Article: Motor failures delay first run for new train

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

Motor failures delay first run for new train

Motor failures delay first run for new train
CLAY LUCAS
June 23, 2010

MELBOURNE'S newest suburban train had serious motor failures that had to be fixed before it could be put into service on Monday this week.

Since January, six of the new X'Trapolis trains, made by French manufacturer Alstom, have been put on the tracks, allowing Metro to run more services.

The state government is paying about $18 million for each of the new trains, which are welded and painted in Katowice, Poland, before being transported to a factory near Turin in Italy to be assembled. They are then shipped to Melbourne, where the interiors are fitted.

The sixth train to arrive in Melbourne went into service on Monday, but a rail source said the train had arrived in a ''horrendous condition''.

The six-car train had to have almost two weeks' work on at least one of its four motors at workshops in Bayswater before it was able to begin testing. The train also had four of its wheels badly damaged on the ship to Australia, as well as minor damage to its axles.

Alstom customer director Jean de la Chapelle played down the seriousness of the faults, saying all problems had been resolved.

''There were issues that were discovered and fixed - that is the reason why we test the trains,'' he said.

[Dean Quick]

Serious Braking problems now motor failures!! Lets hope that the QLD Gov't never makes the same mistake by purchasing these cheaper/inferior overseas manufactured lemons and continues to purchase the locally made quality product.

[frereOP]

Serious Braking problems now motor failures!! Lets hope that the QLD Gov't never makes the same mistake by purchasing these cheaper/inferior overseas manufactured lemons and continues to purchase the locally made quality product.

I wouldn't say that GEC-Alsthom make lemons.  I wouldn't consider TGV, ICE or Eurostar train sets to be inferior products.