The 10 ferries,which were initially scheduled to be operating on Sydney Harbour by mid-2020,have not been given the green light to enter service after a litany of problems were discovered over the past 12 months.
Two of the new River-class ferries.John Bennett
The latest issue may the Indonesian-built ferries’ deployment onto Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River by at least several months.
The problem relates to the angle of the glass in the wheelhouse of the ferries,with ongoing night-time reflection issues,forcing substantial structural changes to be undertaken over the coming months.
While the private ferry operator Transdev estimates the River-class will be able to enter service “later this year,” sources close to the project – speaking on the condition of anonymity – said the work could take anywhere from six to 12 months to complete.
They said remedial work could include cutting the wheelhouse deckhead – a vessel’s ceiling – re-angling the windows and then putting the deckhead back on.
“Something is going to have to be re-engineered. The only way to fix it now is to physically change the angle of the window,” the source said.
It has already been on the Parramatta River if passengers are on top,have experienced stalling issues under emergency conditions and were also found to contain asbestos,which has since been removed.
The NSW government in March said the vessels would be rolled into service in “coming months” after theHerald revealed problems with their engine and gearbox caused them to stall when put into reverse during emergency stops in extreme conditions.
The revised timeline was again altered in May with more work and trials needing to be completed on the ferries due to the reflection issues. Those trials were carried out on Tuesday evening,with the problem still not resolved.
Opposition transport spokeswoman Jo Haylen said the cost of the work undertaken would likely reach into the millions. The extra cost of fixing the boats will not be charged to the government.
“These ferries cannot safely operate at night,they can’t safely travel under bridges,and they cannot emergency stop,” Ms Haylen said.
“Each ferry now has to have the wheelhouse completely ripped off,rebuilt and then put back together.”
A spokeswoman for Transdev said a trial had been undertaken on the vessels on Tuesday night to improve night-time visibility issues.
They said the trial “enabled further understanding of the issue and for all involved parties to make progress towards a viable solution”.
“Transdev is working closely with employees and Australian shipbuilder Birdon on a solution,” the spokeswoman said.
“We are confident upcoming trials will resolve the issue with the ferries to be in service later in the year.”
However,Maritime Union of Australia Sydney branch deputy secretary Paul Garrett said the boats were far from being fit for service.
“Our members want to deliver the best ferry service on the best harbour in the world. These ferries couldn’t even be considered second rate,” he said.
“These boats are 12 months overdue. Someone should have been sacked by now.”
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