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Action for Public Transport (N.S.W.) Inc.

Single-deck trains for Sydney, again

posted Tuesday 15 February 2005
Having finally retired the last of its single-deck "red rattler" trains in the mid 1990s, Sydney's all-double-deck suburban train fleet may again include single deck cars from 2008. The lighter, cheaper, faster-loading trains may be used on short distance services requiring frequent stops.

RailCorp's Project Director, Rollingstock Acquisition, Ms Louise Hart, told the Commuter Council on 8 February that double-deck cars will also be provided under a proposed Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) funding arrangement. RailCorp already holds options for buying additional cars under its current orders for outer-suburban and Millenium trainsets.

Under the PPP, the chosen provider would finance, design, build and maintain the trains for 35 years, the design life of the trains, for which RailCorp would pay an availability or leasing fee. The design would be based on a performance specification rather than a technical one. The Millenium train would be taken as the benchmark for passenger amenity, with provision for incorporating future developments in technology and safety. The new trains will be permanently coupled as 8-car sets, to provide additional passenger space at the centre of the train.

One of the objectives of the PPP is to secure ongoing employment and skills upgrading for current fleet maintenance employees. Presumably, the new trains will be maintained by the train provider in his own facilities.

Ms Hart assured the meeting that passenger representatives would be further consulted before the preferred tenderer was appointed. Tenderers should be shortlisted by the end of February 2005. Detailed proposals should then be received from tenderers by August 2005 with the contract awarded in 2006.

More details of this $1.5 billion project may be found in the Sydney Morning Herald of 16 December 2004.



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