Rail Electrification Project

Mr MARSHALL (Dunstan—Leader of the Opposition) (14:36): A further supplementary, sir: has the minister considered removing the electric trains from this line pending the resolution of the cable issue?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning, Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:36): There are two points to make there. To hark back to something I said just a few moments ago about ensuring that the operations of the trains on the Seaford line are currently safe, I am assured that they are. I am assured, both from the lead contractor's perspective and also the department's perspective, that they have taken all steps to minimise the risk to safety.

The leader asked a specific question, I think, about removing train services from the Seaford line while this problem was being fixed. All services are being removed from the entire line for a period of time while these rectification works are occurring, which is specifically what the Leader of the Opposition raised in his question. Then, of course, for a three-week period—off the top of my head I think it is from 4 to 25 January—for approximately one half of the line, which is where the rectification works will be concentrated at that period in time, trains will be removed from service while those rectification works are underway.