NSW Railway Observations 2021

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Scott4570
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Scott4570 »

Wednesday, April 21, the Indian Pacific from Perth has been tabled for a consist of 35 cars.

The train will arrive Clyde at 1115 hours and proceed to Clyde Up Yards to divide to Form 1145 (26 cars) and 1211 hours (9 cars) to Sydney Terminal.
The return Service departs Sydney Terminal at 1335 (26 cars) and 1405 hours (9 cars) to Clyde Up Yards to attach to Form 1519 hours to Perth.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Aurora »

Why the need for separate working into Clyde Up Yard?
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boronia
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by boronia »

35 cars probably too long to shunt in Sydney Yard? But they would still have to split the 26 cars into two platforms.

Is it carrying passengers into Sydney? Not much turn around time?
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Linto63
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Linto63 »

27 carriages is the maximum that can be accomodated at Central without inhibiting other services. 90 minute turnaround is optimistic. Usually platforms 1 and 3 are used to stable the carriages with the lead locomotive off the inbound service being stabled at platform 2 after being released.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

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Passengers on the Indian Pacific, Wednesday, April 21, disembark and board the trains at Sydney Terminal.

Tabled as follows:-
1st section: 26 cars arrive 1212 hours Platform 1, rear 12 cars Shunt to Platform 2.
2nd section: 9 cars arrive 1238 hours Platform 3.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Transtopic »

Presumably, the inbound locomotive on Platform 1 shunts to the rear of the train, drawing the rear 12 cars forward after disembarkation and shunts back again to Platform 2 with the locomotive remaining attached. The short consist later arrives at Platform 3, with the locomotive shunting to the rear, ready for the outbound service.

For the outbound service, the attached locomotive on the set on Platform 2 shunts forward and then back again to the set in Platform 1 ready for departure. The second locomotive, already attached at the head of the short set, follows later to Clyde, or is it the other way round?

Have I got that right?
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boronia
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by boronia »

In past times an additional loco was bought into Central to haul the second half in. I have a 2013 photo with a loco in each platform. I recall in the days of motor-rail, the lead loco would detach, run around the train and reposition the car carrier to the loading ramps.
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DSC01635 (Small).jpeg (130.64 KiB) Viewed 1989 times
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DSC01636 (Small).jpeg (144.3 KiB) Viewed 1989 times
I didn't see the departure sequence.
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Linto63
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Linto63 »

Three locomotives are involved on a normal day:
Loco 1 - An NR that leads the inbound service, normally one of the 6 with Indian Pacific branding (25-29, 86), sometimes this has worked through from Perth, but can have been swapped in Adelaide
Loco 2 - An NR that leads the outbound service, again usually with IP branding, sometimes this works through to Perth, but can have been swapped in Adelaide
Loco 3 - was usually G530 pre-Covid, but sometimes a second NR that works as trailing loco on both the inbound and outbound services to and from Adelaide only

The normal order of ceremonies is (might want to put the kettle on...is a bit involved):
*Loco 2 arrives from Pacific National's Chullora depot and stables in the former motorail siding opposite the Mortuary station
*Upon arrival with the inbound service, just outside Central Loco 1 detaches and moves light engine into platform 1, for some reason it goes all the way to the buffer stops, perhaps to do with track circuits
*Loco 3 hauls the full train into platform 3, about half way along it stops, the rear half of the train is detached, it then moves the front half forward and passengers detrain
*Loco 1 reverses along platform 1, couples to the rear half and hauls it into platform 1 and passengers detain
*Loco 2 attaches to the carriages in platform 1 and hauls them clear of the points to allow Loco 1 to move to the buffer stops at platform 2 via the platform 1/2 middle road, Loco 2 pushes the carriages back to the buffer stops, Loco 1 makes its own way to Pacific National's Chullora depot
*Loco 2 attaches to the carriages in platform 3 and hauls them clear of the points to allow Loco 3 to move to the platforms 3/4 middle road, Loco 2 pushes the carriages back to the buffer stops
*Loco 2 attaches itself to Loco 3 in the middle road, both move to platform 1, are coupled to the carriages, then haul these out into the yard and reverse back to platform 3 where the two halves are rejoined.

Only difference when a motorail was operated was that Loco 2 would attach itself to the wagons and move them to the loading bay before it performed the platforms 1/2 shunt release. Likewise for the outbound journey, Locos 2 and 3 would attach themselves to the wagons before coupling to the carriages in platform 1.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Stonesourscotty »

Is it Normal for the Indian Pacific to be held at St marys for a Penrith service to Overtake?
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by boronia »

Which direction?
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Scott4570
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Scott4570 »

The Indian Pacific is tabled to pass St Marys at 1546 hours (Down Suburban).
The Penrith services are tabled to depart St Marys at 1535 and 1550 hours (Down Main).

Maybe late running with the 1535 hours Penrith service, giving it priority at St Marys, so as to give some turnaround time at Penrith for its return to the City.
In turn, the IP will suffer a minor delay.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

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From SMH 29/04/21:
NSW on track for faster rail

Matt O’Sullivan

Upgrading a stretch of rail track on the NSW South Coast to improve train speeds is expected to be the first step in the state government’s plans to develop a faster rail network.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian will tell the Herald’s Infrastructure Summit today that her government is renewing its commitment to faster rail to regional centres, vowing to ‘‘deliver projects people said couldn’t be done’’.

Work on upgrading the rail corridor between Kiama and Bomaderry is expected to begin within the next two years. It will open the way for new intercity trains in the government-owned rail fleet to eventually travel at speeds of up to 160km/h.

A Grattan Institute analysis last year identified Wollongong-Sydney as the one rail corridor in NSW that would lead to the ‘‘most feasible commutes’’ if it had a major upgrade.

The state government has estimated that upgrading the rail corridor between Sydney and Nowra to permit trains to travel at up to 200km/h could cut travel times by 39 minutes, and Sydney-Wollongong by 25 minutes.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Linto63 »

Another high speed rail announcement, is there an election coming up? For all these announcements nothing ever seems to happen. The Kiama to Bomaderry upgrade is presumably the previously announced duplication of a couple of kilometres of track.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

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Gareth Ward's electorate.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by marcnut1996 »

Work on upgrading the rail corridor between Kiama and Bomaderry is expected to begin within the next two years. It will open the way for new intercity trains in the government-owned rail fleet to eventually travel at speeds of up to 160km/h.
How does an electric NIF run between the non-electrified Kiama to Bombaderry section? Unless the SMH is talking about the new bimodal Regional trains that will replace the Endeavours.
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boronia
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by boronia »

Would there be enough of these "New Endeavours" to run regular services from Bomaderry to beyond Kiama? Perhaps as far as Wollongong might benefit the locals.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Linto63 »

Unlikely, running the Civitys through to Sydney would be unlikely. IIRC the dual tracking will allow for a half hourly service to operate in the peaks and hourly the rest of the day allowing the 737 supplementary bus service to be withdrawn. Some Endeavour services ran to/from the bay platforms at Wollongong up until about 5 years ago.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by tonyp »

The South Coast line is quite different from other interurban lines in having a major city parked halfway along it, so there's a lot of short and reverse commuting along the line centred on Wollongong, including a strong segment of Nowra-Wollongong traffic. The Kiama break is a pain in the butt and it's certainly desirable for trains to and from Nowra to run through to Wollongong, timewise definitely. At the same time, you need trains from Sydney to continue to run through to Kiama to cater for that market. It's not an easy one to solve, but duplication (and ironing out any of the minor alignment kinks) from Wollongong to Dunmore would certainly help. So the corridor from Thirroul to Nowra has great potential for medium speed services, as does Waterfall-Sydney if the trains don't get buried in track congestion. On the other hand, straightening of Thirroul to Waterfall is well nigh impossible, other than a completely new tunnelled line that goes below sea level and misses all the stations between the two.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Linto63 »

The Kiama change adds 5-10 minutes, not a huge amount percentage wise on a 2.5 hour journey. Gosford is a compatible example of a major centre part way on the route.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by tonyp »

Linto63 wrote: Thu Apr 29, 2021 11:58 am The Kiama change adds 5-10 minutes, not a huge amount percentage wise on a 2.5 hour journey. Gosford is a compatible example of a major centre part way on the route.
Completely missed the point. Unlike Gosford, Wollongong is a major employment, industrial, business, retail and education centre and, accordingly, a significant commuting destination. Gosford/Central Coast, while having elements of all those, is more a dormitory area and not a strong commuting destination. People commute to Wollongong in significant numbers from both Sydney and Nowra directions. By contrast, most people commute away from Gosford. Like Gosford, Illawarra people also commute to Sydney. The comfort zone for that stretches about as far as Dapto-Kiama. By the time you get to Nowra, the train isn't a serious proposition for that journey time and people drive to Sydney. That wait at Kiama is one of the contributing factors in that.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Linto63 »

Catch a peak hour service to/from Gosford and a reasonable amount of people clearly work there, albeit not as many as Newcastle or the Gong.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by White Super Power »

Scott4570 wrote: Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:55 am Wednesday, April 21, the Indian Pacific from Perth has been tabled for a consist of 35 cars.

The train will arrive Clyde at 1115 hours and proceed to Clyde Up Yards to divide to Form 1145 (26 cars) and 1211 hours (9 cars) to Sydney Terminal.
The return Service departs Sydney Terminal at 1335 (26 cars) and 1405 hours (9 cars) to Clyde Up Yards to attach to Form 1519 hours to Perth.
Won’t worry the passengers too much as most if not all passengers would have alighted at Mt Victoria for their Blue Mountains experience then to Sydney on a DDIU.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

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NSW fast rail network to connect regional centres with cities

Sydney to Newcastle in under an hour? A fast rail network linking regional centres with the state’s capital are back on the agenda for the NSW Government.

Gillian McNally

Daily Telegraph, April 30, 2021 - 10:19AM

The NSW Government has confirmed it is renewing its commitment to fast train routes between Sydney and regional centres using asset recycling to finance projects.

After years of fast rail being touted and shot down between capital cities, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the state would focus on linking regional centres like Newcastle, Wollongong and Nowra with capital cities.

The move could be a game changer for those locked out of capital city housing markets, and help drive renewed investment in regional areas.

“The NSW Government is renewing its commitment to fast rail and faster rail,” a spokeserson for the Premier’s office said today. “The Government will have more to say about this in coming weeks.”
Fast train studies have in the past focused on routes connecting capitals to the eastern seaboard which were too costly.

Ms Berejiklian told an infrastructure summit held by Nine Newspapers on Thursday that under a plan being considered by the government, fast rail (250km) and faster rail which is speeds below 200kmh would be built between Sydney and Newcastle, the Central Coast, Goulburn and Nowra.

She said a trip between Sydney and Gosford could be cut to 25 minutes and Sydney to Newcastle — which currently takes close to three hours — would take less than an hour.

With record-low interest rates and infrastructure fuelling NSW’s economic recovery during the pandemic, the Premier said new rail projects could help ease the housing crisis and create thousands of jobs.

The NSW government flagged interest in an interstate fast rail network in 2018 when it released its 20-Year-Economic Vision for Regional NSW.

Four potential routes were identified in the plan as starting points:

Northern Corridor: Between Central Coast, Newcastle, Taree and Port Macquarie

Western Corridor: Lithgow, Bathurst, Orange/Parkes

Southern Inland Corridor: Goulburn, Canberra

Southern Coastal Corridor: Wollongong and Nowra

Past studies for long-distance fast and high-speed rail studies have focused on linking the major Eastern Seaboard cities of Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne.

However with rail as a competitor to air and road transport options, the cost to build and ticket interstate high-speed rail network would be insurmountably high.

The Government has appointed Professor Andrew McNaughton to advise the government on delivering a fast rail network to connect the state.

He is a Strategic Adviser to the UK’s High Speed 2 project and Chair of the International Railway Union World Intercity and High Speed Forum.
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by Transtopic »

Shame they haven't released Professor McNaughton's report yet after all this time, as it's been gathering dust on the shelves.
tonyp
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Re: NSW Railway Observations 2021

Post by tonyp »

I did make this observation to myself when the plans were originally publicised. It's one of those captain obvious issues in designing buildings, but presumably not to those first-year-out work experience students they got to design the job in order to save money. I'm off to buy shares in a company producing blackout shades.
Windows at Central Station blind public transport commuter

Transport bureaucrats have been forced back to the drawing board as Central Station’s shiny new roof causes havoc for commuters.

Ben Pike

May 1, 2021 - 12:00AM
The Saturday Telegraph

Transport bureaucrats are being forced to retrofit Central Station’s shiny new roof after complaints that commuters are being forced to look directly at the sun when planning their trip.

Transport experts have joked train commuters should be given “a free pair of Ray Bans” because the afternoon sun beams through glass louvres right above the new train timetable screens.

Commuters shield their eyes from the glare of the afternoon sun at Central.

The “hockey stick” roof design has created havoc for afternoon commuters — especially those who regularly head to the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong.

While the government says the new Grand Concourse area is supposed to make it easier for customers to connect between the new metro, light rail, suburban and intercity trains, commuters are not so convinced.

“We were thinking that they could shade the glass or have some sort of retractable shade so you could actually see the signs properly,” Sydney woman Gail Hamilton said on Friday.

“It’s a bad decision.”

Builders installing the louvred windows.

Brisbane woman Debbie Bell, who was travelling to Wollongong to visit family, said “it would be blinding in the afternoon”.

“I also think they missed the chance to use all of the space and have more information up there,” she said.

While transport expert Terry Tisdale joked that free sunglasses could be given out to commuters, NSW Labor transport spokesman Chris Minns slammed the design.

“This problem should have been blindingly obvious when the building was being designed,” he said.

“There are a lot of variables in building a train station, but the location of the sun is not one of them. It’s a bit of a disaster.”

Opposition transport spokesman Chris Minns. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

The 15 screens were installed in April and face west [i.e. east].

A Sydney Trains spokeswoman said: “We are aware that for a short amount of time during the afternoon, sun glare can make the new indicator boards on the Northern Concourse difficult to read.

“We are working with our partners to explore options to mitigate the glare.”

Around 250,000 customers pass through Central Station each day.

The number of customers using the station is expected to double in the next 20 years, according to Sydney Trains’ annual report.

Two new underground metro platforms and an underground pedestrian concourse, Central Walk, are being built by construction giant Laing O’Rourke.
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