Sydney trains among world’s worst

EXCLUSIVE: Sydney's rail system has been found to be among the world's worst, according to a report obtained by Seven News.

The biggest problem is productivity, with drivers spending only a quarter of their time actually moving passengers around.

The Paris Metro, the London Underground and the New York Subway, are the envy of travellers, and especially Sydney's commuters.

"You can see that Railcorp is dwindling is falling behind the pack," Infrastructure Partnerships Australia’s Brendan Lyon said.

It doesn't take an expert to know ours is second rate, but an international survey confirms it.

It rated the efficiency of networks in North America, Europe, and Asia and found CityRail was off the rails, with drivers spending just 28% of their time driving trains.

The New South Wales Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian says the comparisons aren't surprising.

"Unfortunately, we've known for a long time things are not what they should be."

The survey blames the size of the network and the policy of having drivers and guards on board all trains.

The union denies its workers are the cause.

"Train drivers actually spend a lot of productive time doing their work. They prepare trains and get them ready for service," Alex Claassens from the Rail, Tram and Bus Union said.

Since May, the state government has taken the axe to Railcorp, with 500 middle managers gone, and another 600 to follow, along with 140 frontline staff, while 380 jobs are under review.

"Every commuter, and every taxpayer in New South Wales knows that we should be expecting better out of our rail system," Infrastructure Partnerships Australia’s Brendan Lyon said.