Queensland Rail City network fleet expansion

[ozbob]

http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/NetworkServices/BuildingandMaintainingourNetwork/Pages/QueenslandRailcitynetworkfleetexpansion.aspx

Queensland Rail City network fleet expansion

Queensland Rail City network fleet expansion

In order to meet the growing demand for rail services in South East Queensland, the State Government is expanding the electric passenger train fleet to continue to provide sustainable and reliable public transport services for our customers.

New Generation Rollingstock

The New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) project is seeking to purchase up to 200 new three-car electric passenger trains (or equivalent six-car trains) for the city network providing newer, more comfortable and more frequent rail services.

The new trains will add to the existing fleet and replace aging rollingstock.
A modern new maintenance facility

A significant expansion of the electric passenger train fleet means that additional maintenance facilities will be required.

Over recent months, Queensland Rail has been working with Ipswich City Council and the Department of Transport and Main Roads to investigate the potential of constructing a new maintenance facility on the Queensland Rail owned land at 1 Ada Street, Wulkuraka.  This site is currently used as a staging area for maintenance works.

[Fares_Fair]

 
Good news.
I understand that these will come on-line in 2014.

On the down side, the Sunshine Coast won't be able to fit them onto it's severely congested, single shared track of course.
Hint, hint please to Queensland Government.

[colinw]

I presume this means the Moorooka (Clapham) stabling will need to go ahead as planned, regardless of the fate of CRR.

[somebody]

I'm not so sure.  If CRR doesn't happen then the need for fleet expansion will be minimal other than EMU retirements, which could be pushed back too.  No point having more trains than you can operate.

[Arnz]

Hmm this was initially announced as 200x 3-car units under the previous Labor government, then cut to 150x 3-car units and now it's back at 200x 3-car units after the LNP got into government this year.

[Fares_Fair]

Hmm this was initially announced as 200x 3-car units under the previous Labor government, then cut to 150x 3-car units and now it's back at 200x 3-car units after the LNP got into government this year.

It says "up to 200"

[petey3801]

As RTT said, whether or not we get CRR, we need new sets. We need them now. Morning peak, the yard is empty. All that is left is a few units in the servicing sheds and, if you're lucky a 3-car As Required unit. Any new services, or any upgrades to 6-cars, needs new units.

The other fact is, 2014 ain't gonna happen. With lead times of well over a year for parts etc. to construct the new rollingstock, testing wouldn't even start (which in itself would take quite some time being a new class of unit) until late 2014, even if the contracts were signed tomorrow. The project is still out to tender as yet, and the preferred bidder has yet to be selected. I'd say late 2015 for new units if we're lucky.

[SurfRail]

CRR or not Newman said he would deal with capacity issues which means new trains for peak. Also Springfield and KR will need more trains and EMU's are approaching end of life this decade, so 87 new trains required just for this.

Only thing is they need to follow Syd and ditch the 3 car sets for same reasons as Sydney has the 4 car set and just gone to fixed 8 car set. The existing fleet will provide sufficent 3 car sets for decades to come as needed.

I'd say we'll end up with permanent 6 x 24m trains (or permanent 7 x 20m trains).  Anything longer than 150m and you need to spend a motza on platform extensions everywhere.

[Arnz]

If it's permanent 6-car sets, it would at least improve the toilet access on the Interurban Units in the case of one of the toilets on the units requires "decanting".

I would also think there would be a case for Ipswich and Caboolture to gain IMUs full time, if they go partial express full-time. 

Assuming there is a stop gap for the Bowen Hills-Northgate section by running 15 mins FT to Airport (or 15 mins with a Airport/Doomben combination, assuming Cleveland gets paired with Shorncliffe eventually).  This would require Airtrain to cough up approval for all-stopping the trains and/or well as increase services (It would probably be cheaper to combine/increase Doomben and Airport to form 15 mins).  This would allow Caboolture/Nambour trains to run express Bowen Hills to Eagle Junction and express Northgate to Petrie full time. 

The Nambour trains would have to merged into the Ipswich-Caboolture express running (eg every 3rd train continues through to Nambour as a Ipswich-Nambour service to maintain the '90 minute' frequency).  This would mean moving the precison cross from Beerwah to Beerburrum (may require the Northbound train to wait a few mins at Beerburrum for the southbound City/Ipswich express to arrive). 

While this may add some stops and as well lose some stops on the off-peak Nambour service, it would eliminate the shuttles by merging the Nambour service into the Ipswich-Caboolture framework, as well as Ipswich and Caboolture gaining some IMUs on (some?) express services full time, assuming the power supply beyond Corinda has been solved.

[O_128]

Wouldn't it make more sense just to order the new trains as 6 or 7 carriages (can have one door from each end carriage stay closed) rather than 3 cars. And can they please order the trains with anti scratch windows !!!

[Derwan]

Any word on the tender yet?

[BrizCommuter]

Wouldn't it make more sense just to order the new trains as 6 or 7 carriages (can have one door from each end carriage stay closed) rather than 3 cars. And can they please order the trains with anti scratch windows !!!

Selective door closing = longer dwell times = less capacity = waste of time.

[somebody]

Not to mention fouling level crossing and signals.

7 cars of a length 6/7 as long as current trains would be OK though.  Would also lead to more doors per seat and therefore faster dwells.

[Golliwog]

Not to mention fouling level crossing and signals.

7 cars of a length 6/7 as long as current trains would be OK though.  Would also lead to more doors per seat and therefore faster dwells.

But would cause issues with CRR is they're using platform screen doors which I believe was the plan?

[somebody]

Good point.  I can't remember if the PSDs are still in the plan or not.  They wanted to have 9 car stations too at one point, so you could sectorise the trains so that the new trains can't go in the new line, but I can't imagine that being done intentionally.

[Golliwog]

Good point.  I can't remember if the PSDs are still in the plan or not.  They wanted to have 9 car stations too at one point, so you could sectorise the trains so that the new trains can't go in the new line, but I can't imagine that being done intentionally.

I thought they still were going for 9 car platforms? Future proofing and all that. I think if theres a shift to 6-9 car sets (rather than existing 3 car sets) that they'd do something like make the 3rd and 4th cars a little longer top account for the space taken up currently by the guards cabs and the coupler.

I agree you could sectorise the units, but I also agree that I don't know why you'd do that if you could avoid it. It just limits the redundancies in the network and stops you grabbing any spare train from the yard if a unit fails.

[Gazza]

The ICIRS mentioned the possibility of having 4 doors per car, and all it would require is the train to stop a meter or two different for the screen doors to line up.

It just limits the redundancies in the network and stops you grabbing any spare train from the yard if a unit fails.

Meh, I've never had an issue with networks with line bound rolling stock. They tend to be the better ones for some reason anyway 

[HappyTrainGuy]

Don't forget the maintainence facilities. With a fixed 6 car set your gonna have a bad time changing a set of bogies.

If you love the vibration and noise of a wheel flat then bring it on