On Saturday our first electric trains arrived and last night they were moved to Wiri in the early hours of this morning where they are now tucked away out of sight for engineers to begin the commissioning process. Here is Auckland Transports press release about it.
The first of Auckland’s new electric trains has arrived and has been delivered to Wiri Train Depot for certification.
The train landed in Auckland on Saturday after a five-week sea journey from Spain, via Baltimore and the Panama Canal.
After clearance from Customs, the three cars of the train were trucked 25 kilometres from the port of Auckland to Wiri early this morning.
The train will be certified at Wiri Train Depot before being officially unveiled in early September. The new train, and others as they arrive, will be thoroughly tested and used for driver training before going into operation, once there is a sufficient number to begin running a commercial service. This is planned to start in the second quarter of next year.
All of the 57 new trains will be in full service in 2015.
Auckland Transport’s chairman, Dr Lester Levy, says this first train has been delivered right on time.
“These trains will change the face of public transport in Auckland,” he says.
“Train services have improved significantly in recent years and these attractive new trains will provide an additional incentive for people to get on board,” he says.
The trains have been designed to meet the specific needs of Aucklanders and feature the latest in safety, comfort and reliability.
“Along with so many Aucklanders, we are looking forward to the first trains going into service next year. This is a very exciting time for Auckland,” Dr Levy says.
“We thank the people of Auckland for their patience as all the work and preparation is undertaken to get the trains here. Finally, the day has come for the first of our new fleet to land on New Zealand soil.”
Each three-car train can carry up to 375 passengers – around 100 more passengers than the current trains and once all 57 three-car trains are in service, they will provide for a 40 per cent increase in network capacity. The total cost of the fleet is NZ$420 million.
AT have also released some photos of the trains, still wrapped up like a giant presents being delivered to Wiri.
One news also ran a piece this morning about them with an interview with AT chairman Lester Levy.
We now have to wait a few weeks before the train emerges from Wiri when AT officially unveil it.
Update: some more photos from Auckland Transport along with some video of the move and them being moved into the depot. Sadly no pics of them without the plastic wraps on. Photos are by Patrick.
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Just in time for an election. Handy.
Yes I said that to Len during our meeting and he just had a sly laugh in response.
Handy, and deserved. I have no problem with a political stunt if it has such solid foundations.
I’m all for it if it means LB’s position is reinforced. I do hope Mike Lee is right there beside him.
I imagine there will be all sorts of hangers on trying to claim some credit when this thing is officially unveiled.
I suspect there will also be some government ministers involved.
When does the second one arrive? The third? 57 trains to all be in service by 2015 suggests about one a fortnight. Is delivery staggered evenly or will they stutter in occasionally to begin with and then arrive in a rush towards the end?
If they follow a similar delivery schedule to the ROTEM Matangis the first 2 or 3 will come as individual shipments, while they await final testing on the rails in NZ and any final feedback tweaks.
Then the production line completion starts to ramp up and they get delivered in batches or 3 or more sets at a time,
I believe the 2nd and 3rd will come together in October then we see them arriving on a fairly regular basis after that. It is expected that by April when services start running there will be about 8 that have completed the commissioning process so I imagine a few more would be here going through commissioning.
A bit ironic they are delivered to Wiri by road?
They can’t go on the rails until they’re tested and approved, which will happen at Wiri. It’s possible that later EMUs will go by rail.
They use a new type of coupling (Schaffenburg) apparently that hasn’t been used in NZ and loading them onto a freight train would have then made it over-height.
So it’s more an indication of how out of date and underdeveloped the rail system is in Auckland that it wasn’t possible.
If the couplings are of a new kind then what provision is being made to haul a broken-down or disabled unit off the network and back to the depot? Presumably AT cannot just send a conventional diesel locomotive.
In most situations they will be moved by another set but just in case they will have an adapter but that hasn’t been tested yet. Also I have heard a suggestion that they might not fit properly under the bridge connecting the Port sidings to the main line so that might also be part of the issue.
It’s not a reflection on the network that it doesn’t have the bridge height to handle having a locomotive hauled around on a flat-car, however. Assuming we even have any flat-cars that are of sufficient length to handle a 50-something-metre long load.
Presumably it is testing and driver training to get the exact feel for the trains before the first ones will be put into service on the Onehunga Line?
Looking at that photo of the sidings in Wiri it’s hard to believe that that’s actually in Auckland – a modern train (albeit in wrapper), electrified overhead, fresh rails, clean. Contrast that to 10 years ago, you’d be hard pressed to find a single piece of non-rusty, boggy, oily, weed-filled track anywhere in the city.
Great pics Patrick!
second that.
Something about the video reminded me of a scene in ET – fog, bright lights, strange things.
Christo sur la ligne de chemin de fer!
Christo is everywhere in Auckland now… Industry follows Art!
A pretty momentous occasion. 🙂
Is there a name/class for these trains yet?
Yes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_AM_class_electric_multiple_unit
Oh cool, thanks!