Hitachi (train)

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The Hitachi train (often called 'tachis or Silvers) is a type of electric train that operates on the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Introduced to service in 1972, the electric multiple unit trains are the oldest in the city's suburban fleet still in revenue service.

The single-deck Hitachi trains operate as "M-T-M-M-T-M" sets of six carriages (two coupled sets of three carriages arranged with two motorised carriages on either end of a motorless "trailer" carriage). Originally, Hitachi trains were comprised of three types of carriage, M (motor carriages including a driver's cabin at one end), T (trailer carriages with no motors), and D (a trailer carriage with a small driver's cabin). These cars were arranged in sets of M-T-T-M and M-D, which could be arranged together to create a six car set. All but one of the 68 D carriages produced were later converted into T carriages, and the various configurations previously used (including two- and four-carriage trains) were replaced by three- and six-carriage operation by the late 1970s to the current symmetrical arrangement for the opening of the City Loop. At its largest, the fleet contained 355 carriages.

Intended to replace the first generation of electric trains, the Swing Door and Tait trains, the stainless steel Hitachi trains have power-closing doors (operated by the driver) that are opened by the passengers by hand, and no passenger air conditioning. The M and D carriages were built by Martin & King, and the T carriages by the Victorian Railways. They are quite noisy when travelling through the underground City Loop, due to the opening windows.

The first Hitachi train to operate in revenue service was the four-carriage set 1M-901T-902T-2M, on the St Kilda line (now converted to light rail), on December 24, 1972. The 237 motor carriages that have been in service have been numbered 1M through 237M, and the 117 trailer carriages, 1901T through 2017T.

New X'Trapolis and Siemens train have been progressively introduced since 2002 to replace the ageing Hitachi fleet, which have been largely withdrawn from service. The final six 6-carriage trains were expected to be withdrawn after the 2006 Commonwealth Games, but as of November 2006 these have still not been decommissioned, still being in revenue service amid conflicting reports of their imminent withdrawal from service, or that they will be refurbished and retained until new trains are ordered around 2011, due to increasing patronage. Withdrawn carriages have either been scrapped, sold to private buyers across Australia, stored or acquired by railway museums or preservation groups.

[edit] External link

• Hitachi trains at VICSIG