for up to 18 months after cracks were found in the entire fleet of trams.

The CBD trams are not designed to run on the inner west line,but the government has tested them on the suspended network over recent days for potential passenger services.

Sydney’s inner west light rail will be suspended for up to 18 months after cracks were discovered on the trams.

Sydney’s inner west light rail will be suspended for up to 18 months after cracks were discovered on the trams.Steven Siewert

Transport Minister Rob Stokes said the CBD Citadis trams would be tested across the entire inner west network.

“Over the next couple of days we’ll be testing the Citadis trams across the entirety of the inner west light rail line to see if we can use these trams to restore a service as quickly as possible,” he said.

“What we’re ascertaining is whether we can use these trams to set up a service while a permanent fix is put into practice.”

Mr Stokes said the wheel profiles of the CBD trams were different to those that serviced the inner west,but work was being carried out to assess whether they could run on the other network.

“There are problems in terms of the wheel profile,the Citadis trams being slightly narrower which meant that in the first instance we were looking at how quickly we could repair the existing trams,” he said.

“Given that the trams are slightly narrower,[we would need to address] things like gaps on platforms remaining safe for passengers.”

Meanwhile,Mr Stokes revealed on Thursday he had ordered a third Freshwater class ferry to be reintroduced to the harbour amid ongoing problems with the new Emerald class vessels set to replace them.

“With any new fleet you’re going to have issues as you’re commissioning them. But I’m not going to make excuses,some of it is not good enough,” he told 2GB on Thursday afternoon.

“I have also ordered that we do the engine overhaul for a further Freshwater Class ferry to get that into service as well to give us more options.”

Crackshave been found in the hull of one of the Emerald class vessels,while another was towed to a dock for propeller repairs this week.

While Transport for NSW on Monday said no decision had been made as to whether the French-built CBD trams would service any other part of the city’s transport network,they had been seen doing night-time testing on the inner west network.

The inner west light rail network was suspended for up to 18 months in October after cracks were found in all 12 trams that service the network.

The government is yet to determine a specific repair schedule for the trams,but had indicated the trams would most probably return to the network within 18 months.

Mr Stokes said moving some CBD trams to the inner west line would not have an impact on the eastern suburbs service.

TheHeraldrevealed on Wednesday that the government had been alerted to cracks in the trams almost a month before the rail line was suspended.

A series of documents and emails,tendered to NSW Parliament under an upper house order and seen by theHerald,also reveal concern within the agency that the cracks could have been present on the trams for more than a year.

Opposition transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen said the move was a result of the government building two different tram systems and privatising both.

“We should have been able to run the eastern suburbs light rail trams on the Inner West Light Rail line on the day those 12 cracked trams were taken off the tracks,” she said.

The NSW government last year announced the four iconic Freshwater class ferries would be retired from the Manly service,but backed down and kept two of the vessels for weekend and public holiday service amid a public backlash.

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Tom Rabe is the WA political correspondent,based in Perth.

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