| NZ ADK and ADB classes | |
|---|---|
A refurbished ADK set |
|
| Manufacturer | ADK: Commonwealth Engineering, New South Wales, Australia ADB: Westrail |
| Entered service | Australia: 1968 New Zealand: 1993 |
| Number built | 10 sets |
| Number in service | 9 sets |
| Formation | ADK+ADB (runs as ADK+ADB+ADB+ADK in service) |
| Fleet numbers | ADK: 681 – 690 ADB: 771–780 |
| Capacity | 74 (ADK) 64 (ADB) |
| Operator | Westrail on behalf of Transperth, Tranz Rail (Tranz Metro), Veolia Auckland |
| Line(s) served | Auckland suburban lines |
| Specifications | |
| Car length | 20.2 m (66 ft 3 in) (ADK) 15.8 m (51 ft 10 in) (ADB) |
| Width | 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in) |
| Floor height | 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) |
| Entry | 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) |
| Doors | Air-operated sliding doors, 2 pairs each side (ADK), one pair each side (ADB), 0.915 m wide[1] |
| Maximum speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
| Weight | 33.3 t (32.8 long tons; 36.7 short tons) |
| Power output | 155 kW (208 hp) |
| UIC classification | 1A-A1+2'2' |
| Gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
The ADK class consists of nine diesel multiple unit (DMU) cars each coupled to an ADB class trailer, operating on Auckland's suburban rail network. The Auckland Regional Council (ARC) owns these units, and they are operated by Veolia.
Contents |
These units were built for the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) in 1967-68. The ADK driving units were manufactured by Commonwealth Engineering, and the ADB trailer units were manufactured at the WAGR's Midland Railway Workshops.
They were purchased along with the newer ADL/ADC class units by New Zealand Rail Limited in 1993 to replace suburban carriage trains then used in Auckland. Later that year, they were sold by NZR to the Auckland Regional Council. The units were credited with an increase in patronage in the Auckland system, but have a number of reliability problems due to their age.[2]
In 2004 the ARC funded the upgrade of the entire class, which included refurbishment of the interiors of the units and the painting of the exterior in the new MAXX colour scheme. The upgrade also include mechanical improvements which would extend the useful life of these units by 10 years. After the upgrades were completed, ADK/ADB trains ran as permanent 4-car sets rather than the 2-car sets they ran as previously.[3] All ADKs are refurbished, except ADB 773 (in use at a paintball arena) and ADK 689 (which never came to New Zealand).
All ADK units have been scheduled to be decommissioned by the end of 2015[4] at the end of the Auckland rail electrification project.
| Key: | In service | Out of service | Auckland Transport service | Preserved | Overhaul | Scrapped |
|---|
| Number | Introduced | Current status | Current livery | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADK 681 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue | (old photo) |
| ADK 682 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue | |
| ADK 683 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue | (old photo) |
| ADK 684 | In service | MAXX Blue | ||
| ADK 685 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue | |
| ADK 686 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue | |
| ADK 687 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue | |
| ADK 688 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue | |
| ADK 689 | July 1993 | Not in service | Trans Perth | Never shipped to New Zealand |
| ADK 690 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue | |
| ADB 771 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue | (old photo) |
| ADB 772 | In service | MAXX Blue | ||
| ADB 773 | July 1993 | Not in service | Trans Perth | ADB 778 was renumbered to 773. Storage at Westfield, spare parts. |
| ADB 774 | In service | MAXX Blue | ||
| ADB 775 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue | |
| ADB 776 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue | |
| ADB 777 | In service | MAXX Blue | ||
| ADB 778 | In service | MAXX Blue | Renumbered ADB 773; paired with ADK 683 | |
| ADB 779 | In service | MAXX Blue | Renumbered ADB 778; paired with ADK 688 | |
| ADB 780 | July 1993 | In service | MAXX Blue |
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