Sydney Trains

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/9NewsSyd/status/1282232170367655941

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/7NewsSydney/status/1285554367127416832

[ozbob]

Rail Express --> Blue Mountains Line ready for New Intercity Fleet


New Intercity Fleet. Artist's impression: Transport for NSW

Upgrades to the Blue Mountains line to prepare for the introduction of the New Intercity Fleet are finished.

The $75 million upgrades included changes to platforms and the rail corridor, including the Ten Tunnels Deviation. Electrification infrastructure was also upgraded to be consistent with the rest of the network.

NSW Minister for Transport Andrew Constance said that this would allow improved train services for the line.

"The Blue Mountains Line between Springwood and Lithgow has now been upgraded to a more consistent standard to match the rest of the electrified network, meaning the new trains can now run all the way to Lithgow," he said.

"These upgrades will pave the way for the new fleet to provide better connections to places and opportunities for employment, education, business and enjoyment."

The New Intercity Fleet will first begin running on the Central Coast and Newcastle line later in 2020, before being introduced to the Blue Mountains line and South Coast line. Testing will soon begin to Katoomba and then to Lithgow.

The new trains will improve customer comfort, said Minister for Regional Transport Paul Toole.

"Customers can expect more spacious seating, mobile device charging ports, modern heating and air conditioning and dedicated spaces for wheelchairs, luggage, prams and bicycles."

The introduction of the New Intercity Fleet has been criticised, both for the need to upgrade stations to fit the new trains, as well as safety concerns raised by guards, with the RTBU refusing to staff the trains.

[ozbob]

Transport for NSW --> $80 million boost for Sydney's rail network

A contract worth around $80 million has been signed by the NSW Government to run Sydney's rail network more effectively.

Siemens Mobility Pty Ltd (Siemens) will introduce the new Traffic Management System (TMS), which will be operated from the Rail Operations Centre, and will work alongside other systems used by Sydney Trains to control train operations.

The TMS continually monitors the position of all trains, helping to keep train services running as planned and assists with responses to incidents.

Minister for Transport Andrew Constance said the TMS is a key component of Digital Systems – a Program that will progressively replace legacy signalling and train control technologies with modern, internationally proven, intelligent systems.

"This is an important step in the process of upgrading our network with internationally proven technology that boosts safety, capacity, reliability and enhances the customer experience," Mr Constance said.

"Sydney's heavy rail network is the backbone of our public transport system and it's crucial we have the latest systems and technology available to serve our customers well into the future."

The TMS is due to be available for operation in 2023.

The Digital Systems Program will also increase safety and reliability by:

. Replacing traditional trackside signalling equipment with the latest 'in cab' train control technology

. Implementing Automatic Train Operation, which assists drivers – who remain in control – to improve operations and reduce journey times

Digital Systems will initially be deployed to two sections of the T4 Line from Sutherland to Cronulla and from Bondi Junction to Redfern.

Planning for future deployments of Digital Systems to other parts of Sydney's rail network is currently underway.

[verbatim9]

Waratah Trains Rollout

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AndrewConstance/status/1310459687993704448

[ozbob]

Daily Telegraph --> 'NSW's new intercity fleet of trains aren't safe': Independent review finds

... A damning independent review of the NSW Government's new intercity fleet of trains has found the operating model is "not safe", highlighting a series of "serious safety concerns".

The independent review, conducted by Klaus Clemens Engineers, found the new intercity fleet operating model failed to meet the "So Far As Is Reasonably Practical" safety standards.

Transport for NSW and NSW TrainLink are currently reviewing the report they received this afternoon and said "safety concerns will be taken seriously". ...

On these trains the driver will be responsible for assessing CCTV both on the train and platform before closing doors.  Guards will be acting as customer service representative on trains.  Problems with the CCTV vision.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/abcnews/status/1331088059362754560

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1331250040095051778

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Snap strike throws NSW's train network into chaos

Train services across NSW are expected to be operating normally by the afternoon peak after an overnight union strike plunged the network into chaos.

Intercity services were cancelled on Friday morning and the suburban network was also impacted after the Rail, Tram and Bus Union called a snap strike amid growing tensions between workers and the state government over the safety of a new set of trains.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance's office was informed shortly after midnight that intercity train workers from across the state would stop work for 24 hours for urgent safety briefings.

However, the strike was called off just after 4am on Friday after the government agreed to delay the testing of its new intercity fleet, which RTBU secretary Alex Claassens has described as dangerous. ...

[achiruel]

^ I don't think it's realistic to expect NSW intercity trains to operate as DOO. There's too many issues with curved platforms, short platforms, non-level platforms.

A lot of people seem to think that because NW Metro is driverless there's no issue doing the same for intercity services, conveniently forgetting the above, as well as the fact the lines are shared with freight and long-distance passenger trains, and the number of level crossings on the intercity network. It seems a lot simply just have no idea.

[Andrew]

^ I don't think it's realistic to expect NSW intercity trains to operate as DOO. There's too many issues with curved platforms, short platforms, non-level platforms.

A lot of people seem to think that because NW Metro is driverless there's no issue doing the same for intercity services, conveniently forgetting the above, as well as the fact the lines are shared with freight and long-distance passenger trains, and the number of level crossings on the intercity network. It seems a lot simply just have no idea.

Totally agree. IMHO Driver Only only really works if the train is Automatic Train Operation (ATO). London Underground and BART are good examples. The train drives itself once the driver closes the door and tells the train it can go. Driver can then put their full attention on the passengers loading and unloading. Although Melbourne has had DOO operation for years, I think it puts too much pressure on the driver. The advantage with a suburban network is that you can more easily justify station staff to assist and this can mitigate the risk to some extent. I still think a guard is better overall if the train isn't ATO.

The other big challenge is with Intercity operations, you have much longer distances and more remote locations. You want train crew who are competent and have sound knowledge of operational rules and procedures. Replacing the guard with a "Customer Service Officer" does not instil me with confidence because I fear the bar will be lowered for new people and the old people (guards) will not want the pay cut.

They're also apparently planning to connect the help points on the NIF's to a call centre, not directly to the crew. I can see this being a major problem. They're gonna have to ensure good reception along all of the lines, including challenging spots like around Zig Zag for example.

[verbatim9]

^ I don't think it's realistic to expect NSW intercity trains to operate as DOO. There's too many issues with curved platforms, short platforms, non-level platforms.

I was in Sydney and Newcastle last year and spoke to Rail Staff at the station at Hamilton. They told me that the new Intercity trains will have level boarding points at all applicable stations plus an attendant at stations that require one. They were also advised of the upcoming changes to DOO and weren't that concerned.

[achiruel]

I was in Sydney and Newcastle last year and spoke to Rail Staff at the station at Hamilton. They told me that the new Intercity trains will have level boarding points at all applicable stations

Is this some kind of joke? There are still numerous stations on the CCN line that don't have level platforms, and I don't expect this to suddenly change within a few months. For example, Narara and Lisarow stations both have upgrades planned involving accessibility (including regrading platforms and boarding assistance zones) that won't be complete until 2023.

plus an attendant at stations that require one. They were also advised of the upcoming changes to DOO and weren't that concerned.

Considering the two above-mentioned stations are unstaffed, I also find this unbelievable.

Not sure who you talked to but it's pretty clear they have no idea.

[verbatim9]

They are progressively rolling out the new trains. The stations that you mentioned earmarked for late upgrades is really irrelevant due to the timely rollout of the trains. The new trains are unlikely to stop at those short stations in the short term. The older trains will be used for that stopping pattern.

[ozbob]

Rail Express --> Roll out of New Intercity Fleet delayed until 2021

Transport for NSW has confirmed that the New Intercity Fleet (NIF) will not be in passenger service in 2020, with the trains expected to first run in early 2021. ...

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/trashyhonky/status/1334094369192722432

[achiruel]

They are progressively rolling out the new trains. The stations that you mentioned earmarked for late upgrades is really irrelevant due to the timely rollout of the trains. The new trains are unlikely to stop at those short stations in the short term. The older trains will be used for that stopping pattern.

There's also an issue with curvature and height at Cardiff, which is on the express stopping pattern, so it's not correct to say that these issues are confined only to the stations earmarked for upgrades.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/trashyhonky/status/1356404633934073858

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TrainsInfo/status/1363737817382281217

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> The $1 billion plan to increase Sydney's peak-hour train capacity $

Hundreds of extra train services will run through Sydney's Inner West and T8 Airport lines every week under a $1 billion plan to increase peak-hour capacity by as much as 80 per cent on parts of the city's transport network by 2024.

The NSW government will set aside the money in Thursday's half-yearly budget update to bolster the existing rail network capacity in time for the Metro City and Southwest's opening.

The plan will take existing services from the soon-to-be converted Sydenham to Bankstown line and funnel them into the T2, T8, T4 Illawarra Line and South Coast line. It will also include funding for new trains, however the government is yet to finalise a contract.

Morning peak services will increase by 80 per cent at the Domestic, International, Mascot and Green Square stations on the T8 line, while an extra 4800 customer spaces will be created on the Inner West Line, with a train expected every three minutes. ...

[verbatim9]

[verbatim9]

^^Extensive interview regarding the New NSW Intercity train rollout.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AndrewConstance/status/1366202156965982208

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AndrewConstance/status/1397289779264294915

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TransportforNSW/status/1397380242243612672

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Entire NSW rail network to go green by 2025, smaller ferries to go electric $

The state's train network will be powered by renewable energy within four years under an ambitious plan outlined by NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance, who is also pushing to retrofit some harbour ferries with electric engines.

Mr Constance said state and federal governments needed to lead the way in Australia's transition to renewable energy as he outlined a vision for a greener public transport fleet.

The plan would see smaller harbour ferries – including the River Class fleet – retrofitted with electric engines within five years, while Sydney's train network would achieve net zero emissions by 2025. ...

[ozbob]

Daily Telegraph --> Two years late: the new trains stuck at the station $

They were initially scheduled in 2019, but the New Intercity Fleet trains – which were too wide to fit through tunnels in the Blue Mountains – still aren't carrying passengers.

The state's New Intercity Fleet trains are still not carrying passengers months after Transport Minister Andrew Constance declared they would be operating in "a couple of weeks''.

Changes to safety guidelines that would allow the new trains to travel to Lithgow have been made, but they have not resulted in passengers being aboard the $2.4bn fleet, which was ­initially supposed to be in operation in mid-2019. ...

[achiruel]

It seems with the NIF that NSW has done exactly what the Qld LNP did, purchased DOO trains for a network that is not designed for it. The South Coast line in particular has large sections of track that have no road access. What exactly are their plans for an emergency if the driver is disabled?

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/stilgherrian/status/1408233030519451656

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AndrewConstance/status/1411103412242894851

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/TransportforNSW/status/1433190453763985413

[ozbob]

Sydney Morning Herald --> Battle over $40b rail entity left Sydney network on knife edge $

Sydney's rail network came within hours of being thrown into disarray last year because of safety concerns and the readiness of a controversial $40 billion corporation that had been set up to artificially inflate the state budget.

The Herald can reveal that an operating licence for the Transport Asset Holding Entity (TAHE) was signed on June 30 last year, a matter of hours before the midnight transfer of $40 billion worth of trains and other public rail assets to the "independent for-profit" corporation devised by Treasury. ...

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/AndrewConstance/status/1437572054652370948

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/smh/status/1440507299265605640

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1450470143650369552

" ... Sydney's public transport network will be thrown into disarray on Wednesday with rail workers refusing to staff close to 70 per cent of the city's trains amid an ongoing industrial dispute with the state government.

NSW Rail, Tram and Bus Union members will not work on any privately built trains on the rail network on Wednesday, meaning more than two-thirds of the stock will be taken out of service. ... "

[#Metro]

They still want to insist on guards, which is completely antiquated. This sort of aversion to change is increasingly out of step with modern society.

You can probably now train an AI program such as IBM Watson to look though the camera and scan for hazards and do the guards job.

Furthermore, mass strike action like this will become increasingly ineffective as the majority of office workers can now work from home at will and both them and their employers are well set up to do this en mass.

[ozbob]

Illawarra Mercury --> Driver, passengers injured after train hits car on tracks at Kembla Grange

A train driver and two passengers have been taken to hospital after a train derailed at Kembla Grange early this morning.
Emergency services were called to the train line on West Dapto Road just after 4am, after reports of a train and vehicle crash.

Police have been told the train struck an unoccupied vehicle that was on the track, before the front carriage of the train rolled onto its side.

Eleven passengers and the train driver were rescued, while the driver and two passengers were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Officers from Lake Illawarra Police District have established a crime scene and commenced an investigation. ...

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/kelfuller/status/1450555244576862212

[SurfRail]

The irony is that there have been substantially more fatalities, derailments and damaged rollingstock due to safeworking failures in NSW in the last 20 years which have not been prevented by guards, and even with better train protection systems than we have up here.  The counterpunch is that we don't know about the things that guards DID stop, which is even more concerning.

The push should really be to cascade as many guards into driving positions as possible and put their wage up to account for that, like they did in Melbourne - where the RTBU employees virtually all work for private companies and have for decades now.