(News to Me) Epping to Chatswood Link Open

After a number of setbacks, the long awaited Epping to Chatswood Link opened today, with the first train departing Chatswood at 11:05am to Epping, and the first train to depart Epping for Chatswood did so at 11:16am. The line was ready to open Sunday 22nd, although the opening was pushed back a day out of respect to the victims of the Victorian Bushfires.

Until the introduction of the 2009 timetable later this year, which will see the new line integrated as part of the Northern and North Shore lines, a 15-minute shuttle service is being conducted by a pair of 4-car OSCAR type trains. This is both due to the steep grades on the line, and the noise issues experienced, which are due to be rectified in the first few weekend shutdowns for the line before it’s integration into the network as a whole.

Riding the train from Epping to Chatswood this afternoon was quite an experience. The combination of the new OSCAR trains with the new track makes for a very fast, smooth ride. Indeed, unless one looks out the window at the speed of the passing tunnel, it is hard to gauge exactly how fast the train is going. The ride is so smooth, with no bumps or jolts or vibrations through the train at all.

New stations are open at Macquarie University, Macquarie Park and North Ride (originally named Delhi Rd), and all stations fall under the “green travelpass” zone of ticketing.

Eventually trains will travel from Hornsby to Epping, then through the new link to Chatswood, before heading south to North Sydney, and back to Epping via Central and Strathfield. Currently, northern line trains will depart Hornsby and run to Epping and Strathfield before heading east to Central and moving back to Hornsby via The North Shore line. The new design will see an increase in services to Epping, and stations between Epping and Hornsby (which, under the current timetable, only get one train every thirty minutes in the off-peak). The new line will also provide Cityrail more flexibility during times of trackwork, and help passengers to avoid disruption in a number of scenarios.

It is in the authors opinion that, although the project has been delayed, it is worth the wait. The travel time between Epping and Chatswood now is amazing, and it provides a far easier connection for North Shore customers wishing to join Newcastle and Central Coast line trains.

Unfortunately, the author has not had a chance to get any photos of the new line in it’s current operation, although photos will be shared as soon as possible.

For further information, see the Cityrail website, or the Transport Infoline website.

(News to Me) South Coast Woes

It would seem that commuters from The South Coast Line, which stretches from Sydney Central south to Bomaderry, serving the major centres of Wollongong, Albion Park and Kiama (among many others) simply keep getting a raw deal. Or at least, this is what the commuters on the line would have people believe.

A V-Set heads south towards Wollongong over The Como Bridge

ABC News recently reported on the withdrawl of some OSCAR (Outer Suburban Car) trains from pool which South Coast Line services are drawn. Most intercity and interurban trains are drawn from the same sector, be they the venerable V-Set trains (which are all maintained at Flemmington Maintenence Centre, in inner west Sydney) through to the brand new OSCAR trains (which are all maintained at Eveleigh maintenence centre at Redfern in the inner city). The only exception is the G-Set Outer Suburban Tangaras, which (until recently) have only seen very limited service on The South Coast Line, ever since the rollout en-masse of the OSCAR trains.

Some OSCAR trains are being withdrawn from South Coast service in 2009 to be used on the new Epping to Chatswood Rail Link (ECRL), due to the steep grades and loud noise levels inside the tunnels (which are of a magnitude not seen in Sydney before). Those OSCAR trains being taken out of South Coast service are being replaced by the oldest trains in the fleet, the V-Set Intercity trains (see photo). To listen to the media and the commuters, it would sound like the brand new trains are being taken away from the line to be used elsewhere, and clapped out old rolling stock is being used to replace them. Certainly, that is not far from the truth.

Sydney bound OSCAR at Unanderra. Soon to be back to a V-Set roster perhaps?

Regular Trackside readers would remember this article, published July 3rd. The article was in response to a critique made by Railway Digest contributor Phillip Clarke of the OSCAR trains. Among the issues Phillip had with the trains were (first and foremost) the increased capacity of the OSCAR trains at the expense of passenger comfort (especially on longer journeys) , and the reduction of toilet facilites on the OSCAR trains when compared to the V-Set trains they were replacing. Phillip was not alone in these views, which were shared by a number of regular South Coast Commuters, a number of whom completely ignored the benefits of the OSCAR trains (higher capacity, increased saftey and security for passengers, disability accessable toilet facilities and so forth), and instead lamented the withdrawl of the V-Set trains. Indeed, it would seem that some commuters conveniently ignored the fact that hundreds of millions of dollars had been spent to ensure that their line was given a completely new set of rolling stock before any other lines in Sydney – it would be a number of months after the introduction of the OSCAR before the new trains would be seen working services to Gosford/Wyong, commuters on The Northern Line would instead have to make do with Outer Suburban Tangara trains.

Now it seems, the reverse is true. The commuters and media lament the loss of the brand new OSCAR trains, complaining that they are being taken away to be given to another line, and are instead being lumped with clapped out old silver trains. Yet, it was the very features of these trains that they were lamenting the loss of when the OSCAR trains first came online! V-Sets (as mentioned in the previous article on this website) feature two by two reversable seating, air conditioning, no shortage of bathrooms (an equivialant amount of one per carriage on the train, instead of the one for every four cars on the OSCAR trains).

Northbound OSCAR crossing The Princes Highway at Unanderra

The South Coast Line is not returning to the condition it was in before the introduction of the OSCAR trains, when a shortage of V-Set intercity stock and G-Set Outer Suburban Tangaras meant that  South Coast Line trains (especially peak hour services) were being made up of T-Set Tangara (suburban) trains, with their commuter seating and no toilet facilities at all.

Finally, where are these V-Sets coming from? It is well known in Sydney that the V-Set (a very popular train with commuters from The Blue Mountains, South Coast, Ilawarra, Central Coast and Newcastle) is in short supply, so they must be withdrawn from one line to be used on another. It would seem that Central Coast Line services to Gosford and Wyong, traditionally served by four or six car V-Set trains are being replaced by OSCAR trains. Next we will be hearing about how hard the Central Coast Commuters have it. Never mind that the last new suburban train was the Millenium train, introduced from 2000, which only runs on the south west. Never mind that commuters from Penrith, Blacktown and Richmond areas are still being forced onto already overcrowded, non-airconditioned trains.

Source: ABC News “South Coas’t OSCAR carriages to be replaced” 23/12/08