Queensland transport minister Stirling Hinchliffe says results are due within weeks for the audit into how an inadequate signalling system was chosen for the still unopened Moreton Bay Rail Link.
The opening of MBRL was significantly delayed in May, after engineers found the new line’s signalling system was not adequate for integration with the broader South East Queensland network.
Queensland Rail revealed that a system had been installed which did not have the maximum capacity required as standard for the network, thus making rail activity impossible through the newly-constructed intersection between the existing network and the Moreton Bay Rail Link at Petrie.
Shadow federal minister for transport Anthony Albanese said Liberal ‘skimping’ was to blame for the error.
Seven days after the initial announcement Hinchliffe named Sydney Metro consultant Rod Smith to lead an audit into how the mistake occurred.
Now Hinchliffe says the results of Smith’s audit are almost ready – albeit they will be out later than the minister originally wanted.
“While I asked for the audit to be finalised before the end of July, I support the decision by the department of Premier and Cabinet to request further work,” he said on Thursday.
“The audit was announced to determine what went wrong and how the signalling system was selected.
“This audit has been run separately to the work being undertaken by Queensland Rail into the requirements of the signalling systems in order for Moreton Bay Rail Link to open.”
The opening of the MBRL has been pushed to mid-August.