NIF Maintenance Facility - Kangy Angy

[lunchbox]

(NIF = "New Intercity Fleet". It's the name being used in official circles for the trains to replace the inter-city V Sets)

The preferred site for the NIFMF is at Kangy Angy, on the down side of the Main North Line, about half way between Ourimbah and Tuggerah.

Notes from the Species Impact Statement and other documents, on display until 21 November 2016 -

The Swift Parrot and the Regent Honeyeater are both defined as critically endangered. There is only a single population of the Swift Parrot. It is resident in Tasmania from September to April, migrating to the mainland east coast at other times. This project will impact on 23 hectares of its habitat but the species "is not likely to decline". The project is likely to have "significant impact" on Melaleuca Biconvexa, which is listed as vulnerable under the EPBC Act.

The Facility will have 4 internal maintenance roads and 3 (uncovered) "Standing" roads. Rail access will be by facing points to down trains, at the southern end of the site. Provision is also made for a possible future main line rail connection at the northern end of the site. The exit speed will be 70kph. Simultaneous arrivals and departures will be possible. There will be about 16 arrivals and 16 departures daily.

There will be 50 to 70 staff on duty at any one time. Two hundred staff are likely to attend in any 24 hour period. The car park occupies about an area about a third the size of that required for the main building. It has a capacity for 185 vehicles - (A bit like a car park with maintenance facility attached). There is of course, no provision for staff to access the site by train.

[mandonov]

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/43670 ... ct/?cs=303

Kangy Angy's selection for a major rail facility to service the Sydney-Newcastle line is under scrutiny

Joanne McCarthy

20 Dec 2016, 9:58 a.m.

THE controversial selection of a tiny, flood-prone rural hamlet for one of the state’s largest rail maintenance facilities on the Sydney-Newcastle rail line has been referred to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption.

NSW Auditor-General Margaret Crawford has advised that her office will “look more closely at the site selection process” that led to Kangy Angy as the preferred location, including the then Wyong Council’s opposition to Transport for NSW’s original plan to build the facility on council land at Warnervale.

Ms Crawford has also referred a complaint to ICAC about a council threat in October, 2014 to raise “political level” opposition to the Warnervale proposal, and the council’s subsequent recommendation of Kangy Angy for the facility. Wyong Council sold seven blocks of council land at Kangy Angy to Transport for NSW for the project.

Council officers described the sale in March as “the opportunity to turn an under-utilised asset into a financial gain”.

The sale and comment outraged Kangy Angy residents who already blame the council for pushing the project to their area.

“The NSW Government seems to have selected this site on the basis of expediency,” Kangy Angy Residents Action Group speaker Neil Bolte said.

The facility is needed by 2019 when the first of the Sydney-Newcastle Intercity trains is expected to be in operation. Transport for NSW has indicated work is expected to start at the Kangy Angy site – yet to be approved - by mid 2017.

Continued in link ^^

[CCCC]

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/43670 ... ct/?cs=303

Kangy Angy's selection for a major rail facility to service the Sydney-Newcastle line is under scrutiny

Joanne McCarthy

20 Dec 2016, 9:58 a.m.

THE controversial selection of a tiny, flood-prone rural hamlet for one of the state’s largest rail maintenance facilities on the Sydney-Newcastle rail line has been referred to the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption.

NSW Auditor-General Margaret Crawford has advised that her office will “look more closely at the site selection process” that led to Kangy Angy as the preferred location, including the then Wyong Council’s opposition to Transport for NSW’s original plan to build the facility on council land at Warnervale.

Ms Crawford has also referred a complaint to ICAC about a council threat in October, 2014 to raise “political level” opposition to the Warnervale proposal, and the council’s subsequent recommendation of Kangy Angy for the facility. Wyong Council sold seven blocks of council land at Kangy Angy to Transport for NSW for the project.

ouncil officers described the sale in March as “the opportunity to turn an under-utilised asset into a financial gain”.

The sale and comment outraged Kangy Angy residents who already blame the council for pushing the project to their area.

“The NSW Government seems to have selected this site on the basis of expediency,” Kangy Angy Residents Action Group speaker Neil Bolte said.

The facility is needed by 2019 when the first of the Sydney-Newcastle Intercity trains is expected to be in operation. Transport for NSW has indicated work is expected to start at the Kangy Angy site – yet to be approved - by mid 2017.

Continued in link ^^

If Joanne McCarthy is onto something she obviously smells a rat.

[SydRailPhotographer]

Wait, so it hasn't officially been approved?? It's going to be hilarious if the new intercity trains arrive and they don't have a dedicated maintenance/stabling facility!

[3805]

That's okay. We have quality, dedicated and committed staff and maintenance facilities at Flemington.

[boronia]

Transport for NSW has defended the selection process that recommended Kangy Angy as the preferred site.

In a letter to a Kangy Angy resident in November, parliamentary secretary for transport and roads, John Sidoti, said Kangy Angy was the preferred site because it “performed well against the multi-criteria assessment that considered environmental planning and engineering constraints”.

“The other sites were ruled out for various reasons,” Mr Sidoti said.

So why did they want the site at Warnervale?

[Tonymercury]

So why did they want the site at Warnervale?

Because it seemed to be the best one until the former Wyong Council 'made them an offer they couldn't refuse'.

I've no idea if this involved a horse's head!

[Bedford-29]

Looking at that spot on Google Earth to the right you got industrial buildings and to the left you got farms and looking at Warnervale there is some big spaces there looking on Google Earth so who been kissing who to choose a piece of flood prone piece of dirt for a maintenance facility are planning on rowing the trains to the facility or use a outboard motor when it decides to flood

[tonyp]

What sort of dead running is going to be involved with this thing halfway up one of the lines instead of centrally located in Sydney? Is a train dispatched to the south coast line going to pick up passengers on the way to Sydney from the central coast or will it just be a nice bit of a fang for the driver?

[user13548]

What sort of dead running is going to be involved with this thing halfway up one of the lines instead of centrally located in Sydney? Is a train dispatched to the south coast line going to pick up passengers on the way to Sydney from the central coast or will it just be a nice bit of a fang for the driver?

Unless you know something different. Everything I've read has mentioned it as a service center for the Sydney to Newcastle rail line. The south coast has never been mentioned.

[tonyp]

Unless you know something different. Everything I've read has mentioned it as a service center for the Sydney to Newcastle rail line. The south coast has never been mentioned.

The way all of the press statements are phrased it sounds to me like THE service centre for the whole New Interurban Fleet, regardless of where it's deployed.

[boronia]

That's the way I read it, it will be a dedicated centre for the entire NIF fleet.

It will be much the same as the Waratah centre at Auburn. It will be a maintenance centre, not a stabling yard. Trains would normally only go there for scheduled maintenance. Existing stabling arrangements would apply.

[tonyp]

That's the way I read it, it will be a dedicated centre for the entire NIF fleet.

It will be much the same as the Waratah centre at Auburn. It will be a maintenance centre, not a stabling yard. Trains would normally only go there for scheduled maintenance. Existing stabling arrangements would apply.

It still makes sense to have the facilities near the centre of operations.

So the running depot will still be Flemington?

[boronia]

Perhaps another site the size of AMF may not be available in the Sydney area; although there is a lot of underutilised space there.

Maybe some political advantage in bringing employment to the Central Coast? Or has the LNP done its dash there?

FMC would be the logical stabling area, or the new yards behind Maintrain.

[Glen]

That's the way I read it, it will be a dedicated centre for the entire NIF fleet.

It will be much the same as the Waratah centre at Auburn. It will be a maintenance centre, not a stabling yard. Trains would normally only go there for scheduled maintenance. Existing stabling arrangements would apply.

It still makes sense to have the facilities near the centre of operations.

It could make sense if the majority of the work is done at night. Sets could be rotated to and from the Blue Mountain and South Coast lines.

Not necessarily agreeing, just sayin'.

[boronia]

There will always be spare sets in the fleet.

A set requiring scheduled maintenance could be worked to the CC or even N of an evening, taken to KAMF, and another set bought out to replace it for the next day. I think this is how the Waratahs are managed.

Thus most of the maintenance work could then be done of a day time.

In the event of an in-service failure on another line, a spare set could be kept in Sydney to substitute.

[Tonymercury]

The way all of the press statements are phrased it sounds to me like THE service centre for the whole New Interurban Fleet, regardless of where it's deployed.

Correct! and NOT a stabling centre.

And first indications have been that the same is to happen with the XPT replacements, where someone mentioned that the real estate agents had been inspecting the current depot with debit cards to hand.

[Liamena]

Don't the XPTs go to Sydenham for cleaning the toilets and refueling between every run ?

If you established a new facility for maintenance and overhauls, to free up the valuable real estate, you would still need to do daily servicing somewhere near Central, I would have thought.

[3805]

I wonder why the old Carriage Works / Elston's Sidings Redfern couldn't be cleaned up, modernised and utilised? Its location would make it perfect, and the basics are already there.

[boronia]

Most of the carriage works site has sold/leased off.

The NIF will remove V sets from Flemington, more Waratahs will mean less S/K/Cs to be serviced there as well. so XPT servicing and perhaps maintenance could be done there.

Although all the residential encroachment around FMC leaves one to wonder how long it will last.

[Punchbowl Tiger Cub]

The XPT site is listed with PLANNING NSW for redevelopment so anything is possible.Another site that is being considered for redevelopment is Clyde Up Yard with Pacific National vacating and relocating the Manildra workings to Enfield Yard.

[Frosty]

But the XPTs are due for retirement anyways soon. So a replacement fleet will need be ordered. Rumour is that the new XPT fleet will be based somewhere either in Rural/Regional NSW I.e. not Sydney.

Will light maintence be able be performed at other train depots instead of @Kangy Angy.

On the note of Flemington, Mortdale still exists that in a definite residential area. There are no plans for Mortdale to go.

[Punchbowl Tiger Cub]

Why do you think they want an XPT replacement depot based in regional NSW - so that the Sydenham site can be redeveloped.I'll believe it when it happens for an XPT replacement - don't hold your breath in the short term

[Frosty]

Not me personally its the National Party MPs and the pollies saying they want XPT replacement fleet based out there along with regional communities out in country NSW.

[mandonov]

It's a win-win situation. There'll be some new jobs in a regional area and more housing near the metro.