Single Deck Trains the Wrong Approach for an Integrated Transport System

The NSW Government’s insistence on building a tunnel that will only accommodate single deck trains in Sydney’s North West puts cost cutting ahead of good planning said the Rail, Tram and Bus Union today.

RTBU NSW Secretary Alex Claassens said introducing a new single deck train to run only on the North West Rail Link isolates the North West ensuring it is not integrating with the rest of the Sydney system.

“Introducing a metro style train into Sydney’s system which runs double deck trains simply doesn’t make any sense,” Mr Claassens said.

“We are not in New York or Paris and we can’t be compared with their system. Sydney commuters travel longer distances and our railway has been built on a double deck system.

“It’s simply bad planning to introduce a whole new type of train into an existing system.

“The Government needs change their plans and immediately commit to building a wider tunnel which can accommodate the trains in Sydney’s existing system.”

Mr Claassens said this was not the only issue North West commuters had to deal with.

“They will be getting driverless trains, a proven safety risk, and will all have to change at Chatswood Station which is already at capacity.

“The people of the North West have waited a long time to get a rail line. Surely they deserve to be treated better?”