H set (CityRail)
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H Set or OSCAR (short form for Outer Suburban CARs) is a type of electric multiple unit presently being tested for revenue service by CityRail in New South Wales, Australia. The cars are constructed by United Goninan and delivery has commenced.
The order placed was for 122 cars:
Non Driving Power Cars - ON 5901-5930 118 seats
Non Driving Power Cars - ONL 5951-5980 110 seats and Lavatory
Driving Trailer Cars - OD 6901-6962 102 seats and Pantograph
This forms 30 4 car sets with 2 spare Driving Tailers
The Cityrail H Set is basically the United Goninan version of a Sydney Millennium Train (built by EDI Rail). The layout of the OSCAR is similar to the Outer Suburban Tangaras, also built by United Goninan.
The OSCARS are already late in starting service as Cityrail wishes to test the trains carefully. The Millennium train had begun service before testing had uncovered all technical issues, resulting in it being withdrawn from service.
On 2006-08-05, OSCAR set H3 was opened for inspection to the public, the occasion being Sydney Central's Centennial These cars will run on the intermediate outer suburban service area (South Coast, Blue Mountains and Central Coast lines), falling short of true interurban trains but exceeding the definition of suburban trains. On Friday 15 December 2006, the OSCARs have commenced regular service between Central and Wollongong on Thursdays and Fridays (7.34am Central to Wollongong and 9.37am Wollongong to Central services). Their progressive entry into service will allow the Tangara "G" sets to be redeployed on suburban services in high demand areas including the Western Line and building up some existing six-car train services to eight-car train services to provide extra seats on the network.
[edit] Features
These new cars feature many things similar to the Millennium Train, including improved electronic destination boards, inside destination boards telling stopping patterns, pre-recorded voices through the PA System and Security Cameras. However, these trains have high back seating, covered in a soft blue cloth, with padded vinyl inserted as the head-rest of the seat. Luggage Racks have been installed in vestibules except for a single vestibule, which has a drinking fountain and a wheelchair-accessible toilet. Wheelchair seating are located throughout the vestibules, while 3x2 seating is provided in the upper and lower deck sections. Retractable footrests are provided for better posture on longer journeys.
Another new safety feature that the H Set will have are the guard operated doors. Older rolling stock doors such as V Sets and G Sets are all unlocked at every station (even short platforms). V Sets have doors which must be slided open for alighting/boarding and G Sets have push buttons, whereas you push the button for the doors to open. However on the H Set, the guard is able to select the number of doors to be opened at a station. This feature is aimed at preventing incidents where passengers may fall from the carriage when stopped at a short platform.
These cars have been fitted with "Dellner SP" couplings, compatible with the Millennium Trains or the New Hunter Railcars. They are able to absorb the impact of a collision, and the anti-climbers on the new H Set will also reduce the force of impact. This new feature are on the Millennium Trains, the Hunter Railcars and the H Sets. The new trains also have a different body design. Instead of the entire body being of the same design, such as the Tangara, the driver's cab is built like a protective cage, made of fibreglass, and stretches to the end of the guard's door. Then the stainless steel pannelling starts. The guard's door is also designed to operate separately from the passenger doors.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| CityRail fleet | |
|---|---|
| Interurban and outer suburban electric fleet | |
|
V set | G set (Tangara) | H set (OSCARS) |
|
| Suburban electric fleet | |
|
L, R, and S sets | K set | C set | T set (Tangara) | M set (Millennium) |
|
| Regional diesel fleet | |
