The closure of the Inner West Light Rail line for at least 18 months and the decommissioning of every single tram on the line is clear evidence that the NSW Government’s transport procurement policies have comprehensively failed passengers across the state.
 
Just as workers across Sydney begin to return to work, the discovery of serious cracking defects in every single one of the Inner West Line’s overseas built Trams means that thousands of passengers across the Inner West will experience delays and unreliable services for almost two years.
 
Passengers will be forced to wait years for reliable Light Rail vehicles as the 4 additional CAFs ordered by Transport for NSW in 2020 are not expected to arrive in NSW until 2023.
 
The further cost to NSW taxpayers of privately run replacement buses will also continue to go up. It is clear that the Government’s claims that replacement services cost “several thousand dollars a day” simply do not add up.
 
NSW Shadow Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said: “The Government’s transport procurement policies are now in tatters. Every single overseas built tram the Government bought has had to be decommissioned.
 
“An entire Light Rail line is now completely out of action. This will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. This is a debacle.
 
“It’s time for the Government to draw a line in the sand. They bought trains that don’t fit the tracks, ferries that can’t fit under bridges or operate at night, and an entire fleet of trams that simply don’t work. It’s time we started building transport infrastructure right here in Australia again so can get a quality product and value for money.”