From Newsgroup: aus.rail

The "Regional Rail" project is in the process of procuring new trains to replace the existing XPlorer, XPT, and Endeavour fleets.

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/regional-rail

I have tried to get more information from them, via projects@transport.nsw.gov.au as given on that web page, but all I get
are reassuring platitudes. Either they don't know what they're doing, or there's something they're trying to keep quiet.

Anyway, frustrated by that, I decided to take a detailed look at what
benefit would be provided by introducing tilt trains on the Dubbo route.
I've modelled every curve on the line that's less than 800 metres[*] in radius, and assumed a train with a specific power of 10kW per tonne, a
top speed of 160km/h and a braking performance of 0.95 m/s^2. The
specific power is typical of some DMU tilt trains in Europe, the braking performance is achieved by Victoria's VLocity trains, and 160km/h limit
comes about because being able to go faster achieves little on that
route. Also assumed is a maximum cant deficiency of 280mm, which seems
typical for a tilt train.

I've also assumed the same stopping pattern as the existing trains, and ignored the section from Central to Penrith, because the speed
constraints appear to be related more to signalling and traffic than
physical constraints.

What I end up with is a predicted transit time from Penrith to Dubbo of
3 hours 31 minutes. This compares the XPT transit time of 5 hours 39
minutes.

So the journey time could be reduced by two hours, which seems a
worthwhile improvement.

The problem now is to convince the relevant parties before we get
committed to slow regional rail for the next generation.

Sylvia.

[*] The tilt train can take a 800 metre radius curve at 160km/h, so
without slowing down from its own speed limit.



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From Newsgroup: aus.rail

In <g73crpF9m1oU1@mid.individual.net>, Sylvia Else <sylvia@email.invalid> writes:

The "Regional Rail" project is in the process of procuring new trains to >replace the existing XPlorer, XPT, and Endeavour fleets.

https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects/current-projects/regional-rail

I have tried to get more information from them, via >projects@transport.nsw.gov.au as given on that web page, but all I get
are reassuring platitudes. Either they don't know what they're doing, or >there's something they're trying to keep quiet.

Anyway, frustrated by that, I decided to take a detailed look at what >benefit would be provided by introducing tilt trains on the Dubbo route. >I've modelled every curve on the line that's less than 800 metres[*] in >radius, and assumed a train with a specific power of 10kW per tonne, a
top speed of 160km/h and a braking performance of 0.95 m/s^2. The
specific power is typical of some DMU tilt trains in Europe, the braking >performance is achieved by Victoria's VLocity trains, and 160km/h limit >comes about because being able to go faster achieves little on that
route. Also assumed is a maximum cant deficiency of 280mm, which seems >typical for a tilt train.

I've also assumed the same stopping pattern as the existing trains, and >ignored the section from Central to Penrith, because the speed
constraints appear to be related more to signalling and traffic than >physical constraints.

What I end up with is a predicted transit time from Penrith to Dubbo of
3 hours 31 minutes. This compares the XPT transit time of 5 hours 39 >minutes.

So the journey time could be reduced by two hours, which seems a
worthwhile improvement.

The problem now is to convince the relevant parties before we get
committed to slow regional rail for the next generation.

Sylvia.

[*] The tilt train can take a 800 metre radius curve at 160km/h, so
without slowing down from its own speed limit.

1) Is this the same Transport for NSW that built a Metro line with sub standard
loading gauge, thus denying interoperability, and replaced the original and very
comfortable intercity electrics with OSCAR suburban seat cars?

2) I was under the impression that tilting improved passenger comfort but not
the trains ability to stay on the track. Can you speak to this?

3) I am not the next generation and will probably not see them in service, but
next important for me after comfortable seats is a proper buffet and not a catering trolley pushed down the aisle as our TfL executives will probably suggest as a cost saving measure.



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From Newsgroup: aus.rail

On 13/12/2018 9:57 am, johnsuth@nospam.com.au wrote:

1) Is this the same Transport for NSW that built a Metro line with sub standard
loading gauge, thus denying interoperability, and replaced the original and very
comfortable intercity electrics with OSCAR suburban seat cars?

I suppose, though they're going to replacing the trains anyway, so they
can mess such things up regardless.

2) I was under the impression that tilting improved passenger comfort but not
the trains ability to stay on the track. Can you speak to this?

It's certainly true. But there's a considerable margin between where a conventional passenger train becomes uncomfortable, where where it
becomes unsafe. Tilt trains exploit this fact to make comfortable a
journey that would have been safe, but uncomfortable. One aspect of
this, though, is that tilt trains really need automatic train
protection, because a driver error on a bend is more likely to be
disastrous - as it was on the QLD tilt rail. But modern trains should
have such things anyway, and even Transport NSW seems to have realised
that, and is implementing it, at least on the suburban network.

3) I am not the next generation and will probably not see them in service, but
next important for me after comfortable seats is a proper buffet and not a catering trolley pushed down the aisle as our TfL executives will probably suggest as a cost saving measure.

I'm also concerned that they may want to abandon reversible seating. I
grew up in the UK, where reversible seating was not used. One survives,
but given a choice, almost everyone sits facing the direction of travel
on long distance trains.

Sylvia.


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