Siemens (train)

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Siemens
Siemens train at Mordialloc
Siemens train at Mordialloc
Siemens train interior looking though intercarriage connector
Siemens train interior looking though intercarriage connector
Manufacturer Siemens AG
Built at Vienna, Austria
Family name Modular Metro (MOMO)
Replaced 'Hitachi' cars.
Constructed 2002 - 2005
Entered service 2003 - 2006
Number built 72 sets (216 cars)
Number in service 72 sets (216 cars)
Formation One or two 3-car sets (driving motor-trailer-driving motor, M-T-M)
Fleet numbers 701M-2501T-702M through 843M-2572T-844M
Capacity (3-car set)
  • 264 Sitting
  • 258 Standing
  • 522 Total
  • 792 Crush
[1]
Operator Connex Melbourne
Depots 'Connex South' (Former M>Train)
Lines served Craigieburn, Cranbourne, Frankston, Pakenham, Sandringham, Sydenham, Upfield, Werribee, Williamstown.
Specifications
Car body Stainless steel, single deck.
Car length 24.1 m (Motor car)
23.8 (Trailer car)
Width 2948 mm
Floor height 1230 mm
Entry 4x twin-leaf plug doors per car, 2 either side.
Intercar connections 2 per 3-car set, enclosed gangway.
Maximum speed 130 km/h (limited to 115 km/h)
Weight 41.5 tonnes (motor car, tare)
37.8 tonnes (trailer car, tare)
120.8 tonnes (set total, tare)
Acceleration 1.2 m/s/s (limited to 1 m/s/s)
Gauge Broad (1600 mm, 5'3")
Voltage 1500V DC overhead

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.

The Siemens train are fitted with a Passenger Information Display system (PIDS) produced by the German firm Annax. The system is unique to the Melbourne rail network, uses the original M>train voice of English dialect, and does not announce express running or the end of services. The external destination indicators are large in size compared to other Melbourne trains. New announcements that are said by the ALSTOM voice are slowly begining to be installed to Siemens trains for North Melbourne, Craigieburn and Roxburgh Park stations since the Craigieburn Electrification Project was completed in mid-2007.

[edit] Liveries

The Siemens trains have a stainless steel body, and were seen in a number of different liveries in previous years, owing to the changes in ownership that have occurred while the trains were entering service.

The trains were originally delivered with M>Train blue and green stripes on the side, and the M>Train 'swirl' on the front fairing. Later deliveries entering service in bare metal on the sides, and white front fairings with a green and yellow striped bar. On entering Connex ownership blue and yellow stripes were progressively added to the side of all trains, and front fairings were repainted yellow with the blue Connex logo.

[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. Being significantly wider they were theorised to be slightly more efficient in loading and unloading passengers, although this is disputed by some sources,[2][3] who believe the fewer doors lead to longer platform dwell times compared to the three smaller doors in other Melbourne trains.
  • Open articulation. Passengers can freely move from carriage to carriage, within a 3-carriage set, 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,[4] one of two private operators which ran the network at that time. The Siemens trains, along with the Connex-ordered X'Trapolis trains, were intended to replace the ageing Hitachi trains, of which only seven 6-carriage trains now remain.

Unlike the Connex Melbourne/Hillside franchise and its X'Trapolis trains, the Siemens trains were not originally proposed by National Express in the privatization agreement. The original contract specified trains built by Clyde Engineering (now EDI Rail) using Adtranz (now Bombardier Transportation) traction equipment.[5]

Melbourne's original order was for 62 3-car sets.[6]) The metropolitan network is now run wholly by Connex Melbourne, with ownership of the Siemens trains transferred in April 2004. An additional ten trains were ordered by Connex Melbourne in August 2005, with the last of these trains delivered in February 2006. [7]

[edit] In service

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

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 Workshops on April 27, 2002.

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

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.[8] 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[9] 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.

On the 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 the 29 January 2007, Connex cancelled 37 peak-period services until further notice, due to the shortage of operational trains.[10]

By the 1st of February, 38 three-car sets were withdrawn due to continuing braking failures, meaning that almost half of the Siemens fleet (or around ten percent of the total fleet) was out of revenue service.[11] 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.[12] The entire fleet has now re-entered service, although with a restriction on single unit (3 car) operations.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Siemens, vicsig.net, http://www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=suburban&traintype=Siemens, accessed 16 September 2006
  2. ^ Th Age: The Problems: Why trains are late.
  3. ^ The Age: 'Dissatisfaction - all along the line' - May 30, 2005. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
  4. ^ Suburban Trains - Siemens Trains for M>Train (VicSig.net). Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
  5. ^ Bayside trains franchise agreement, part 8. The Clyde Engineering proposal is at the end of the document
  6. ^ Newsrail. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
  7. ^ Media Release: NEW TRAIN HITS THE TRACKS. www.dpc.vic.gov.au (October 4, 2005). Retrieved on 2008-03-16.
  8. ^ www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/11/15/1163266640138.html?page=fullpage. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
  9. ^ www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/01/15/1168709680269.html. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
  10. ^ Anger as 37 services derailed, Herald Sun, 30 January 2007. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
  11. ^ www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/01/31/1169919403511.html?page=fullpage. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
  12. ^ The Age: "Connex may halt fleet today" - January 31 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-04.

[edit] External links


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