Article: Heat problems set to cause more Melbourne train strife

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Heat problems set to cause more Melbourne train strife

Heat problems set to cause more Melbourne train strife
Article from: Herald Sun

Ashley Gardiner

July 21, 2009 10:50am

UPDATE 11.38am: THE Government admits failing to upgrade faulty train air conditioning behind a summer system meltdown.

And Victoria's transport chief says he can't guarantee passengers won't face a repeat of last summer's train chaos.

Being questioned by a parliamentary inquiry, Department of Transport secretary Jim Betts, confirmed it was not Connex?s responsibility.

Air conditioning on some of Melbourne?s trains becomes unreliable when the temperature hits 35C.

Asked by Greens MP Greg Barber who?s decision it was to upgrade or not upgrade the air conditioning, Mr Betts said: ?It was the Government?s responsibility.?

Mr Betts conceded the train service over summer ?fell well short of legitimate commuter expectations?.

Last summer, Melbourne commuters suffered the most cancellations on record as a result of stifling heat and industrial action.

The worst-hit trains were the 92 Comeng carriages introduced in the 1980s.

Mr Betts told the hearing trains had been pulled out of service on extremely hot days, as air-conditioners failed.

?We were confronted with three such days in a row January, which leads to serious problems with the fleet,? Mr Betts said.

?The performance of that air-conditioner above 34.5C can?t be guaranteed.?

He also admitted under questioning that train operator Connex was not responsible for air-conditioning maintenance under the terms of the contract.

Mr Betts is facing a grilling today at a parliamentary inquiry probing the causes of thousands of scrapped and late trains as heat-related glitches and union trouble plagued the system.

The Opposition says commuters should brace for face more train meltdowns next summer because heat-related problems plaguing the system have not been fixed. And it says the government is squarely to blame.

?We've got no doubt we'll get to the absolute root cause of the meltdown of the metropolitan and regional rail network over summer and that will point fairly and squarely at the government and the government's lack of investment,'' Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said.

Connex is expected to tell the Upper House inquiry that it knew about the air-conditioning failures but would argue fixing them was not part of its contract, signed in 2004.

Mr Mulder said 56 per cent of trains had faulty air-conditioners and passengers faced major disruptions this summer unless the government wanted to ?cook the people on board''.

He also blamed lack of government investment in tracks and sleepers for the meltdown.

The government and Connex will give evidence later in the day.

with Matthew Schulz and AAP