Battery Batch Withdrawal Follows Sydney Light Rail Incidents

The Sydney light rail suspension followed two separate incidents on Saturday in which smoke was detected on the roofs of trams serving the CBD and eastern suburbs.

Smoke reports on the L2 and L3 lines

The shutdown affected the ⁠L2 Randwick and L3 Kingsford lines connecting Circular Quay with Randwick and Juniors Kingsford.

Smoke was first reported at about 7.55am between Wynyard and the QVB in central Sydney. A second incident followed at approximately 10.25am near South Dowling St in Surry Hills. Passengers and drivers safely left both vehicles, and no injuries were reported.

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Risk assessment and replacement transport

Transdev suspended the two lines as a precaution. The operator is working with Transport for NSW and the relevant safety authorities to complete a thorough risk assessment before services resume.

⁠Replacement buses are running between Central and Randwick and between Central and Juniors Kingsford. Services on the L1 Dulwich Hill Line continue to operate normally.

A Transdev spokesperson said:

“The safety of passengers and employees is our highest priority.”

“We understand this disruption is frustrating for customers and appreciate their patience.”

Transport for NSW advised passengers to use alternative transport where possible and allow additional time for their journeys. South Dowling St reopened to northbound traffic after the affected light rail vehicle was removed.

Another light rail vehicle caught fire earlier this month. Together with Saturday’s two incidents, this brings the number of fire-related events on Sydney’s light rail network to three within the past fortnight.

What is known about services?

In an ⁠update, Transdev said its investigation identified batteries from a specific batch in both incidents and that the batch had been withdrawn from service across the fleet. At the time of the update, vehicles operating on the L2 and L3 lines did not use the affected batteries. Transdev was also working with the fleet manufacturer, Transport for NSW and relevant safety authorities to return all vehicles to service.