Illawarra rail commuters - already last in line for new trains - may now have to wait even longer after delays in delivering the fleet.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The delay also puts in jeopardy the NSW government's promise that the region would get a 10-car train every 15 minutes during peak hour.
The NSW government is spending billions on the New Intercity Fleet, which will run on the Illawarra, Central Coast and Blue Mountains lines.
The first of the South Korean-built carriages were due to arrive in March but may not now arrive until November or even December.
This increases the likelihood that the rollout across the network will be delayed.
The new trains were scheduled to hit the Central Coast line this year, with the Blue Mountains to follow in mid-2020.
Under the original schedule, the South Coast line was the last to get the trains - waiting until 2021.
This is because the intercity trains on the other lines are older than the Oscars that run along the South Coast line.
Earlier this year, Transport and Roads Minister Andrew Constance promised to boost capacity and frequency on the South Coast line.
This would be delivered via the extra 42 carriages the government ordered earlier this year.
Transport for NSW secretary Rodd Staples said that new order was in part responsible for the delay.
"This brings the total order for New Intercity Fleet carriages to 554 which has also had an impact on the delivery schedule," Mr Staples said
Mr Staples said a revised timeline for the South Coast rollout would be developed once the carriages began to arrive.
"The manufacturer has provided an opportunity to conduct more testing on the purpose-built track before the trains arrive in Australia," he said.
"Testing [in South Korea] started in March 2019 and has allowed us to run the trains all day rather than be limited by short shut-down periods on the busy Sydney Trains network.
"This means that any fine-tuning can take place at the manufacturing facility before the train is shipped to Australia."
The New Intercity Fleet has been a source of controversy for South Coast commuters.
Each carriage will fit fewer passengers than the Oscars, raising the concern the South Coast trains will be even more crowded.
This has been alleviated by the promise to make peak-hour services 10 cars, which means each train can carry more passengers than the eight-car Oscars.
Also, the decision to go with fixed rather than reversible seating means some commuters will be travelling backwards.
