Share and Follow
Melbourne’s newest metro station is set to open its doors this Sunday, with officials affirming its safety. However, the firefighters’ union is urging a delay, citing concerns over a potentially hazardous radio communication fault.
Premier Jacinta Allan has dismissed these claims as part of a scare tactic linked to ongoing pay negotiations, rather than a genuine safety issue.
Today, Allan was present at Parkville Station to announce, “The countdown is absolutely on,” signaling the project’s imminent completion.
The metro, a $13.5 billion endeavor, is mere days from welcoming its first passengers. Yet, it remains uncertain whether the retail areas will be fully operational by the opening date.
Despite the excitement, the union representing firefighters has raised alarms about communication issues within the tunnel, emphasizing a significant safety concern.
Peter Marshall from the United Firefighters Union said: “These radios don’t work. The Fire Rescue Victoria radios do not work. They need to be reprogrammed.”
That’s something he says would take months.
“If there is an incident down in the tunnel, you will not be rescued,” he said.
That’s nonsense according to the premier.
“The claims that have been made by the union today are wrong and they’ve also been clearly rejected by the rail safety regulator, who is the expert on this matter,” Allan said.
Metro Trains chief executive Raymond O’Flaherty said they have “state of the art” fire systems.
“Fire Rescue Victoria have carried out a lot of tests of the systems,” he said.
“Everything is safe and we’re absolutely ready to go.”
It’s not enough to silence the union.
“What we’re seeing here is political expediency over public safety,” Marshall said.
The premier hit back, suggesting a pay fight is being put ahead of public confidence.
“These claims are being made perhaps more for industrial purposes than anything else,” Allen said.
Passengers can try out the new trains from Sunday.