Train plans off the rails
THE state government may not know how many of Queensland Rail’s troubled new generation of commuter trains will be ready in time for the Commonwealth Games until just before the event.
Two separate investigations are underway into why one of the trains, built in India, came off the tracks during testing at an Ipswich maintenance depot on Thursday. The derailment happened as the train was being shunted by staff from the train’s Canadian manufacturer, Bombardier.
Deputy Premier Jackie Trad said Queensland Rail and the National Rail Safety Regulator are investigating but the incident doesn’t appear to have been caused by the train itself.
The derailment is the latest setback for the new trains, which have been bedevilled by faults including faulty door controls and braking.
A report by German rail operators Deutsche Bahn in July found as many as 41 issues with the new rolling stock.
The report, commissioned by the government, found that at least 18 of the new trains would be needed to bolster the train timetable for the Games – but strongly doubted they would be ready on time.
Labour MP Bruce Saunders, a member of the parliamentary tourism committee, added in August that transport at the time of the Games was destined to be “a debacle”.
“I’ll be quite honest with people, these trains were supposed to be up and running before the Commonwealth Games,” Mr Saunders said.
“At this stage we may have one set up and running, at this stage we’ve got 15 other sets cannibalised to get one on the ground.”
Ms Trad yesterday could not commit to all 15 of the trains currently approved or undergoing testing being ready in time.
“We are hoping to get as many as possible that are currently here in Queensland into passenger service,” Ms Trad said. “Now it might not be all of them but as many of them as possible we will try to ensure they are in service to meet the transport task of the Commonwealth Games.”
The deputy premier said they likely wouldn’t know how many of the trains would be available until as late as March, with the Games to be held in early April.
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls said he would await the outcome of the derailment investigation, but had no confidence the trains will be ready for the Games.
“Under Labor you can’t be guaranteed about anything on the rail network,” he said.
“We’re already hearing the M1 will be choked for the Commonwealth Games, we’ve had promises after promises about the delivery of these trains, but increasingly Labor is failing to deliver.”