Markets 
The boss of Sydney’s light rail network has apologised for a “totally unacceptable” string of tram fires that wreaked havoc across the CBD and eastern suburbs, saying the blazes were unexpected despite the failed rollout of a replacement battery program.
There have been six light rail fires in just four months – all stemming from roof-mounted batteries. Four fires happened while the trams were in service, shutting down almost the entire network for hours at a time.
Brian Brennan, chief executive of private operator Transdev Australasia, which is responsible for the CBD and south-east light rail lines, said eight trams with a specific batch of faulty batteries had been taken out of service. He told passengers it was “absolutely safe” to ride the remaining 52 trams on the fleet, and he apologised for the disruption and concern the fires had caused.
“The battery issue is completely serious,” he said. “It’s totally unacceptable. But the response from our crew and partners worked, and there were absolutely no injuries to anyone.
“Regrettably, it should have never happened … We encourage passengers to listen to announcements, check information displays, but absolutely, we apologise for the disruption.”
The Herald can reveal both the trams in the first spate of fires in February and March, and those in the later incidents in June and July, were fitted with lead-acid batteries. A battery replacement program rolled out after the first incidents was brought forward, but nobody from Transdev anticipated the same kind of battery would spark more fires.
Asked why the lead-acid batteries hadn’t been pulled out of trams in the first instance, Brennan said: “We were implementing that program of work with the new batteries, and we didn’t anticipate that we would have the level of difficulty with the new batteries.”
Brennan said lead-acid batteries self-extinguished after three to five minutes, and that they would not spread to other parts of the tram. He did not know the supplier, but he said they were industrial batteries also used in the aviation industry.
Taxpayers will not foot the bill for the bungled operations, and Transdev will cover costs.
The Australian branch of the French multinational firm Transdev has operated the L1, L2 and L3 lines for more than 10 years, transporting more than 40 million people annually.
Acting co-ordinator-general Matt Longland said Transport for NSW was “disappointed these incidents occurred and [we] have sought assurances from the operator about ongoing fleet reliability”.
“Transport for NSW expects the highest safety standards from its operators and will continue to hold Transdev accountable for delivering safe and reliable services while investigations continue.”
Rail, Tram and Bus Union divisional president Peter Grech said tram drivers he had spoken to were mostly fine, although one person was “a little shaken”.
“Transport for NSW should be accountable for the whole fiasco. Transdev is a French company; they’re given these contracts that they’re not overseeing properly. It’s just a box-ticking exercise for Transport for NSW, and they wipe their hands of it after,” he said.
The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here.
Cindy Yin is an urban affairs reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners
Read the full article here
