Options for future replacement of the 3000 / 3100 class hybrids

[rtt_rules]

With the completion of the 50 car 3000 & 31000 class conversion from diesel electric traction to battery hybride diesel electric traction, the question is what will replace these now 32 year old trains when the time comes?

The 20 older DEMU units produced in the mid 80's were retired after the Gawler line was converted to sparks, leaving the remaining 50 younger cars (produced in the mid 90's) to modernised and converted to battery hybrid technology that is reported to save around 35% of their previous fuel consumption for the lessor used lines of Belair and the combined Outer Harbour line and branches to Port Adelaude and Grange.

The modified 3000 - 3100 class would now be expected to have a service life up until around 2035, ie 40 years (roughly the age most of the recent retirements of EMU class in Brisbane and V-sets and S/K sets in Sydney). Normally the first suggestion is simply, convert the lines to full spark operations however is this technically needed, economic due to lower passenger numbers and for the Belair line even practical due to the tunnels?

Belair line,
- 21.5 km from Adelaide station, 16.6 km from the end of he OH at Goodwood station

Outer harbour line and branches,
- Outer harbour, 22 km from Adelaide station, roughly 21km from the current end of the OH prior to the underpass after the last cross overs to Gawler
- Grange, ~5 km from the junction at Woodville 7.5 km from Adelaide
- Port Dock, ~1 km from the junction at Alberton, 10.2 km from Adelaide

Overseas experience is showing us that there are growing options for battery electric trains that could service both of these corridors with minimal investment into existing traction power supply infratructure. ie

- Yokohama, EV-301 (NG) currently servicing the ~20 km long unwired Karasuyuma line, design speed up to 100 km/h, but in service 65 km/h due to the line alignment

- Yokohama, EV-801 (NG) currently servicing the ~26 km long unwired section Oga line, design speed up to 110 km/h (wired), 85 km/h (battery).

- Stadler rail, British Rail 777 Metro class (SG), rated to 32 km unwired, 120 km/h on OH, 100 km/h on battery, roughly same axle weight as 3000 - 3100 when new.

there are others by other manufcturers.

No doubt these trains cost more than standard sparks, but at $10 M / km / track for OH wiring capital cost, the cost of sparking the remaining parts of the Adelaide network will be in the order of $800 M - $1 B is fairly expensive for a few lines used by a fleet of just 50 cars or 25 x 2 car sets with the added complexity for servicing due to their diesel engines, so maybe less is asctually required? The OH capital cost is equivalent of $20 M per car.

The terminus of each line ie Belair, Grange, Port Dock, Glanville dock platform, Outer Harbour, Osborne (Outer Harbour trains could tap into this in both directions) and storage yards such as the Belair storage yard would need to have installed a short section of OH plus local substation installed for charging purposes. The battery electrics would recharge during their turn arounds at Adelaide station, their respective terminus locations and for the sections of line that are wired thus reducing the time required to charge at Adelaide station and therefore not impact on station dwell time.

Potentially the OH could be extended to Bowden or further if required if the distance to Outer harbour is considered too far for battery that requires the entire fleet to have this range. Same would apply for Belair line. A short section of OH could be installed on the hill to limit the draw on the battery and hence battery size for the hill if needed, say through Blackwater station.

[Gayspie]

Over here in America, where I'm currently living and working from May to September, some cities in the deep South still use DMU's for their suburban train systems, the Stadler KISS/FLIRT come to mind.

Fort Worth use the latter, which I caught from the airport to the city, and thought they could be a good replacement for our ageing 3000's.

[rtt_rules]

Over here in America, where I'm currently living and working from May to September, some cities in the deep South still use DMU's for their suburban train systems, the Stadler KISS/FLIRT come to mind.

Fort Worth use the latter, which I caught from the airport to the city, and thought they could be a good replacement for our ageing 3000's.

Interesting and thanks for sharing however my point is that DMU's are on the way out as there is alt technology that uses energy produced within the state, not imported.

[rtt_rules]

Hi
Looking like the SA govt has started to look at the longterm replacement options for the 3000/3100 class on the Belair line. As mentioned in the intial post above, there are comparable examples in numerous other locations around the world for which the govt annouces references some of the same locations I previously referenced.

This is obviously a election policy annoucement by the govt which I think is looking secure to retain govt so I think we can be accept this will likely go ahead and even if there is a change of govt, the LNP will likely follow a similar path as they are promoting Qld ALP's 50c fares as policy for them.

For the Belair Line,
- Battery Electric trains which also have a pano will be able to charge for the 5 km each way Goodwood - Adelaide - Goodwood plus the turn around time at Adelaide so about 30 min or so charge time, plus charging at Belair station and yard. Note the trains will use most of their battery to get up the hill, return will be mostly regen.

- Incase the charge time available in normal operations is insufficent without needing additional stock to extend lay over times say at Belair, then simply extend the OH from Goodwood for a few km, say 3.5 km to Mitcham station or further if needed, but unlikely. With the line being mostly single track and unlikely to need any additional transmission lines / feeders or substations, this will not be excessivly expensive.


https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just- ... ences-call

The state Labor party today announced it would spend $3.5 million to trial an Australian-first battery passenger train trial if re-elected, while the SA Liberals were out bagging their rival’s ambulance ramping record.

Labor would trial a battery passenger train on the Belair rail line, which currently uses modified diesel hybrid trains. The party said there were no battery passenger trains in operation in Australia.

The party promised to work with industry to develop the specific requirements for the Belair line, which is not compatible with traditional overhead electric infrastructure.

Labor pointed to successful networks of battery passenger trains in Japan, Ireland, Croatia and America.

“If the trial is successful, it could save taxpayers millions of dollars, removing the need for overhead infrastructure to electrify passenger rail lines,” Labor’s Emily Bourke said.