Image: Will Thorpe
Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland has hailed immediate changes to the way the city’s railway network is run, following major disruption in late May after a train became tangled in a catenary wire.
According to an email Longland wrote to employees on Wednesday (4 June), an internal review conducted by the operator “identified the need to strengthen our operational responsiveness, real-time decision-making, maintenance systems and assurance processes.”
Transport for NSW confirmed to City Hub that operational changes are on the way.
“Following the incident at Homebush last month, Sydney Trains is making a range of changes designed to ultimately help it more effectively respond to disruptions on the rail network,” a spokesperson commented.
These will be focused on several “key areas” identified by the internal review: “Rail Operations, Engineering and Maintenance, and Safety, Risk and Assurance.”
In addition to the operator’s own inquiry, premier Chris Minns launched an independent review following the 20 May meltdown, headed by a three-expert panel.
The latest overhaul follows the Rail Repair Plan which was spearheaded by former transport minister Jo Haylen. Transport for NSW touted the programme, which saw a blitz of engineering works, as resulting in a significant uplift in reliability – despite the punctuality of train services falling in the 2025 financial year.
Sydney Trains has pointed to industrial action as a cause of disruption, saying that it has delayed maintenance.
Changes for staff, clearer information for passengers
Sydney Trains will hire an executive director in charge of responding to incidents and overseeing subsequent service recovery, to be based at its Rail Operations Centre, Sydney’s main signalling facility. A team responsible for developing contingency timetables and systems will also be established.
Meanwhile, Longland announced that the head of engineering and maintenance at Sydney Trains was to be sacked.
There will be a focus on improving the provision of information to passengers during major service disruptions, periods which can be taxing both on the travelling public and on railway staff.
A dedicated maintenance plan will prioritise short-term works at critical points in the network. Relatedly, a rapid response team will be trialled during peak periods to “co-ordinate the efficient response to infrastructure faults” at such locations.
Passengers front-of-mind, says Sydney Trains
Longland said that, in a meeting with the panel heading the Independent Rail Review, he emphasised that the rail operator was acting with passengers front-of-mind.
“I reinforced Sydney Trains’ commitment to the review and acknowledged the clear need for us to do things better for our passengers,” he told staff.
Transport for NSW echoed this sentiment to City Hub. “The Independent Rail Review has been made aware of the changes and the need to implement them immediately in the best interests of commuters,” the spokesperson said.
“This week the expert review team has spent time at Homebush examining the site of the wiring failure.”
In May, an agreement between the long-feuding New South Wales Government and Rail, Tram and Bus Union was announced, which it was hoped would signal the end of disruptive industrial action.
