Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

The maintenance of the trains by the manufacturer over a thirty year period is a new concept for the Sydney train operator, RailCorp. The obligation to maintain the cars will have a significant impact on the design approach. Quality materials, and easy servicing, will be important considerations, as will “future-proofing” – the ability to incorporate new technology as it develops over the thirty year period. Seventy-eight trains are to be built, of which 72 are to be available for service at any given time.

The new trains will have the appearance of a streamlined Millenium train. An artist’s impression appeared on the front page of the Sydney Morning Herald of 3 August 2007. In a major departure from Sydney practice, the trains will be assembled in non-divisible 8-car sets. This will provide slightly more passenger accommodation, 2 crew cabs having been eliminated, and passengers will be able to walk, internally, the full length of the train, which will facilitate end evacuation. The car configuration will be TDC-MC-MC-TC-TC-MC-MC-TDC (T = trailer, M = motor, and D = driver). They will replace the present “R” and “S” sets, and as “suburban” cars, no toilets will be provided.

The elimination of the centre crew cabs will require the guard to travel in the rear compartment. This is a major departure from present practice and has required lengthy negotiations with unions. RailCorp is already working on the passenger-education protocols which this arrangement entails. In addition to the customary internal CCTV security cameras, the new train will have external cameras, providing the guard with a 4 x 2 array of images on a single screen. This will enable safe door control, even at curved platforms. The camera images will be recorded from a point 300 metres on the approach to the platform. There will be audio and visual warning of door movement, and passenger-activated emergency door releases will be functional at speeds below 5 kph. Improved lighting will illuminate the platform area adjacent to the doors, and the internal draught screens adjacent to the doors will be set back so that passenger flow through the doors will be maximised, despite the wont of some passengers to stand near the door opening.

Safety and disability features will be improved. There will be 16 wheelchair spaces per train, compared with 12 in the Millenium, and there will be a wheelchair ramp stored in each crew cab. Each wheelchair space will be equipped with a communications “help point”. “Priority” seats, with contrasting upholstery and appropriate signage, will be sited adjacent to the doors. Sightlines within the car will be enhanced, assisted by a transparent stair divider.

The first train is scheduled for testing in mid-2009, to be operational mid-2010.

Further information on the contract and the train specification is available on the RailCorp website http://www.railcorp.info/.