One of the NSW government's Newcastle light rail vehicles has been out of action for almost two years and is being scavenged for parts as doubts emerge over the supply of components from Spain.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The number 2155 tram has been parked outside the Keolis Downer maintenance depot in Newcastle West since June 2022.
The vehicle appears to be missing the rooftop "onboard energy storage system" which helps charge its battery at stops along the Newcastle light rail route.
Multiple sources told the Newcastle Herald that the vehicle was being used for components due to an ongoing dispute between Keolis Downer and Spanish manufacturer CAF over supplying parts.
One source said the trams' battery storage system was "very problematic" and Keolis Downer had encountered difficulty sourcing parts from CAF.
The source said the Spanish manufacturer had not been willing to provide adequate technical support and was trying to create "leverage" to take over the maintenance contract when the government's agreement with Keolis Downer expired in 2027.
The Herald understands Keolis Downer is responsible for all problems with the trams under its operation and maintenance contract with the government.
A source said spare parts could be arriving soon to fix 2155 after more than 12 months of delays.
Heavy rain had caused some issues for the trams, and parts were wearing out quickly on the flexible pantograph charging mechanism at each light rail stop.
The Herald has seen written evidence of recent "pantograph motor failures" on the tram line and other reliability issues affecting services.
Keolis Downer is contracted to run and maintain six CAF Urbos trams on the route.
Four of these are meant to run on the track at any one time in seven-minute intervals from 7am to 7pm.
One is held in reserve in case of a breakdown while another enters the workshop for routine servicing.
The absence of tram 2155 is resulting in some 15-minute intervals between services when the fleet encounters problems.
Transport for NSW did not answer questions about why tram 2155 had been out of action for so long, whether it had been scavenged for parts and if the government or Keolis Downer was in dispute with CAF.
"The safety of passengers and staff is the highest priority for Transport for NSW," a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.
"We are aware that, on occasion, services have operated at reduced frequency due to maintenance of the fleet.
"Every effort is made to ensure passengers are informed of any disruptions this may cause."
Transport for NSW has been embroiled in a long-running dispute with CAF over the design and cost of the state's new long-distance trains replacing the XPT fleet.
The department found cracking on all six CAF Urbos trams on Sydney's Inner West Light Rail route in 2021 but subsequent checks of the Newcastle vehicles found no such issues.
One source who spoke to the Herald this week said all six Newcastle vehicles were experiencing chassis cracking but the problems were not yet severe enough to warrant repairs.
Other Urbos vehicles around the world have experienced cracking around their bogie boxes.
The Inner West trams are powered by more conventional overhead wires instead of rapid-charging onboard batteries.
Keolis Downer said some of the factors contributing to service disruptions included "regular fleet maintenance coinciding with unplanned disruptions such as extreme weather events".
Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
