A rail union has raised safety concerns for commuters catching trains from stations like Stanwell Park and Wombarra if guards are removed from the new intercity fleet.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The new trains, being built in South Korea, will hit the South Coast line in 2019.
The trains can be operated solely by drivers, which has put the jobs of train guards under threat.
Tender documents for the new fleet for NSW TrainsLink show one of the requirements is trains “must support driver-only operation”.
The Rail, Tram and Bus Union fears the jobs of up to 300 of the 380 guards employed on NSW's intercity network are at risk from the proposal.
The union's state secretary, Alex Claassens, said the removal of guards would raise serious concerns about safety on curved platforms because drivers could not see the full length of trains.
A number of stations on the South Coast feature curved platforms, including Wombarra, Scarborough, Otford and Stanwell Park.
Mr Claassens said adding CCTV cameras to improve coverage for the driver was a poor substitute.
“Nothing is better than the eyes and the ears of a guard on a train at a platform to see and hear things when they’re happening and to do something about it immediately,” Mr Claassens said.
“The guards can actually step out on the the platform and look. They can hear things - cameras don’t hear anything – and sometimes there’s a scream or a yell and being able to hear that is very important.”
Mr Claassens said curved platforms often led to gaps between the platform and train where commuters could fall and become trapped. A guard at the rear of the train could respond to the train and alert the driver.
TrainsLink said a driver-only option for the new trains would be introduced only “where it is safe and appropriate to do so”.
“Under a driver-only proposal, guards would have continued employment until the new intercity fleet is progressively introduced from 2019. Even then we would still need guards on our current diesel fleet,” it said.
TrainsLink said a driver-only trains were already in operation in Melbourne and Perth, as well as railways overseas.