Sydney Metro rejects safety fears after electric shock during final test (2024)

Sydney Metro has insisted there are only a "small number" of outstanding approvals delaying the opening of the new line between Sydenham and Chatswood, despite concerns from the firefighters' union that it is not yet safe for passengers.

A Sydney Metro spokesperson said they were working closely with the National Rail Safety Regulator after a firefighter suffered an electric shock during routine safety testing at Barangaroo Station on Thursday.

"It is absolutely normal for safety procedures to be continually tested and adjusted as needed in the leadup to the opening of a new railway", they said.

"It is the only reasonable and responsible course of action."

The firefighter was completing a simulated emergency evacuation at the new station ahead of its scheduled opening at the weekend.

They were assessed by paramedics at the scene and are being monitored.

An investigation into the incident is underway.

It comes just days after the scheduled August 4 opening for the Chatswood to Sydenham line was postponed because the National Rail Safety Regulator said there were safety checks yet to be completed.

Fire Brigade Employees Union (FBEU) state secretary Leighton Drury said the incident "proves there are issues in those tunnels that need to be addressed".

"Safety for the commuters and safety for the emergency services is key and we shouldn't be opening lines that are unsafe," Mr Drury said.

He warned if an electrical fault was present during a real emergency where water was being used to control a fire, it could have dangerous consequences for the public and workers.

"It certainly doesn't look good for the operators to get their services up and running," he said.

It is now not yet clear when the line will open.

Union refuses to take part in safety drills

The line could not be given the final sign-off on time after the FBEU refused to take part in safety drills last month.

The union has been criticised from both sides of politics, who blamed its industrial action for the delayed opening.

Last week it lifted a "code red" barring member from taking part in any "familiarisation and drill exercise[s]" related to the Sydney Metro.

Earlier this week NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen conceded that industrial action was a major reason behind the delay.

NSW Deputy Liberal leader Natalie Ward said Labor was being dictated to by the union.

"We planned it, we funded it, we built it, all they had to do was open it and they couldn't even get that right," Ms Ward said.

Mr Drury said that claim was "a little bit cute".

"If the opposition want to call union's thugs because they worry about the commuting public's safety and firefighter's safety, I would suggest that the ideals of the Liberal National party are way off," he said.

A pay dispute between the union and state government, calling for a 20 per cent rise over three years, has now gone to arbitration.

"The action that we're taking is obviously to keep commuters and firefighters and other emergency services safe," Mr Drury said.

He said as of this week there were still 70 defects on the new line that had not been fixed, including signage and lighting as well as issues with the emergency management plan.

"These things should not be rushed," he said.

On Tuesday Ms Haylen insisted the railway was safe and said the delay in opening was "not a question of safety".

However Roads Minister John Graham has since conceded further safety work may need to be done.

He said the government made "no apologies for putting safety first" and referred to an outage on the NorthWest metro line a fortnight ago, where about 100 passengers were stuck on trains for hours.

The FBEU was highly critical of the emergency management plan during the incident, and said it wants to avoid a repeat of those failures on the Chatswood to Sydenham line.

Delays costing millions in economic benefit

Delays to the opening of the line are estimated to be costing the NSW economy millions of dollars each week.

A business case published in 2016 said any delays to the project could cost up to $2 billion a year in lost economic benefit.

"There's no question this is an economic inconvenience for those businesses bus there's an economic boom to come," Mr Graham said.

When it does eventually open, the Chatswood to Sydenham metro line is expected to cut travel times for thousands of people.

Travel between Martin Place and Waterloo should take six minutes, Sydenham to Macquarie University should take 33 minutes, Central to Chatswood should take 15 minutes, and North Sydney's Victoria Cross to Barangaroo is estimated to take three minutes.