Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

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Roderick Smith
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Comeng on the Burnley group

Post by Roderick Smith »

I travelled in one to Belgrave on Mon.28.8. The gossip is that some are rostered regularly with the 27.8 timetable change.

Roderick.
Roderick Smith
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W trams & asbestos

Post by Roderick Smith »

Melbourne’s iconic W-Class trams grounded by asbestos fears.
Herald Sun September 6, 2017.
•Victorian company sued over asbestos death •’Concerning’ find shuts down centre works •Ratepayers slugged for asbestos blunder SOME of Melbourne’s W-Class trams have been garaged after asbestos was discovered in their flooring.
Testing of samples taken from three W-Class trams confirmed the presence of ­asbestos-­containing material.
Yarra Trams operates 13 W-Class trams in its fleet, built between 1923 and 1956.
It said the asbestos fibres were bound within the flooring material, which was covered and sealed.
The danger came to light during a routine inspection of the fleet, used on the popular City Circle tourist route.
Spokesman Simon Murphy said it was aware that some of its older assets contained, or could contain, asbestos-containing materials.
“Safety is our priority and we took immediate action to ensure the wellbeing of our employees,” he said.
“We have received expert advice that the material is considered low risk.”
The City Circle tram outside Flinders Street Station. Picture: Tourism Victoria/Sarah Nicholson Access to the three trams has been restricted as Yarra Trams works with expert advisers to manage the material.
A program is currently underway to refurbish W-Class trams, with five already completed and on the network.
None of the trams that have been refurbished contain asbestos material.
RTBU assistant secretary Phil Altieri said he was concerned to learn about the problem.
“It is concerning when you think that hundreds of people have been walking on this stuff every day,” he said.
“It only takes one tear to happen in the flooring and you have a potential exposure.”
Last February it was discovered that the cement sheeting used in flooring of four new electrical tram substations contained asbestos imported from China.
Three modular electrical substations were built in 2015 in East Brighton, the city, Thornbury and West Brunswick.
All had flooring that contained white asbestos, which was banned in Australia in 2003.
Testing found a very small risk of exposure to the deadly substance.
Breathing in asbestos fibres can cause asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
The risk of contracting these diseases increases with the number of fibres inhaled and the risk of lung cancer from inhaling asbestos fibres is also greater if you smoke.
The symptoms of these diseases do not usually appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victor ... d782ad736a
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krustyklo
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by krustyklo »

I sighted a Comeng set running the 17:21 up Eltham this afternoon. Didn't see the numbers with enough reliability to report them.
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krustyklo
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by krustyklo »

Comeng set 439M - 440M, 607M - whatever it is connected to :) were running the 1.28pm up Greensborough today.
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Heihachi_73
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by Heihachi_73 »

I was in 29M on a down Lilydale this morning (30M leading), the PIDs and next station announcements in this set are stuffed. The train announced about four stations all the way from the city to Ringwood, where it was still "arriving at Blackburn". I have now caught this set (29M-1315T-30M) three times and every time the PIDs have been faulty in both directions.

Speaking of PIDs, when are they going to make them actually work properly on X'Trapolis trains at the new stations? They almost always get stuck "arriving at Mitcham" on down services all the way to Ringwood, despite the station having been moved years ago. Down trains sometimes display Mitcham, but never show Heatherdale once then train stops there, which means that no down train ever advises people to change for Belgrave or Lilydale trains because it never detects Ringwood until it has stopped and the doors are released. On the up, Heatherdale and Mitcham seem to be within enough distance that the PIDs still operate properly. I have not yet been on a Comeng through either station to see whether they are any different.
CAL
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by CAL »

Heihachi_73 wrote:I was in 29M on a down Lilydale this morning (30M leading), the PIDs and next station announcements in this set are stuffed. The train announced about four stations all the way from the city to Ringwood, where it was still "arriving at Blackburn". I have now caught this set (29M-1315T-30M) three times and every time the PIDs have been faulty in both directions.

Speaking of PIDs, when are they going to make them actually work properly on X'Trapolis trains at the new stations? They almost always get stuck "arriving at Mitcham" on down services all the way to Ringwood, despite the station having been moved years ago. Down trains sometimes display Mitcham, but never show Heatherdale once then train stops there, which means that no down train ever advises people to change for Belgrave or Lilydale trains because it never detects Ringwood until it has stopped and the doors are released. On the up, Heatherdale and Mitcham seem to be within enough distance that the PIDs still operate properly. I have not yet been on a Comeng through either station to see whether they are any different.
Rosanna is another one. Station is closed for 6months and it still announces Arriving at Rosanna. No informations at Heidelberg or Macleod about changing to a bus.

On topic of on board pids etc,
The whole Metro on board system needs a massive overhaul. The original Connex Alstom Comengs had the best system in 2000 but it was butchered over the years. It was and we need something similar to on board annoucements in the UK. Approaching annoucements “We are now approaching Jolimont” then annoucement the station when doors open. Eg. ‘This is Jolimont. This is a Hurstbridge Line train to Eltham. The next station is Clifton Hill”. ‘LIMITED EXPRESS TO ELTHAM’ is useless and offers no onboard information to the passenger. At least the Comengs annouce Express runs. Though not single station skips.
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Heihachi_73
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by Heihachi_73 »

The problem I see is that there are three completely different PID software designs, all of which are incompatible with each other. Coincidentally they also happen to be installed in three different train types. The UK style announcements are still partly intact in the Siemens trains, which of course don't run on the Clifton Hill and Burnley groups because even the thought of system-wide operation of three train types is beyond Metro's capabilities.

The problem with temporarily-closed stations is that the runs probably can't be modified by the driver to leave out a station on a normal service e.g. there is no such thing as an "all stations except Rosanna" service in the computers, the driver simply puts in the run number and the computer does the work since the runs are programmed with each stopping pattern - on a Jolimont to Clifton Hill express, the computer wouldn't even recognise West Richmond etc. even if the train was to accidentally stop at those stations.
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Craig
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by Craig »

For shutdowns or station closures over more than a couple a weeks, a fair question is why they can't be bothered installing a new file as required - they did so during the Laburnum shutdown over 10 years ago, there were some Ashburton expresses or something similar in the early part of the AM peak, with correct announcements programmed in onboard.

Once the express trains resumed on the Frankston Line last year after the third track reopened, some trains weren't updated, and we'd get to hear the station announcements for the stations we would be skipping for sometime. Who knows how we'll go once Southland station opens...

The new PIDs fitted in the A, B & E class trams can be programmed or updated remotely, that is why its now common for destinations like "96 Batman Park / Walk around Work" or "75 Riversdale Junction / Bus around Work" to be displayed when needed. They also had special versions on White Night, but in the past even the Z1s had a Grand Prix Gate number versions of destinations in standard files, so this isn't too special.

Kind Regards


Craig :)
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Heihachi_73
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by Heihachi_73 »

It will be interesting to see how the new Citadis (C1) PIDs fare, I am yet to ride on one where the PIDs actually worked.
Roderick Smith
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W trams

Post by Roderick Smith »

November 20 2017 Fate of Melbourne's iconic W-Class trams up in the air.
The rattle of the W-class tram is a sound familiar to all Melburnians.
Over the years, thousands of people have huddled on them to get to their chosen destination.
Victoria's state government is looking for new homes for dozens of Melbourne's iconic W-class trams. Photo: Supllied .
Some have got married on them; others have enjoyed a meal while catching a glimpse of the city by night.
The trams have been in operation for nearly a century, but now the fate of almost 200 of the cultural icons, sitting in storage in a leaky shed in Melbourne's inner west, remains up in the air.
Michael Leunig's art tram pictured exposed to the elements in 1993. It is now in storage in VicTrack's Newport rail yards. Photo: David Johns
The state government has completed an audit of Melbourne's retired fleet of W-class trams and has handed the audit's findings to a reference group that will decide their fate.
Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said about 200 of the trams remain in storage at the Newport railyard in varying conditions, but it was hoped a new home would be found for a few.
"Some of them are in OK nick, some are in not-so-great condition, unfortunately, so we do need to think carefully because they're an important part of our history and heritage," she said.
Six have since been upgraded to W-Class 8 standard allowing them to carry passengers again and another 27 have been deemed to have similar potential, while three are being used as restaurant trams.
Twenty other specially painted art trams have been identified as having cultural value, along with two themed trams and six historic advertising trams.
The cost of restoring the most trams to a condition where they are able to carry passengers is about $2 million.
Ms Allan said a small number of W-class trams still operated on the City Circle tourist line, which carried about three million people per year.
Between 1923 and 1956, a total of 752 trams were produced across various workshops.
From those original trams, 224 remain on VicTrack's register, the majority of which are in storage.
As part of the audit, external and internal visual inspections were undertaken with a grading scale assessing each tram's condition and suitability for future purposes.
"We have to understand the condition that the various trams are in, and if there is a reuse for them, how that can be done safely," Ms Allan said.
Melbourne Tram Museum deputy chairman Russell Jones said the trams were unique to Melbourne and were a part of the rich historical tapestry of the state's public transport system.
"We'll all mourn then to some degree," he said.
"They were designed specifically for Melbourne, and they don't really occur anywhere else in the world. People just have a real emotional connection to them because they've been a part of our streetscape for so long.
"Everybody travels by tram, no matter what social class you are, so everyone from Melbourne feels a real connection to them."
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/fate- ... zp16e.html
notch
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by notch »

Bus related:

Over 30/11 to 4/12, Burnley signalbox was closed and newer signals were installed. To do this, there was a five day shutdown from Parliament-Camberwell and Darling.

On the Friday 30/11 morning, there was a significant shortage of buses - reports indicated 50+ buses less than required. The extra buses were obtained by the PM.

Out of curiosity, what caused this?
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venturatiger
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by venturatiger »

Buses would be supplied as per the contract, you will probably find that the buses were stuck in gridlock traffic conditions,no real easy way to get from Parliment to Camberwell

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notch
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by notch »

Was that the buses were never delivered in the first place.
Roderick Smith
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Mega shutdowns & bustitution

Post by Roderick Smith »

Roderick
Rail pain ahead for commuters during summer construction blitz December 9, 2017.
COMMUTERS are being warned to expect delays of more than an hour during the holiday period due to a summer construction blitz.
Passengers boarding a train at Dandenong. The Dandenong railway corridor has the most crowded trains in Victoria. Picture: Andrew Henshaw Sections of the Frankston, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines will be upgraded to prepare the network for new hi-tech trains and remove nine level crossings.
Buses will replace trains between Flinders Street and Westall on Cranbourne-Pakenham lines and Flinders Street and Moorabbin on the Frankston line from January 2 to 9 and again between Caulfield and Dandenong from January 10 to 17 and Westall and Dandenong for two weeks during February.
The upgrade is the biggest restoration of the overhead and power system on the Cranbourne and Pakenham line in more than 20 years.
Platforms at 13 stations along the line will also be extended as part of the upgrade to accommodate new seven-carriage trains.
Commuters travelling to the city during the summer works should allow an extra 40 to 75 minutes for their journey.
Public transport minister Jacinta Allan said the works would allow the network to run bigger trains more often and thanked passengers in advance for their patience.
“It’s the biggest investment in better trains services for Melbourne’s southeast in a generation, and will also reduce congestion and boost safety on our roads,” she said.
By the end of 2018, all nine level crossings between Caulfield and Dandenong will be gone and the first High Capacity Metro Trains will be in testing, ahead of their introduction to the network in early 2019.
The level crossing removal site at Noble Park in October this year. Picture: Wayne Taylor.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/sout ... 2f6eec7225
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Mitch
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by Mitch »

CAL wrote:On topic of on board pids etc,
The whole Metro on board system needs a massive overhaul. The original Connex Alstom Comengs had the best system in 2000 but it was butchered over the years. It was and we need something similar to on board annoucements in the UK. Approaching annoucements “We are now approaching Jolimont” then announcement the station when doors open. Eg. ‘This is Jolimont. This is a Hurstbridge Line train to Eltham. The next station is Clifton Hill”. ‘LIMITED EXPRESS TO ELTHAM’ is useless and offers no onboard information to the passenger. At least the Comengs annouce Express runs. Though not single station skips.
I second the London idea. The announcements are concise and give the information you need about the station and any landmarks that station may be near. Although I did find that the announcements are not standard across the board and differ between different train sets, i.e the announcements on an old Jubilee line train were structured differently to the announcements on say, an S7 train that would run on the District, Circle or Metropolitan line.

All we need would be the following example. Upon approaching a station, you'd hear:
Now arriving at Caulfield..

Once stationary with the doors open, you'd hear:
This is Caulfield. Change for Pakenham, Cranbourne and V/line services. Alight here for Monash University, Caulfield campus".

Then once you've departed, you'd hear:
This is a Frankston line train to Frankston. The next station is Glen Huntly..

But, on the other hand, the reason why the Underground announcements wouldn't work here in Melbourne is because they don't run express services. The longer the announcement, the more time consuming it becomes.

Cheers,
Mitch :lol:
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krustyklo
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by krustyklo »

Once stationary with the doors open, you'd hear:
This is Caulfield. Change for Pakenham, Cranbourne and V/line services. Alight here for Monash University, Caulfield campus".

Then once you've departed, you'd hear:
This is a Frankston line train to Frankston. The next station is Glen Huntly..
Wouldn't that second piece of information be far more relevant BEFORE the train departs Caulfield? Not much point knowing the next station stopped at is Moorabbin after departing Caulfield if you were wanting to get off at Glenhuntly... :lol:
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BroadGauge
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by BroadGauge »

Mitch wrote:But, on the other hand, the reason why the Underground announcements wouldn't work here in Melbourne is because they don't run express services. The longer the announcement, the more time consuming it becomes.
Have they stopped that recently? I rode on an off-peak train from Baker Street to Amersham and return in 2009 and it ran express through the inner section, which was serviced by the other two branches of the line. I believe they have introduced new rollingstock to that line since I last wast there.

I think that passengers here would get a bit irritated if the recorded announcements at every single station were to state the destination of the train. I can't imagine how irritating it would be if I had to catch a train to Frankston and heard "this is a Frankston line train to Frankston" repeated every two minutes for an hour :roll:
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Re: Victorian Rail & Tram Observations 2017

Post by pakenhamtrain »

347M-1024T-348M is the latest set to come out with additional handrails, new seat pattern and the new front livery
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