Article: Driver system upgrade running months behind schedule

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Driver system upgrade running months behind schedule

Driver system upgrade running months behind schedule
Article from: Herald Sun

Ashley Gardiner

August 25, 2009 12:00am

A MAJOR safety upgrade for Melbourne's trains - mooted five years ago - is yet to be finished, more than 12 months after the original deadline.

Disagreement between Connex and the Rail, Tram and Bus Union over the position of a button has added to the delay.

The new safety system is designed to stop trains under the control of drivers who become incapacitated, even if the "dead-man brake" has failed.

It was recommended following the 2003 Waterfall derailment in Sydney that left seven dead, and two train collisions in Melbourne - at Footscray in 2001 and Epping in 2002 - that were linked to the failure of the dead-man brake system.

Documents obtained by the Opposition show the upgrade was to have been completed by June last year but now would take until the end of next year.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder accused Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky of having a lax attitude to safety.

"Eight years after the second of two collisions involving suburban trains, (Ms) Kosky is continuing to place a low priority on passengers' safety," Mr Mulder said.

Connex spokeswoman Lanie Harris said the delays in the project, known as VICERS, were largely due to software problems that had been fixed.

She said consultation with drivers had been crucial.

"We've received a range of feedback from drivers and maintainers, and, in some instances, the feedback has led us to modify the system to improve usability," she said.

"For example, we're currently looking at the feasibility of repositioning buttons in the driver's cab."

Testing will begin next week on the entire system, including the mechanism that can stop the train if the driver becomes incapacitated.

Ms Harris said the system would be installed on all the older Comeng trains by the end of November.

The newer trains, which make up about 40 per cent of the fleet, will be without it.

Ms Kosky's spokesman, Stephen Moynihan, said the project was progressing well.

Representatives of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union could not be contacted.