In six months, just three of the 55 New Intercity Fleet trains ordered by the NSW government have arrived.
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It's a delivery schedule that raises questions as to whether the first trains will be carrying passengers by the end of the year, as promised.
The third train arrived via ship at Port Kembla earlier this month and was hauled by locomotive to the Eveleigh Maintenance Facility.
As is the case with the first two trains - which also came through Port Kembla - it will go through a testing regime at the facility and on the intercity network before going into service.
Most of the testing on the network takes place outside timetabled service times to minimise the impact on commuters.
The trains will be operational on the Newcastle line first, with Transport for NSW previously stating that would happen later this year.
The rollout to the South Coast line - which will occur last as it has the newest trains now - was quietly pushed back a year to 2022 in May.
With 52 trains still to be shipped over from South Korea - and just three arriving in since December last year, it raises the question whether there will be enough trains available to start by the end of the year.
A Transport for NSW spokeswoman was not able to say when the trains would begin arriving in greater numbers, however she did confirm further deliveries were expected over the next six months.
"Transport for NSW is working closely with the manufacturer on the delivery of the new trains," the spokeswoman said.
"There are a number of moving parts involved in any project of this scale and sometimes this can mean changes to timelines.
"In February 2019 we ordered an additional 42 carriages which allowed us to convert all of the eight-car trains into 10-car trains, providing extra capacity for customers in the future.
"This brings the total order for New Intercity Fleet carriages to 554 which has also affected the delivery schedule."
The New Intercity Fleet carriages will include two-by-two seating, arm rests, tray tables, and high seat backs, as well as charging ports for mobile devices.
The two-by-two seating raised concerns with Illawarra commuters as it meant a loss of around 24 seats per carriage compared to the Oscars now on the line.
However, the decision to make peak-hour trains on the South Coast line 10 carriages rather than eight will largely take care of those capacity concerns.
One concern that won't go away is the lack of reversible seating, meaning half of the passengers in each carriage will be travelling backwards.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
