New Intercity Fleet Purchases/Observation

[boronia]

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/pas ... 5cuc0.html

Passengers face months-long wait for multibillion-dollar train fleet

[Linto63]

Testing / driver training appears to have resumed with D31/D131 arriving and then departing from Central at about 1530.

[gascoyne]

Some D-sets can be seen parked at Enfield in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urm9EwW0V0w&t=35m18s

[boronia]

Interesting document regarding modifications to the Ten Tunnels for the NIF fleet.

New Intercity Fleet - Great Zig Zag Railway deviation tunnels Modifications

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/system ... WQH-4CUv3g

[Campbelltown busboy]

Interesting document regarding modifications to the Ten Tunnels for the NIF fleet.

New Intercity Fleet - Great Zig Zag Railway deviation tunnels Modifications

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/system ... WQH-4CUv3g

It sounds like this cold be the first major modification to the 10 tunnels since the electrification of the Blue Mountains line

[Glen]

Interesting document regarding modifications to the Ten Tunnels for the NIF fleet.

New Intercity Fleet - Great Zig Zag Railway deviation tunnels Modifications

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/system ... WQH-4CUv3g

It sounds like this cold be the first major modification to the 10 tunnels since the electrification of the Blue Mountains line

Not quite.

In 1978 they were lowered to allow double deck interurbans to run beyond Mt Victoria.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Tun ... the%20line.

[Transtopic]

I have always wondered why the previous Liberal government never countered criticism that it had ordered new Intercity trains that "didn't fit through the tunnels" on the Blue Mountains Line. I would have thought that this was part of a long term plan to upgrade the loading gauge to allow for a common wider Intercity fleet to operate on all electrified Intercity lines as the narrower V-sets are retired. Similar modifications were carried out on the Northern and South Coast Line tunnels for the operation of the wider Oscars, which are identical to the NIF.

[moa999]

Classic political strategy I assume. If only 1% care, it's not important.
If you start defending it probably makes more people think it's an issue.

I'm surprised they didn't go harder at Labor cancels transport, particularly given thats exactly what Minns has done with the studies.

[hornetfig]

It sounds like this cold be the first major modification to the 10 tunnels since the electrification of the Blue Mountains line

Not quite.

In 1978 they were lowered to allow double deck interurbans to run beyond Mt Victoria.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Tun ... the%20line.

There's even a handy-dandy diagram in the very linked document that shows this:

[moa999]

So presumably only an issue on curves.
Cutting back to half the original depth of the concrete however.

[Campbelltown busboy]

Where the 10 tunnels built before the western line was rerouted from going via the current day Zig Zag railway

[Swift]

Is this why they duplicated Tickhole Tunnel in Newcastle so all electric sets could fit after electrification?

[Glen]

Where the 10 tunnels built before the western line was rerouted from going via the current day Zig Zag railway

That's why they were built, to replace the Zig Zag.

[Glen]

Is this why they duplicated Tickhole Tunnel in Newcastle so all electric sets could fit after electrification?

Yes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickhole_Tunnel

[Transtopic]

I'm surprised they didn't go harder at Labor cancels transport, particularly given thats exactly what Minns has done with the studies.

Minns didn't cancel anything. He just didn't commit to preparing feasibility studies for extension of Metro West from Westmead to Bradfield or the SW metro to Glenfield. It was reported that rail planners within TfNSW had doubts about the cost/benefit of the Metro West extension, which may have influenced Minns' decision. Sorry, getting off-topic.

[Swift]

Is this why they duplicated Tickhole Tunnel in Newcastle so all electric sets could fit after electrification?

Yes - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tickhole_Tunnel

In the link they mention it opened as a single track tunnel so it was basically restored to original with the second tunnel built in 1984. It's heritage listed too.

I'm guessing the reason Woy Woy tunnel can take wider body trains is because there's no curves.

[Linto63]

Training runs appear to have resumed, were two stabled at Central this morning.

[BAMBAM]

Training runs appear to have resumed, were two stabled at Central this morning.

They’ve been training for a while now, right after the agreement between the unions and the former Liberal Government when the EA was successfully negotiated.

[Randomness]

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projec ... yung-fleet

Now updated to say “second half of 2024”.

There’s also P631 testing down to Kiama today.

[Swift]

I was in a V set the other day helping my mother who struggles to walk these days and I've got to say they are not disabled or cripple friendly. They are looking out of date as a result. Rediculous is taken half a decade to take a passenger of the upcoming NIF sets.

[tonyp]

I was in a V set the other day helping my mother who struggles to walk these days and I've got to say they are not disabled or cripple friendly. They are looking out of date as a result. Rediculous is taken half a decade to take a passenger of the upcoming NIF sets.

Regardless of the lack of Wheelchair accommodation, the V sets do have one major positive feature for the mobility restricted - significant stepless at-level saloons in each carriage. By contrast, the at-level areas (and the amount of seating in them) in the NIFs is the smallest ever in a NSW train.

[Swift]

I was in a V set the other day helping my mother who struggles to walk these days and I've got to say they are not disabled or cripple friendly. They are looking out of date as a result. Rediculous is taken half a decade to take a passenger of the upcoming NIF sets.

Regardless of the lack of Wheelchair accommodation, the V sets do have one major positive feature for the mobility restricted - significant stepless at-level saloons in each carriage. By contrast, the at-level areas (and the amount of seating in them) in the NIFs is the smallest ever in a NSW train.

The at level area at the back where we got on has only seating for six and they were taken by two people and all their luggage so we had to sit in the lower level only for an entitled Karen sitting across from us to whinge at us discussing our imminent change of trains s we were in a quiet carriage which we didn't seek and she "could hear every word we're saying" therefore she deemed us as breaching the rules.

[Randomness]

G611 now testing up to Lithgow. They were usually limited to Springwood before.