The Hunter's Parliamentary Secretary says criticisms levelled at the seating arrangements on forthcoming new inter-city trains are unwarranted and a year late.
NSW Labor today questioned why half the seats on the new fleet won't be reversible, leaving some passengers riding backwards and sparking concerns about motion sickness.
Despite being popular with commuters, transport officials decided against ordering them in the new trains after it was found they are more complex, heavier and need more maintenance than fixed seats - and they also posed a greater fire risk.
Scot MacDonald said it is unbelievable Labor have apparently only just now looked at the designs, which were released over a year ago.
"These designs for the seating plan have been out for over a year," he said, "it's taken 12 months for the Labor Party to get around to what's been put out on the Transport NSW website and by the media, and then come up with an opinion."
He said current NSW trains are in dire need of a refresh, which is what commuters will be getting.
"These are far better carriages - they've got wider seats, they've got armrests, they've got charging stations...they look fresh and modern with clean lines," Mr MacDonald said.
The Parliamentary Secretary said he's spoken to the community and received positive feedback for the plans.
"When I handed pamphlets with design information out to people using the [inner city trains] as they are now...people were saying 'bring it on.'
Latest information from the state government indicates the new fleet will begin trials in May 2019 and will be progressively rolled-out after that.
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| Artist's impression of the new train interiors. |
