LOCALS will likely have to wait until next year to enjoy the state's new multi-billion dollar intercity fleet after delays to the arrival of the trains from South Korea.
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Transport for NSW has confirmed the trains, which were to begin carrying passengers on the Central Coast and Newcastle line later this year, have been delayed and a new "timeline for them to enter service" will be "confirmed once they arrive".
The trains were due to arrive by ship in March, but will likely not arrive until November or December. They will then have to undergo likely three to four months of testing before entering service.
The Central Coast and Newcastle line is set to receive the trains first, months ahead of the Blue Mountains line and more than a year ahead of the South Coast.
Significant track, signalling and station modifications have been made to cater for the trains, including platform extensions at Adamstown and upgrades at Hamilton.
The new trains will replace the ageing V-sets, which are due to be retired by 2022 after four decades of service.
The fleet consists of 554 double-deck carriages.
The government added 42 carriages to the order in February, taking its build and maintenance contract with RailConnect - a consortium of Korea's Hyundai Rotem, Japan's Mitsubishi and Australian engineering firm UGL - to $2.43 billion.
Transport for NSW secretary Rod Staples said the extra carriages had impacted the overall delivery schedule.
"There are a number of moving parts involved in any project of this scale and we will continue to work closely with RailConnect to get these trains on the tracks as soon as possible for our intercity customers," Mr Staples said.
"Testing [in 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.
They don't fit the tunnels, they don't fit the tracks and now they are delayed
- - Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp
"This means that any fine-tuning can take place at the manufacturing facility before the train is shipped."
Newcastle state MP Tim Crakanthorp said the delay was a blow for commuters and "the latest in a long list of issues" that had "plagued" the project.
"They don't fit the tunnels, they don't fit the tracks and now they are delayed," he said, in reference to previous issues.
"Now Newcastle and Central Coast commuters will spend longer crammed on the 40-year-old V-set carriages while manufacturing continues in South Korea.
"We have two great local manufacturers in the Hunter - these delays are another reason they should have been built here.
"This is more incompetence from Mr Constance."
A $265 million fleet maintenance facility at Kangy Angy on the Central Coast is also months behind schedule.
The new trains' fixed seating configuration received criticism early last year after it was revealed half of the seats will always be facing backwards, as opposed to the reversible flip seats on existing trains.
Some of the anticipated features include tray tables, charging ports for mobile devices, more space for luggage, prams and bicycles, improved accessibility, and modern heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
