據澳大利亞新聞網10日報道，昆士蘭州政府向加拿大製造商龐巴迪訂購的價值44億美元的新列車由於空調動力不足、制動問題以及無法滿足殘疾人需求的過道和廁所面臨鉅額維修費。報道稱，政府透露原本1.5億美元的維修費現要翻倍到3.36億美元，平均每節車廂450萬美元。這項工程拖累了兩屆政府和三任州長。
據悉，新列車的採購由布萊領導的工黨政府開始，訂單最終在2014年由坎貝爾·紐曼領導的自由民族黨簽署，而現任帕拉茨庫克領導的工黨政府本應用大量時間來審查這些訂單，但他們卻並沒有盡到職責。
昆士蘭州政府僅花費同等車型一半的價格採購了這批新一代列車，政府還曾就此大肆吹噓。然而，他們萬萬沒有想到，低廉的價格帶來了數不勝數的問題，如空調失靈、剎車問題等。最糟糕的是，列車的某些設計甚至沒有達到最低法律標準，通道太窄導致殘疾人使用的輪椅無法通過，殘疾人專用的衛生間設計也同樣不符合標準。
因此，這批新列車運營不久便引發了公眾的強烈不滿。一位輪椅使用者、布里斯班建築師溫迪·拉夫雷斯曾接受採訪時表示，她在3月份已經向聯邦法院申請，禁止昆士蘭鐵路繼續運營這列火車，因為其不符合殘疾人通行的法律規定。
據報道，這款火車由加拿大製造巨頭龐巴迪公司製造，昆士蘭鐵路公司此次一共訂購了75列火車，其中9列已交付。如今，這批斥巨資購買的火車卻面臨著被禁用的可能。對於昆士蘭州鐵路公司來講，這無疑是一個巨大的噩耗。
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A multi-billion-dollar contract to build new trains for Queensland was flawed from the start, leaving all 75 new trains not complying with disability access laws, an inquiry has found.
Retired District Court judge Michael Forde conducted the inquiry into the procurement of the 75 trains, and their failure to comply.
Mr Forde found the initial design, signed off by the Newman government in 2013, broke the law, but was still approved for construction.
The $4.4 billion New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) project was manufactured in India by a consortium led by the company, Bombardier.
But the NGR trains failed disability access tests, including having space for wheelchairs to move into the aisle.
Mr Forde found the delivery of the trains was doomed "from day one" and problems were known "when the contract was signed".
Geoff Trappett from disability advocacy group Inclusion Moves said the fact the trains were flawed from the beginning shows a lack of respect for people with a disability.
"It's just not good enough in this day and age. People with a disability have rights to travel on trains and have right to inclusive transport," he said.
"The issue of the rectification timeframe is one that really angers people with a disability.
"We notified the Government of these issues some years ago — in late 2015 — so that rectification had started then. Then we would be nearing the end of the rectification work, so it's simply not good enough to have non-compliant trains on the track for another six or seven years."
Mr Forde found an "evolution of failures right throughout" the process, which began under the Bligh government and continued under the Newman government.
The project began in 2008, but the first train was not delivered until 2017.
"This procurement took four years longer than it should have," Mr Forde told a media conference, standing beside Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
"It was the subject of change, not only as to who led the procurement, but also there were changes of government and also changes of the model from a traditional procurement to the public private partnership."
Mr Forde said the nub of the problem was a failure to properly consult with disability groups at the start of the process, which led to the correct disability access requirements being left out of the contract.
"There would have been people at middle to lower management who didn't escalate the problems, and perhaps were just afraid of giving bad news at different stages," he said.
"People with a disability have a right to use our public transport system and should not be at a disadvantage."The State Government will spend $335.7 million to install a second toilet on all of the trains, and increase the size of existing toilets by 10 per cent.
The work will be carried out by Downer EDI in Maryborough.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey said rectification work would not begin until late next year, with the first of the revamped trains to be put into service in early 2020.
It will take until 2024 for all of the new trains to be disability compliant, under the Human Rights Act.
The report made 24 recommendations, which had all been accepted by the Government.
LNP leader Deb Frecklington said she joined with disability advocates in saying enough was enough.
"This process has run for 10 years — in which Labor have been in charge for seven. It is time for Annastacia Palaszczuk to accept responsibility and deliver these trains," she said.
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