Taxpayer cost of light rail shutdown in Sydney's Inner West revealed

The replacement buses for Sydney's Inner West light rail service are costing taxpayers thousands of dollars a day.

The Inner West light rail has been shut down for up to 18 months after cracks were discovered in all 12 trams.

Buses are replacing the service while the fleet is fixed.

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9News can reveal the cost of the light rail shutdown for taxpayers, which includes the replacement buses, drivers and marshalls.

Documents show Transport for NSW is forking out as much as $90,000 a day.

Over the next 18 months of the predicted shutdown, it will add up to close to $50 million.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet today spoke about the transport challenges during the National Press Club in Sydney.

"Trains crack. Sometimes there are challenges with ferries. Yes, there are always going to be problems," Mr Perrottet said.

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Opposition Leader Chris Minns said NSW taxpayers "need to know their money is falling through the cracks".

"This is coming straight out of the pockets of the taxpayers of NSW," Mr Minns said.

"They're not getting value for money, the commuters aren't getting a service and the government insists nothing's gone wrong."

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It comes after other issues have been discovered in Sydney's transport services, including cracks in one of the new Manly ferries.

Several welding defects have been discovered on the Emerald-class Balmoral.

"We have safety issues with trams, safety issues with ferries and trains, all built overseas," Jo Haylen, the Shadow Transport Minister, said.

Mr Perrottet said there will be more of a focus on onshore manufacturing in the future.

"We will be having a much greater focus, even though we lead the way now, when it comes to taking NSW to the next level when it comes to onshore manufacturing," he said.