Siemens (train)

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Siemens
A Siemens train at Mordialloc

Capacity 264 seated, 258 standing per 3-car unit[1]
Running configuration(s) One or two 3-car sets (motor-trailer-motor)
Maximum running speed Max 130 km/h by design, 115 km/h allowed
Replaced/Preceded by 'Hitachi/Silvers'
Built by Siemens_AG
In construction 0
Built 72
In Service 34
Fleet numbers 701M-2501T-702M, through 843M-2502T-844M
Depots Any 'Connex South' depot
Weight
Tare 41.5 tonnes (Motor car)
37.8 tonnes (Trailer car)
Dimensions
Length 24.1 m (Motor car)
23.8 (Trailer car)
Width 2948 mm
Height
Articulated sections Between all carriages in unit
Power
Motor
Electrical 1500V DC overhead
Propulsion

The Siemens MOMO Train (Modular Metro, originally NEXAS, but more generally Siemens train) is a type of electric train that operates on the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Introduced to service in 2003 and built by Siemens AG, the electric multiple unit trains are the newest in the city's suburban fleet.

Contents

[edit] The trains

Like all of Melbourne's suburban electric trains, the single-deck Siemens trains operate as M-T-M (motor-trailer-motor) sets of three carriages, and two of these sets are generally coupled together to form a 6-carriage train when run in revenue service, though a single set may be run when demand does not merit a full train. Each 3-carriage set can carry 522 people and is 71.9 m in length. They have a stainless steel body, and can be seen in a number of different liveries, owing to the changes in ownership that have occurred while the trains were entering service.

Siemens trains use passenger-operated power doors.
Siemens trains use passenger-operated power doors.

Changes to the Siemens trains are due to the Connex takeover of all of Melbourne's public transport network, which has caused the M>Train livery to be changed. Trains delivered after the Connex takeover have Connex livery on front panels (the Connex logo and name in blue on a dark yellow background). All front panels include the dark yellow background but the Connex labels may still be missing on some panels.

[edit] Differences with other Melbourne trains

There are several notable differences between the Siemens trains and other trains which operate in Melbourne. These include:

  • 2+2 (two and two) seating. All other trains had 2+3 seating.
  • Two doors per carriage per side. Significantly wider they were theorised to be slightly more efficient in loading and unloading passengers. However, this has not been the case, according to some sources,[2] leading to longer platform dwell times. All other Melbourne trains have three smaller doors.
  • Open articulation. Passengers can freely move from carriage to carriage without opening doors—the first such train with this configuration in Melbourne.

[edit] History

The Siemens trains were first ordered by the now defunct M>Train,[3] one of two private operators which ran the network at that time. (The metropolitan network is now run wholly by the other operator, Connex Melbourne. Ownership of the Siemens trains was transferred in April 2004.) The Siemens trains, along with the Connex-ordered X'Trapolis trains, were intended to replace the ageing Hitachi trains, of which only six 6-carriage trains now remain.

The first service to operate with a Siemens train was the 8:43 AM service from Flinders Street Station to Pakenham station, on April 3, 2003, 13 days after the official launch. The first set was delivered to the Newport railway workshop on April 27, 2002.

Melbourne's original order was for 62 3-car sets, with an additional ten trains ordered by Connex Melbourne in August 2005[4]) The last of these was delivered in February 2006.

The shuttle service between Williamstown station and Newport station was replaced with 3-carriage (M-T-M) Siemens trains on October 11, 2005. From around the same time, the Siemens trains could regularly be seen off peak and peak on the Caulfield Group (that is the Pakenham, Cranbourne, Frankston, and Sandringham lines), running as 3-car sets in off peak periods and 6-car sets in peak periods. Like the Connex X'Trapolis trains running exclusively on lines owned by Connex prior to gaining ownership of M>Train's lines, the Siemens trains never run revenue services on lines owned by Connex prior to the merger.

[edit] Braking Issues

This section documents a current event.
Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

In late 2006 the trains suffered a number of brake failures while in service; 14 trains overshot platforms in the space of three days. The 15 units involved in these overshoots were withdrawn from service for checks, and instructions were issued to driver to minimise further occurrences.[5] By mid-January 2007, a total of 24 three-carriage trains had been impounded for testing after 20 further incidents of over-running stations since 22 December 2006. The Age newspaper reported[6] that the incidents were being inspected by Victoria's independent transport safety auditor, and that the trains' braking system had been sent to Britain for tests. Connex had hired an independent consultant to oversee a review.

From 13 January 2007, Connex stopped running the Siemens trains as 3-car sets until the braking issue was resolved, with the result that all services (including evenings and weekends) on the Caulfield Group were operated by 6-car trains. On 29 January 2007, Connex cancelled 37 peak-period services until further notice, due to the shortage of operational trains.[7]

As of 1 February, 38 three-car sets have been withdrawn due to continuing braking failures, meaning that almost half of the Siemens fleet (or around ten percent of the total fleet) is out of revenue service.[8] Amidst the media reporting an escalating problem with the risk of the entire fleet potentially having to be suspended, Siemens issued a statement on 31 January saying that they believe there has been no evidence during investigations of the braking failures that would require the entire fleet of trains to be withdrawn from service.[9]

[edit] PIDs

The Siemens train inside PIDs (passenger information displays) do not work as well as other trains on the melbourne network. They have a tendancy to display the station's name one or two before the current. The PIDs on the Siemens trains refer back to Flinders Street when the PIDs become confused. The Siemens PIDs have the original M>train voice of english dialect. This voice is easy to understand but doesn't say when the train is express and when it is the end of service therefore, making it harder for tourists to understand.

The Siemens train outside PIDs are much clearer to read than the X'trapolis train PIDs. If they are not resest, they simply display 'Connex' or 'Melbourne Train Network'.

[edit] Images

A city bound Siemens train at Newport station

Forward view of interior.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Siemens, vicsig.net, http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=suburban&traintype=Siemens, accessed 16 September 2006
  2. ^ Error on call to Template:cite web: Parameters url and title must be specified.
  3. ^ Suburban Trains - Siemens Trains for M>Train (VicSig.net). Retrieved on February 12, 2007.
  4. ^ Newsrail. Retrieved on February 12, 2007.
  5. ^ www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/11/15/1163266640138.html?page=fullpage. Retrieved on February 12, 2007.
  6. ^ www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/01/15/1168709680269.html. Retrieved on February 12, 2007.
  7. ^ Anger as 37 services derailed, Herald Sun, 30 January 2007. Retrieved on February 12, 2007.
  8. ^ www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/01/31/1169919403511.html?page=fullpage. Retrieved on February 12, 2007.
  9. ^ www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/01/31/1169919403511.html?page=fullpage. Retrieved on February 12, 2007.


 v • d • e Types of suburban trains in Melbourne

Tait  |   Swing Door  |   Harris  |   Hitachi  |   Comeng  |   X'Trapolis  |   Siemens 
4D double deck  |    MTH carriages, hauled by an A-class locomotive
Railways in Melbourne
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