Sydney’s oldest suburban passenger trains have been temporarily taken off the tracks due to cabin break-ins and vandalism.
K-sets, which have operated on the city’s network for almost 45 years, were abruptly withdrawn from service this week.
Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said there had been several recent “issues” on the trains, mainly involving “young people doing silly things”.
“Unfortunately we had a number of incidents last week, and then the police have pursued those involved,” he said.
NSW have reported several incidents targeting the train sets. (ABC News: David Hirst, Jak Rowland)
NSW Police said one of those incidents happened on a train heading west toward Summer Hill, just after 5pm last Wednesday.
“Two unknown teenagers had allegedly gained access to a restricted cabin,” a statement read.
“The pair then allegedly used the horn and attempted to use other features on the train.”
Train staff allegedly assaulted
The teenagers are then accused of assaulting a Transport for NSW staff member at Summer Hill Station when they were asked to leave the train.
A 13-year-old and a 15-year-old boy were arrested nearby and later released “pending further investigations”.
Recent break-ins have triggered service delays on rail network. (ABC News: Greg Bigelow)
The incident caused disruptions on the T2 Leppington and Inner West Line for almost two hours.
Mr Longland said they have now been forced to suspend K-set services to minimise the chance of it happening again.
“We’ve made some changes to the allocation of those trains to ensure that we manage that incident, not only for those on the particular trains that get held up, but other trains in the peak that get delayed as a result.“
Vandals exploit age of fleet
Unlike their more modern counterparts, K-sets do not have security cameras onboard, making them a target for cabin break-ins, train surfing, and other acts of vandalism.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said Sydney Trains is assessing “potential short-term improvements to security” ahead of the fleet returning to service.
It is understood retrofitting the trains with cameras or having security personnel in carriages are among what is being considered.
The K-sets entered service in 1981, and were the first suburban trains in NSW to have air-conditioning.
They began their progressive retirement earlier this year.
A handful remain in service during the weekday peak on the T2 Inner West and Leppington and T8 Airport and South lines, with plans to retire them permanently later this year.
Mr Longland said the temporary suspension does not signal the end of the line for the fleet just yet.
“If you want to have a last ride, we’ll give you plenty of notice about when they’ll be retired.“
