New SMU's are on their way

[Derwan]

The first of the new Suburban Multiple Units (SMU's) have rolled out of EDI Rail.

Click here for photos of the new SMU's and EDI Rail.

3 trains, marked 262, 263 and 264 are awaiting transportation at the old Maryborough Railway Station.  Once in service, they will provide much-needed relief for overcrowding in the Brisbane suburban network.

From the outside, the units look identical to the new Interurban Multiple Units (16x series) but are designed for shorter routes so lack toilet facilities.

At this stage, the trains sport the Citytrain branding (apart from one end of SMU 264).  No doubt the branding will disappear when they arrive in Brisbane.

A single car (marked 266) is currently sitting just outside EDI Rail undergoing what appears to be final preparations.  It lacks the Citytrain branding.

A new building is being erected at EDI Rail.  Perhaps this means they will be able to step up production?  We can only hope!

[ozbob]

Excellent photos, thanks Derwan.

I understand SMU  261 is at Redbank too.

[Derwan]

I understand SMU  261 is at Redbank too.

Ah I wondered whether it'd already been delivered.

[Mozz]

So is this 3 x 3 carriages or 3 x 6 carriages being delivered ?

[Derwan]

3 x 3 carriages at the old Maryborough station.  SMU 261 (3 cars) has already been delivered. 

[Derwan]

The number is hard to see, but I'm pretty sure SMU 261 is now sitting in the Mayne stabling area at Bowen Hills.  (I could make out "26" when going past yesterday.)

[stephenk]

I hope that the new SMU's have more standing space (with things to hold on to!) and longitudinal seating to cope with the increasing demand on Citytrain services.

[Mozz]

Here here with the call for more standing space and more things to hold onto - I for one refuse to stand in an area where I can't hold onto an anchor point. solid poles are good, the vertical handles hanging from the roof are ok, the little handles on the back of the seats are crap and there are many areas where standing you can't access any of these steadying devices - quite dangerous and unsafe in my opinion particularly when combined with sudden jerking on take off or braking.

[Derwan]

I was able wander right in to the trains.  (They're very trusting in Maryborough.  No fences.)  I didn't take much notice of the insides apart from there being no toilets.  I've only been in the new IMU's a couple of times so didn't have a good enough memory of them to compare.

I compared the outside with a photo Bob had taken to come up with the "identical" statement.

[ozbob]

From today's Question time in Parliament.  Seems a few folks are keen to get the SMUs into service.

Queensland Rail, Citytrain Network
Mr NICHOLLS: My question is to the minister for transport. In answering question on notice No.
128 he said, ?The 2006 election commitment was to fast-track??and I emphasise the word ?fast-track??
?an extra 50 train carriages on the Citytrain network.? The minister also revealed that only 39 of the total
132 new carriages promised had actually hit the tracks. Why then are three brand spanking new SMU
260 trains?that is nine gleaming new carriages?sitting in a siding in Maryborough instead of carrying
passengers? Why is another brand-new SMU 260 train being gutted for spare parts? Why are those
units not in service now?

Mr MICKEL: I will seek full details from Queensland Rail. There will be some safety checks
before these things are delivered. I have spoken to the CEO of Queensland Rail about the timely
delivery of this with EDI to see if there are issues. To get the full detail of what the member requires, I will
do that by asking Queensland Rail as soon as I have my next meeting with the CEO.

From Queensland Parliament Hansard 1st May 2008 here!

[mufreight]

So Minister Muckel, the minister for know nothing will ask the CEO of QR about the three SMU sets sitting at Marybrough and the one in Brisbane that has been canniblized fot parts to keep the recently delivered IMU sets in operation.
Will that meeting be before or after these sets are in service and how many IMU sets will be taken out of service to supply the components currently missing from the new SMU's so that they can be placed in service?
The delivery of these sets is already behind time yet it would appear that there is a defect that requires parts that are not on hand and once again the duplicity department is active.
The new SMU sets are being delivered which makes the books look good, four more sets delivered but these sets are not in service because they have had parts stripped from them thus disabling the sets.  This is deing done to keep previously delivered IMU sets in operation.  Surely if there is a fault that requires the replacement of components there should be sufficient of those components on hand to ensure that the sets placed in service can be maintained in service without having to resort to stripping parts off new servicible sets following their delivery but before they are actually placed in service.
The response by the Minister for Duplicity and Deceit on this one will be of interest, seems that the Minister is trying to wrought the books again, I wonder who he will blame this time, the train drivers, porters, guards or perhaps the passangers for overloading the system and requiring more trains.

[ozbob]

Tim Nicholls MP
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
Shadow Minister for Transport, Traffic Management,
Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations   
Member for Clayfield   

Explanation needed on delayed roll-out of new trains

WHILE commuters continue to experience delayed, cancelled and overcrowded Citytrain services, three new train sets sit idle at a regional rail siding, while another new train is used for spare parts.

Shadow Minister for Transport Tim Nicholls said this was just another example of this Government's lethargic approach to putting trains on tracks to meet South East Queensland timetables.

"These trains could be put to good use to help relieve pressure on the strained Citytrain network. Instead the carriages have been left unused in a rail siding at Maryborough, while another train set is being gutted for spare parts," Mr Nicholls said.

"This Government continues to promise commuters new trains and services, but they just don't deliver on time - if at all."

Since 2004, the Beattie-Bligh Government has promised a total of 132 new carriages for the Citytrain network. But, only 39 had been delivered by the end of February this year.

At the current roll-out rate the remaining 93 carriages will not be ready until 2017.

"When asked about the delay in rolling-out the new train sets the Transport Minister didn't even know if the carriages were ready," Mr Nicholls said.

"It would seem it is now up to the Queensland Coalition to brief the Minister on the happenings of his own government department."

"Queensland commuters deserve to know why these carriages have not been rolled-out on the Citytrain network. They deserve a Government that knows what is actually going on. And they need a Transport Minister who is up to the job."

[Derwan]

The fact that the trains are sitting at the old Maryborough Station means that they are ready for delivery.

Once EDI Rail has completed a 3-car unit, it has to be towed to the old Maryborough station in the early hours of the morning.  This is because they need to use the extension to the rail line in Kent Street that allows for a complete 3-car unit to be transported at once.  (The extension area is used for car parking during the day and is in front of several businesses.)  It crosses the road twice near the extension, then makes its way down beside Kent Street towards the Sugar Mill, then back through Queens Park, across 3 more level crossings and finally to the old Maryborough station.

Click here for the Google map of the journey.

I guess they will tow the units to Maryborough West Station at some stage where they will then be able to travel to Brisbane on the electrified main line.

[ozbob]

I was sitting on platform 8 Roma Street this afternoon waiting for the 3.09pm service to Ipswich.

I noticed EMU 06 (up) come out of the tunnel ease up the grade and head in for platform 5.
At the same time a new IMU 165/174 (down) eased into platform 6.

Interesting contrast. 

The EMU the backbone of the QR suburban fleet, nearly 30 years old.
The IMU a couple of months in service.

The EMUs have aged very well. They must have done literally millions of kilometres, and still have many millions in them yet.

Soon we might see some new SMUs too?



PS. Had a ride in EMU 06 this morning (26 May) as the 6.54am Shorncliffe service from Oxley.  Going well!!  Still in great shape too.

[mufreight]

The early EMU's are a bit like Grandads axe, replaced the handle five times and the head once and it still does the job.
At least unlike the new IMU's they dont need to cannibalize the as yet not in service SMU's for parts to keep them running.