Passenger Rail, Rolling stock & Rail Vehicle Design

Fourth train servicing Victoria’s north east

Freight rail track - stock - credit Shutterstock (8)

A fourth train is now in operation along Victoria’s Albury line, in an attempt to make travel more reliable.

“This new train will make services more comfortable and reliable for passengers on the north east line,” the state’s transport minister Jacinta Allan said.

The three return services between Albury and Melbourne that run along the line daily had hitherto been carried out by three five-carriage trains, which meant that if any of these vehicles were temporarily out of service — for maintenance or repair — coaches had to be used as replacement.

This extra train will now fill that gap, as it will be held in reserve to replace any of the other three trains if they are out of action.

The new train was created out of available existing parts: an old power van was refurbished, and one carriage was taken from each of the line’s existing trains and attached to the locomotive. The Albury line fleet, therefore, will now consist of four trains with four carriages each.

The project was funded by part of the $15 million the state government allocated in the 2016-17 budget for investment in north east trains. Alongside the reconfiguration process, the carriage interiors were refurbished — reupholstered seats, fresh paint, new floors — and provided with new toilets and handrails, making it more accessible for people with disabilities.

The line’s service capacity will reportedly not be affected, as many seats on the prior four-carriage trains were not used. This allowed for the transfer of the extra capacity into the new standby train.