Articles: temperature soars

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Metro rail delay fears as temperature soars

Metro rail delay fears as temperature soars
THOMAS HUNTER
January 11, 2010 - 10:30AM

Track repair crews, water trucks and a fleet of buses are on stand-by to tackle any heat-related disruptions to Melbourne's rail network today, the city's new rail operator says.

With the massive disruptions caused by last January's rail meltdown still fresh in the minds of commuters, spokeswoman Lanie Harris said Metro Trains had undertaken a maintenance program to boost the performance of air-conditioning units on the ageing Comeng trains, which were not designed to operate in temperatures above 35 degrees.

During last January's heatwave in the build-up to Black Saturday, air-conditioning failed on 106 trains - then operated by Connex - after temperatures soared.

"We've been doing rail strengthening works in preparation for the heat," Ms Harris said.

"We've blitzed more than 400 locations around the network that were deemed susceptible to rail buckling.

"Today we'll have technicians patrolling the network assessing the signs of heat stress on the tracks."

But she said Metro would not to take Comeng trains out of service to avoid potentially disruptive breakdowns.

"We need every train we can get," she said. "We have 350,000 passenger trips each day, and we simply wouldn't be able to not use an entire portion of our fleet."

She said a number of train faults during the morning peak could have a knock-on effect throughout the day.

"If those trains can't be put back into service and the heat affects other trains, there's a chance of delays later in the day," she said.

Country trains passengers will experience delays throughout the day, with V-Line trains having to stick to speed restrictions as a result of the heat.

"It's the first day for this summer we've had to apply speed restrictions across the network," said V-Line spokesman James Kelly.

"Trains on the fast-rail corridors between Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Traralgon have been slowed from 160km/h to 90km/h.

"On the longer distance lines, from Warrnambool, Bairnsdale and so on, trains are also being slowed to about 90km/h. That will mean trips on all those line will take a bit longer than usual.

"We've got 40 coaches on stand-by at Southern Cross and another 20 in regional areas just in case things don't go according to plan," he said.

Meanwhile, Ambulance Victoria has urged friends and family to pay close attention today to infants, the aged, pregnant and nursing mothers, and those who suffering illness.

"During hot weather people should look out for neighbours and family and friends, and check on older, sick and frail people who may need help to cope with the heat," said Ambulance Victoria's operations manager Paul Holman.

"Heat stroke and heat stress are serious conditions and can lead to death. The most important thing to remember is that heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be avoided by taking some simple precautions."

He said these include limiting outdoor activity, drinking plenty of water, taking a cool shower or bath, and watching for signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion.

WorkSafe is urging employers to ensure planning is in place for workers exposed to high temperatures.

Acting executive director Cath Duane said employers and supervisors must assess what work needs to be done, and how.

"There are clear safety issues with people working outdoors, but many people who are working indoors such as those in warehouses, some retail outlets, factories and workshops can also be at risk from indirect heat or fatigue," Ms Duane said.

She added people working in confined spaces, such as insulation installers, are at very high risk on days of extreme heat.

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Williamstown, Alamein lines suspended as commuters are urged to avoid peak hour public transport with Melbourne heat set to peak after 5pm

    * Asley Gardiner with AAP
    * From: AAP, Herald Sun
    * January 11, 2010 8:28AM
    * 91 comments

UPDATE 5.36pm: TWO train lines have been suspended due to searing heat, despite the Premier promising "significant improvements" to Melbourne train services this summer.

No trains will run on the Williamstown line until further notice, with buses operating from Newport to Williamstown.

And Metro has suspended train services on the Alamein line, where buses are now running.

"Both of those bus replacements are planned ... to free up trains to avoid cancellations on other lines," Metro spokeswoman Lanie Harris told 3AW radio.

"They are lesser-used train lines."

The cancellations come a year after Premier John Brumby promised "significant improvements" to Melbourne's train services after repeated cancellations due to heat last summer.

3AW's Neil Mitchell quizzed Mr Brumby on January 27 last year, asking: "And will we be sitting here next January saying, problems again?"

Mr Brumby replied: "I would say that by this time next year, in fact earlier than that, you're going to see significant improvements throughout the system.

"And you'll see that because of the investments that we're making, many of the things in the Transport Plan, plus the new rolling stock that starts coming on from later this year, so as that comes onto the line progressively, as we get on top of these issues and conditions, you will see significant improvements in the system during the year."

What do you think of today's cancellations? Have your say below

Ms Harris said no one train line had been harder hit than others.

The lines will be suspended until the end of the peak period.

All train lines have been hit by disruptions as temperatures hit a peak.

Trams were also disrupted on Elizabeth St after a derailment about 4.15pm, but Yarra Trams spokesman Colin Tyrus said services had returned to normal.

V/Line has also cancelled the 7.12pm service to Traralgon and the 5.47pm service to Geelong.

Click here for service updates from Metro

Temperatures have already exceeded 43C in Melbourne, with the mercury expected to hit its highest point between 5pm and 7pm.

Police urged people to leave work early or wait until after 7pm to ease the strain on the public transport system.

Regional train operator V/Line for the first time ordered all its trains to run on heat speed restrictions from 12pm-8pm, cutting maximum speeds from 150 km/h to 90 km/h, delaying services from four to 20 minutes.

V/Line spokesman James Kelly said 40 buses were on standby at Melbourne and another 20 at regional stations in case of any peak hour cancellations.

VicRoads said it was doing emergency repairs on the Calder Fwy south of Bendigo, in central Victoria, between Ravenswood and Big Hill, after the heat softened bitumen.

By 2pm today, 40 Melburnians had collapsed, but it is not yet known how many were heat-related.

An overnight minimum of 27 degrees has been forecast.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Terry Ryan said at 2pm parts of Melbourne had already surpassed 44 degrees and the hot spell would continue until about midday tomorrow, when a cool change should come through.

Authorities had earlier warned that the heat and fire danger won't end today, with up to three fire districts facing catastrophic conditions tomorrow.

A total fire ban has been issued for tomorrow in all regions except South Western.

A Parks Victoria spokeswoman said hundreds of campers have been evacuated from parks across the Wimmera, including the Grampians National Park, which is the largest in the district.

Other campsites being evacuated are in Little Desert National Park, the Black Range State Park and the St Arnaud Range National Park, where there was a bushfire false alarm earlier in the day.

Country Fire Authority chief Russell Rees has warned that tomorrow will also be a dangerous day for fires and urged residents to leave early.

"We want people to prepare and understand that we are in a very difficult weather scenario with a wind change coming, the potential for a very hot night and very real risk for Victorians, for the western and central part of the state today leading into the evening and the north eastern part of the state tomorrow,'' he told reporters today.

Mr Rees said a code red did not mean everyone in the area should leave, but those in high-risk areas should move to bigger towns.

Police Commissioner Simon Overland urged people to keep themselves and their families safe.

"What we say to the community is if you are in those areas and you are in a high-risk environment your safest option is to leave,'' he said.

"The worst decision you can make is to stay and go late.''

Mr Overland said the hottest weather would be at about 5pm.

"The extreme weather event itself ...poses probably a greater risk than the fires at this point,'' he said.

"The weather ...will peak later in the day ... the hottest part of the day will be somewhere around 5pm on.''

Mr Rees said the CFA's website temporarily experienced technical difficulties this morning.

"We have had a minor technical problem with our feed to our website this morning," Mr Rees said. "It has been traced and it has been fixed."

Mr Rees said he did not have precise technical information about the problem but said there had been an issue with "messaging". He also reiterated that the website was "a new system".

Mr Rees said there are many options available to emergency services to alert people to fire danger and that it was important for people to cross reference advice if they are in doubt about fire danger in their area.

Last month, on the first day of extreme warnings of the bushfire season, Victorians were unable to access the website for about two hours in the afternoon.

However, the CFA denied there had been a crash, blaming "technical faults'' by a service provider, leading to the feed of warning messages being interrupted.

Authorities have one less worry after a bushfire emergency near St Arnaud in western Victoria proved to be a false alarm.

Seventeen firefighters rushed to the St Arnaud Range National Park about 11am after a fire spotter reported seeing smoke from a nearby tower.

But when crews arrived there was no fire, a Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) spokeswoman said.

Temperatures are set to reach 44 degrees in the Wimmera and strong northerly winds are forecast.

Extreme bushfire warnings have been declared for most of the state, including Melbourne.

As temperatures head into the 40s, authorities are warning people to keep cool, drink lots of water and stay safe in the water.

Acting Premier Rob Hulls has pleaded with Victorians to get away from the danger.

"If you didn't leave last night and you are in a code red area and you have no plan or are in doubt, the best advice is to simply get out and get out as early as possible," Mr Hulls said.

He said delays could cost lives. "If people need to leave, they ought to leave as soon as possible," he said. "They ought do what they can to protect their loved ones."

Under code red, residents who plan to leave are advised to get out the night before or early in the morning.

An extreme bushfire warning means residents should be on high alert and constantly monitor developments.

Mr Rees said residents in Melbourne outer-metropolitan areas should be aware of the danger.

"It's vital we give this information because we are concerned about their lives, the lives of their loved ones, and we want people to take action," Mr Rees said.

"Do not wait until you see smoke or flames. Leaving as a fire approaches is extremely dangerous and could be fatal.

"Importantly get information, act and survive, this is the key message.

"It is vital now more than ever with this difficult weather that people listen to the radio, keep themselves up to date with fire danger and keep themselves informed.''

Simone Marshall was among thousands of Victorians to pack up and leave their homes last night.

The Ferny Creek mum left the Dandenongs for the safety of the coast.

"I have a three-week-old baby. Material things are not that important. When you have a baby, it puts things in perspective," she said.

Ms Marshall said she was not prepared to stay by herself and defend the family home. "My husband works in Yea and I'm here by myself with Harry and the dog.

"There's no way I would be able to fight a fire."

The Marshalls packed their personal valuables before the summer season and stored them away from home to speed their move on an extreme fire danger day.

Last night, the family headed to Ms Marshall's parents' home.

"I think some people think if they go later in the day, it will be fine, but things can change during the night or early in the day," she said.

- with Matt Johnston

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Rail chaos as mercury nudges 45
ROBYN GRACE
January 11, 2010 - 6:06PM

Commuters faced widespread train disruptions as extreme heat again took its toll on the metropolitan rail network.

As the temperature passed 43 in the city, and nudged 45 in outer western suburbs and Geelong, 110 trains had been cancelled across the network by 6pm.

All but three train lines were experiencing cancellations and buses replaced trains on two lines. Metro Trains reported disruptions on all lines except Glen Waverley, Pakenham, Racecourse and Stony Point.

Buses replaced trains on sections of the Williamstown and Alamein lines as Metro diverted resources to peak-hour troublespots.

Metro Trains spokeswoman Lanie Harris said buses were replacing peak-hour trains between Williamstown and Newport and from Camberwell to Alamein.

"It's a way for us to be able to free up trains for use elsewhere on the network," Ms Harris said.

Yarra Trams are so far unaffected by the heat but a derailment disrupted services on Elizabeth Street for about an hour this afternoon.

Metro's mounting trouble echoes last January's rail transport meltdown - and comes after police warned city workers to avoid the transport rush this afternoon and leave work early or wait until temperatures have peaked.

Police said today the heat was more dangerous than fires and urged people to leave work early or wait until after 7pm to ease the strain on the public transport system.

Chief Commissioner Simon Overland warned commuters the public transport system would be under pressure as temperatures approached the mid-40s this afternoon.

He urged people to "go early or stay and go late" to ease the load on transport networks.

"Trying to get home between 5pm and 7pm tonight ... is likely to be problematic because of the weather," he said.

Temperatures reached 43.6 in Melbourne at 4.58pm but the highest reading so far was 44.9 degrees at Geelong airport at 3.29pm.

Other highs were recorded at Avalon (44.6 at 3.24pm); Laverton (44.7 at 4.32pm); Westmere (44.2 at 2.59pm) and Dartmoor (44.2 at 1.13pm).

The temperature is expected to ease to 21 in Melbourne overnight, then start climbing again tomorrow before a cool change blows in about midday.

Metro's Lanie Harris said Metro Trains had undertaken a maintenance program to boost the performance of air-conditioning units on the ageing Comeng trains, which were not designed to operate in temperatures above 35 degrees.

During last January's heatwave in the build-up to Black Saturday, air-conditioning failed on 106 trains - then operated by Connex - after temperatures soared.

Ms Harris urged commuters to be patient and look after fellow commuters.

''Our main message is to have a bit of patience this evening,'' she said.

''Regardless of what time you're heading home, there may be some disruptions.''

Country trains passengers were expected to experience delays, with V-Line trains having to stick to speed restrictions as a result of the heat.

"It's the first day for this summer we've had to apply speed restrictions across the network," said V-Line spokesman James Kelly.

"Trains on the fast-rail corridors between Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo and Traralgon have been slowed from 160km/h to 90km/h.

"On the longer distance lines, from Warrnambool, Bairnsdale and so on, trains are also being slowed to about 90km/h. That will mean trips on all those line will take a bit longer than usual.

"We've got 40 coaches on stand-by at Southern Cross and another 20 in regional areas just in case things don't go according to plan," he said.
Ambulance Victoria earlier urged friends and family to pay close attention today to infants, the aged, pregnant and nursing mothers, and those suffering illness.

"During hot weather people should look out for neighbours and family and friends, and check on older, sick and frail people who may need help to cope with the heat," said Ambulance Victoria's operations manager Paul Holman.

"Heat stroke and heat stress are serious conditions and can lead to death. The most important thing to remember is that heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be avoided by taking some simple precautions."

He said these include limiting outdoor activity, drinking plenty of water, taking a cool shower or bath, and watching for signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion.

WorkSafe is urging employers to ensure planning is in place for workers exposed to high temperatures.

Acting executive director Cath Duane said employers and supervisors must assess what work needs to be done, and how.

There are clear safety issues with people working outdoors, but many people who are working indoors such as those in warehouses, some retail outlets, factories and workshops can also be at risk from indirect heat or fatigue," Ms Duane said.

She added people working in confined spaces, such as insulation installers, were at very high risk on days of extreme heat.

Energy consumption is also rising as air conditioners battle the heat across the state, but Energy Safe Victoria, the state's power and gas safety regulator, denied reports of impending blackouts due to the massive power demand .

Electricity consumption was expected to reach 9660 megawatts about 5pm today.
That is below the all time peak of 10,494 megawatts in January 29 last year - when the temperature reached 44.3 -  but far exceeds the 6500 megawatt average for a typical summer day. Track repair crews, water trucks and a fleet of buses are on stand-by to tackle any heat-related disruptions to Melbourne's rail network today, the city's new rail operator says.

"There is plenty of electricity being generated. The electricity supply network is in good condition, and with many people still on holidays, demand won't be as high as if we got this heat in a couple of weeks," said ESV spokesman David Guthrie-Jones.
He said, however, high winds could bring down trees, causing local outages.

With Thomas Hunter, AAP

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Here we (don't) go again: trains wilt in the heat


http://images.theage.com.au/2010/01/11/1030114/Station-420x0.jpg
The weather disrupted rail services yesterday. Photo: Angela Wylie

Here we (don't) go again: trains wilt in the heat
CLAY LUCAS
January 12, 2010

NEW train operator, same old problem: Melbourne's rail system has once again wilted in the heat, with hundreds of cancellations and delays yesterday as the city endured its hottest day of the summer.

Metro Trains, which replaced Connex last month, was facing a battle last night to get enough of its faulty trains back in service for this morning's peak-hour services, as temperatures are expected to soar back into the mid-30s.

A year after the last meltdown - and a year after Premier John Brumby promised the system would be fixed by this summer - it was deja vu for thousands of commuters yesterday.

By 10pm, 140 services had been cancelled, many of them in the afternoon-evening peak period.

Hundreds more services were replaced by buses, with the Williamstown and Alamein lines suspended for the afternoon.

The city temperature peaked at 43.6 degrees just before 5pm - the equal ninth-highest on record - and was still above 37 degrees at 10pm.

The top temperature in the state was a blistering 45 degrees, shared by Kerang and Hopetoun. Geelong Airport recorded a maximum of 44.9.

After no major fire outbreaks yesterday, large areas of the state's north and east will remain on alert today due to a combination of extreme heat, high winds and dry conditions.

Melbourne is expecting a top of about 36 before the arrival of a cool change that will cross the state from the west during the day.

Yesterday's chaos on the rail system was blamed in part on poorly maintained overhead powerlines that sagged in the heat at the North Melbourne rail yards, where many badly needed spare trains are kept.

The sagging lines caused an electrical short on one train, which blocked others from leaving the yards for several hours.

At Southern Cross Station, a lack of information from Metro Trains left peak-hour passengers confused about whether services were cancelled.

Manuel Bernadez said he had grown used to the poor performance. ''Every day is bad, not one day. [They're] never on time,'' he said.

Metro Trains spokeswoman Lanie Harris said that no tracks had buckled in yesterday's heat but that many trains had malfunctioned. ''The list of what is wrong with the trains is as long as my arm - there is no one issue,'' she said. ''There were some air-conditioning faults.''

Most of the problems are with 93 trains built locally by Comeng in the 1980s, which are the backbone of the suburban fleet. The trains have problems operating in heat over 35 degrees, which can make the air-conditioning fail.

Metro Trains has promised to fix the problem, but has not yet started upgrading the trains so they can withstand temperatures of up to 45 degrees.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said the Government had failed to act, instead preferring to blame Connex. He estimated the problem could have been fixed already by spending $24 million.

A spokesman for Ms Kosky, Stephen Moynihan, said it was not as easy to fix as the Opposition suggested. ''If Mr Mulder wanted all of the Comeng trains to be [fixed] at once, it would mean severe cancellations with so many trains out of service.''

Earlier, Mr Brumby conceded there had been ''a few more'' train cancellations than the Government would have wanted. He said Metro Trains, Ms Kosky, and the Department of Transport had contingency plans for the heat.

''They have gone to every effort to try to ensure that the system will cope as well as possible, but these are extremely testing conditions,'' he said.

Mr Brumby promised in January last year to have the heat problems that had afflicted Melbourne's trains fixed by 2010. He told 3AW's Neil Mitchell: ''By this time next year, in fact earlier than that, you're going to see significant improvements throughout the system ... As we get on top of these issues and conditions, you will see significant improvements in the system.''

With KATE LAHEY, PAUL AUSTIN

[O_128]

Well would the passengers rather be stuck at a station in 40 degree heat or stuck on a cramped train with no aircon 

[ozbob]

From the Herald Sun click here!

Metro trains apologises to commuters and warns of further disruption

Metro trains apologises to commuters and warns of further disruption

    * Aaron Langmaid
    * From: Herald Sun
    * January 12, 2010 6:42AM

UPDATE 11.25am: METRO trains has apologised to commuters for rail disruption yesterday and this morning as Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky warned of further delays today.

Early-bird commuters were stranded in Melbourne's inner east this morning after a power failure forced them off trains and on to buses and trams.

Train services between Alamein, Camberwell and Burnley were out of action after a power shortage during the hot weather yesterday.

Metro crews worked through the night to get the trains back on line but were unable to do so before this morning's peak hour.

Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala apologised to commuters on 3AW radio this morning, but said the operator was 10 trains short of being able to offer a complete service and there would be delays later today.

Ms Kosky said today that bus services had been put in place to ensure that passengers were not left stranded, but insisted that delays were inevitable.

"We did have a plan and it did work," she told 3AW radio. "We have seen improvements since last year."

When she was challenged about last year's insistence by Premier John Brumby that last year's summer disruptions would not be repeated, Ms Kosky insisted the Premier had been referring to industrial problems with drivers at the time.

"We did have industrial issues and that was what John was responding to at the time," Ms Kosky said. "There were unusual circumstances last year that added to (the disruption).

She said extreme weather put extraordinary pressure on public transport, as evidenced by disruption caused in Europe by a recent cold snap.

An upgrade fund of $500m would be spent over eight years, she insisted: "We don't want any of these delays but it will take some time."

Ms Kosky echoed Mr Lezala's comments that delays could be expected this afternoon and advised commuters to check the Metro website before travelling.

Alamein passengers were particularly annoyed today after they were also forced on to buses yesterday as the transport operator tried to free up trains for busier lines.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Commuters face more peak-hour delays

Commuters face more peak-hour delays
CLAY LUCAS AND THOMAS HUNTER
January 12, 2010

Melbourne's embattled train users face more disruptions this afternoon as the knock-on effect from yesterday's extreme heat continues to reverberate throughout the system.

But, just as Premier John Brumby did after last January's a network meltdown,  Transport Minister Lynne Kosky this afternoon vowed commuters would start to see "real improvements" - in the next 12 months.

"Everywhere around the world, trains are affected by extreme temperature conditions," she said.

"I'm not going to say we can eradicate (these problems) completely but over the next 12 months we will start to see some real improvements."

Metro chief executive Andrew Lezala today apologised to commuters but said peak-hour users would again face delays due to faulty air conditioners and sagging overhead wires.

Although today's cooler temperature will reduce the number of mechanical problems, 12 trains remain out of action this afternoon, which means more disruptions across the network.

''We'll do the best we can to get those (faulty trains) ready for the evening peak. Some of them will be, other won't because they have more difficult problems with the air conditioners," Mr
Lezala told radio station 3AW.

"There will be some disruption (this afternoon) but we are doing everything possible to give as good a service as we can.''

''We did have a plan in place and it did work,''she told 3AW.

''The system was put under stress. It was very, very hot yesterday . . . extreme weather puts pressure on transport systems.

''People were not stranded at stations as occurred last year. There were delays but the buses were on stand-by. They were utilised and maintenance crews were around the system acting very quickly to fix problems as they arose.

''Yesterday demonstrated the plan that's in place . . . meant that people did get home - they weren't stranded at stations.''

Ms Kosky said the maintenance budget had been boosted to help cope with days of extreme weather but it will ''take time to upgrade the trains in terms of air-conditioning'' and additional maintenance required ''now that we are experiencing these extreme and severe temperatures''.

Even before this morning's peak got into full swing, 12 of the city's 17 train lines had experienced disruptions.

Major delays had been experienced on the Alamein, Belgrave, Broadmeadows and Lilydale lines.

By 7am, trains had been cancelled on the Werribee, Sydenham, Craigieburn, Cranbourne and Hurstbridge lines.

Metro spokeswoman Lanie Harris said maintenance crews had worked around the clock to repair trains affected by yesterday's heat.

"We've had people working on trains in our maintenance depots right through the night,'' she said.

"Many of those trains are now back out in service and we are hoping for a smoother run today.

"We're also able to have a fairly quick turnaround in repairs to overheads that affected the power between Alamein and Camberwell.

''That issue was caused this morning just before 5am and we were able to get it resolved just after 7am, which just before the peak hour began.''

The Metro website said overhead power supply issues had affected city-bound trains on the Alamein line between Camberwell and Burnley, with buses replacing services along that stretch of track.

Services on the Belgrave line between Camberwell and Burnley were also suffered overhead power supply problems. Metro said buses had replaced trains on the line, but warned commuters to expect major delays.

"By this time next year, in fact earlier than that, you're going to see significant improvements throughout the system," he told 3AW's Neil Mitchell at the time. "As we get on top of these issues and conditions, you will see significant improvements in the system."

But yesterday proved a case of deja vu for thousands of commuters. Metro began cancelling services from mid-afternoon as the mercury climbed into the 40s. Hundreds of services were replaced by buses, with the Williamstown and Alamein lines suspended for the afternoon.

The meltdown was blamed in part on poorly maintained overhead powerlines that sagged in the heat at the North Melbourne rail yards, where many badly needed spare trains are kept.

The sagging line caused an electrical short-out on one train, which blocked others from leaving the yards for several hours.

At Southern Cross Station, a lack of information from Metro Trains left peak-hour passengers confused about whether services were cancelled or not.

Manuel Bernadez said he had grown used to the poor performance. "Every day is bad, not one day. [They're] never on time," he said.

Metro Trains spokeswoman Lanie Harris said that no tracks had buckled in yesterday's heat - as many did last January - but many trains had malfunctioned.

"The list of what is wrong with the trains is as long as my arm — there is no one issue," she said. "There were some air-conditioning faults."

Most of the problems are with 93 trains built locally by Comeng in the 1980s, which are the backbone of the suburban fleet.

The trains have problems operating in heat over 35 degrees, which can make the air-conditioning fail.

Metro Trains has promised to fix the problem, but has not yet started upgrading the trains so they can withstand temperatures of up to 45 degrees.

Opposition transport spokesman Terry Mulder said the Government had failed to act, instead preferring to blame Connex.

He estimated the problem could have been fixed already by spending $24 million.

A spokesman for Ms Kosky, Stephen Moynihan, said it was not as easy to fix as the Opposition suggested.

"If Mr Mulder wanted all of the Comeng trains to be [fixed] at once, it would mean severe cancellations with so many trains out of service." .

Earlier, Mr Brumby conceded there had been "a few more" train cancellations than the Government would have wanted. He said Metro Trains, Ms Kosky, and the Department of Transport had contingency plans for the heat.

"They have gone to every effort to try to ensure that the system will cope as well as possible, but these are extremely testing conditions," he said.

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Train fix still to come: Kosky

Train fix still to come: Kosky
CLAY LUCAS
January 13, 2010

THINGS will get better on Melbourne's trains, according to Public Transport Minister Lynne Kosky - but commuters will have to keep waiting to see the improvement.

In a bid to stem frustration from travellers, after 12 per cent of Monday's train services were cancelled in the searing heat, Ms Kosky yesterday attempted to explain why the problems differed from last summer's rail meltdown.

Over January and February last year, then operator Connex cancelled 3830 metropolitan trains.

''There were cancellations [on Monday], but they were nowhere near the extent of the cancellations we had last year,'' Ms Kosky said.

On Monday, when the temperature climbed to 43.6 degrees, 247 of the day's 2050 scheduled train services were cancelled. By comparison, on January 28 last year - when the temperatures topped 43 degrees for the first time - 240 trains were cancelled.

Every train line was disrupted again yesterday, but not to the extent seen on Monday.

Yesterday, at least 100 services did not run, mostly in the morning as operator Metro Trains tried to recover from Monday's problems. Metro yesterday put on a fleet of 20 standby buses, at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars.

On Monday, there were no buckled rails - a big cause of last summer's problems.

Ms Kosky said that while there had certainly been disruptions on Monday, buses put in place at stations meant people had still been able to get home and were not left stranded.

''People were not just left on stations having to ring people to come and get them. Last year ... it was chaotic. That has not occurred this year. There is a planned process in place,'' she said.

Commuter Alex Law saw things differently yesterday, telling The Age in an email that he had been stranded at Footscray station for 45 minutes in the heat.

He said he then got on a train that was meant to stop at all stations but instead ran as an express - stranding him at Newport for another 30 minutes.

''I would call this stranded, thank you very much, and a complete failure of communication,'' Mr Law wrote.

Metro Trains chief executive Andrew Lezala yesterday apologised to train travellers for Monday's disruptions. ''There were still far, far too many cancellations, and we are very sorry that that was the case,'' he said.

A new crisis management system put in place will now see branch lines - first between Williamstown and Newport, and then between Alamein and Camberwell - shut down and replaced by buses when extreme heat causes trains to break down.

In this situation, these trains will be redeployed to other parts of the system where trains have broken down.

While numerous trains were cancelled on Monday, Metro tried to cancel trains on lines that carried fewer passengers, Mr Lezala said.

Far too many air conditioning units had again failed on the city's trains, he said, and overhead power lines sagging in the heat had also been a problem.

On the Glen Waverley line yesterday, a pantograph - the part of the train that channels power from overhead wires to the train - caught in sagging power lines. ''It damaged a kilometre of wire,'' Mr Lezala said.

In stark contrast to last year's meltdown, where Connex fought a covert battle with its drivers, Mr Lezala commended the city's train drivers for keeping the system running as well as they could.