New fleet of NSW trains so safe they 'don't need guards'

It’s worth a whopping $2.3 billion dollars and boasts all the modern luxuries – space, Wi-Fi, charging ports and wider seats. 

The New Intercity Fleet is so safe and impressive that it no longer needs guards. 

It’s the proud new, high-tech concept from the New South Wales Government designed to improve the commute to the Central Coast, Newcastle, Blue Mountains and South Coast. 

But it comes at a cost. The new fleet is a ‘driver only’ operation, meaning there is no longer a need for the 340 guards working on the current Intercity fleet. 

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union tends to disagree. 

“We accept that there is technology coming, there is lots of technology as we know,” Union State Secretary Alex Claassens told 9NEWS. 

“We do not believe that there is any type of technology that you can fit on a particular train, that will be safe enough to say that train can work with one person on it alone.” 

Guards themselves worry about safety and say it is the guards on the ground who are the “eyes and ears” of the network. 

Bruce Gail worked on the Sydney Rail Network for seventeen years and knows the risks associated with the role.  

“The guard’s role is vital - it's customer service, first aid, its communications, you're the eyes and ears of the network,” he says. 

“Nothing against passengers, but you can't rely on passengers to come to your aid. It just doesn't happen. The only thing between safety and passengers is the guard. The driver's down the front, he can't help you.” 

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance is confident the advanced technology the New Intercity Fleet offers will improve customer service and safety. 

“The technology does exist to provide customer safety in terms of what has been the traditional function of guards,” Mr Constance says. 

“Particularly the cameras and the ability for the drivers to have full vision and sight of passengers - how they embark and disembark on the trains - that's the key. We're trying to deploy technology in a way that provides greater safety and support to the movement of commuters.” 

The New Intercity fleet is being built in South Korea and comprises of more than 500 new carriages that will start rolling out late next year.