Tangara replacement’s murky deadlines
Natalie Ward
Shadow Minister for Transport and Infrastructure
Acting Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council
When the Government announced the Tangara refurbishment program in 2024, it said the $447 million project would take around three years and extend the trains' operating life by 12 years, taking the fleet into the mid-2030s.
Two years later, not even one of the 55 eight-car Tangara trains has entered passenger service.
Now, the Government's latest announcement has shifted the goalposts again, claiming the refurbished trains will remain in service for another 10 to 15 years. That would see the ageing fleet operating into the late 2030s or even the early 2040s, raising fresh questions about the Government's long-term fleet strategy.
At the same time, despite the Premier's commitment that at least 50 per cent of the new Tangara replacement trains will be built locally once design and maintenance are included, the Government still refuses to say when the first train will roll off the production line or enter service.
The Government's definition of "50 per cent locally made" is also under scrutiny. Under the Minns Labor Government's own approach, a zero-emission bus manufactured overseas, shipped to Australia, driven off the ship and fitted locally with seats and electronic components is considered 50 per cent Australian-made.
After more than two years in office, commuters still have no certainty about when refurbished Tangaras will return to the network or when their replacements will finally arrive.
Shadow Minister for Transport Natalie Ward questioned the lack of detail from the Government on the timetables of this new fleet and what it means for commuters.
“Commuters I speak to want reliability, frequency and choice. Delays in procurement and delivery of critical transport fleets won’t be Chris Minns’ problem, but they will impact commuters.”
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