Tudehope’s position put him at odds with Transport Minister David Elliott, who was also caught off guard by Tudehope’s announcement after spending six weeks in negotiations with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union.
Elliott on Friday reiterated he intended to take the union’s call for modifications to the train fleet to cabinet, and confirmed he had requested an audit of the cost.
“I was always open for improvements to safety. If the union could argue that there was a cost-benefit for improvements, that was certainly something that I would be quite happy to entertain,” Elliott said.
Minister for Transport and Veterans David Elliott, Treasurer and Minister for Energy Matt Kean, Minister for Finance and Employee Relations Damien Tudehope view the New Intercity Fleet, at Kangy Angy Maintenance Centre on Friday.Credit:Tom Rabe
“In my good faith arrangements with the union, I said: ’I can’t guarantee that ERC will agree to all of your requests, all of your log of claims but I have given them a good faith commitment that I will prosecute their claims.”
Tudehope estimated the cost of the modifications to allow guards to open the train doors would be about $1 billion, though senior government sources have indicated the cost could be considerably lower.
The stoush between the government and rail unions over the intercity fleet has been dragging on for three years, with the trains first slated to enter service in late 2019.
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While senior members of the state government are reluctant to make any modifications to the train fleet that has been deemed safe by the Office of Transport Safety, a prolonged standoff with unions will also prove costly.
Less than half of the 600 carriages have arrived in NSW, with the state’s transport agency already scrambling to find land to hold the idle fleet.
TrainLink NSW chief executive Dale Merrick confirmed one option available to the state was requesting the Korean manufacturer pause production.
A senior government source also said that rolling industrial action was impacting on the City and Southwest Metro construction, which has already blown out by billions.
Tudehope insisted the train fleet was high quality and met national and international standards.
The latest breakdown in negotiations comes after the entire rail network was shut down on February 21, sparking days of transport chaos for commuters.
While RTBU secretary Alex Claassens said his union would not be goaded into taking snap strikes, he has not ruled out further industrial action.
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