[AUS] Pirate threat could delay arrival of new trains to Victoria

[Aussie_Rail]

Found at: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25847303-661,00.html

Pirate threat could delay arrival of new trains to Victoria.

Nick Higginbottom July 28, 2009 02:02pm

SOMALI pirates are posing the latest threat to Victoria's long-suffering commuters.
The first of 19 new trains being shipped from Italy set sail today but have been forced to take an alternative route to avoid attacks from the notorious high seas raiders.

Premier John Brumby admitted there was concern about Somalian pirates and couldn't confirm whether or not there was security on board the ship.

Mr Brumby remained confident the new trains would arrive on schedule next month.

"The suppliers have taken this (concern) very seriously, but they're very confident the trains are secure and that they will be delivered as requested in August," he said.

"There are a lot of stories out there about pirates, but this would be a pretty big thing to steal. They're (trains) pretty heavy."

A little while back the incompetent Victorian Government only purchased 38 new Alstom built 'Xtrapolis' trains to attempt to deal with huge overcrowding and the growing reliance on an aging fleet and now some of these new trains are ready to be shipped over and now their latest excuse in this ever growing debacle with Melbourne's public transport system is that 'Pirates' are the latest delay to the trains arrival.

When you thought every excuse under the sun has been tried and used to explain all the problems and delays, they pull this one from the depths of fantasy.

Then to add insult to injury, it turns out that these new trains will only be able to run on a part of the train system, ripping off hundreds of thousands of train users on the other half of the system that will miss out on getting these trains because the design of these trains does not permit them to run on the 'other side', a fact known for a long time by rail enthusiasts.

[Brief History]Melbourne's public transport system was privitised by the Government in 1999 or near about, splitting the train and tram system in two with two operators.

The suburban train system was split in two with 'Hillside trains' and 'Bayside trains' running to the halfs of the network. Later, 'Hillside trains' became 'Connex' and 'Bayside trains' became 'National Express' owned 'M>train'.

Under the franchise agreement both operators had to refurbish the 'Comeng' train fleet, and purchase new trains. So in 2002 Connex bought new 'Xtrapolis' trains, designed and built to run on their part of the network and 'M>train' bought Siemens trains, designed and built to run on their part of the network.

Then in 2004 'National Express' bailed out of their contract and so 'Connex' took over the whole network. The trains still run on their parts of the network with the odd test run of trains on the 'other side'.[/Brief History]

So by 2009 when it comes to ordering new trains you would think that they would be able to run network wide and not just on a few lines. But then that is very typical of the Victorian Government, the only thing that could go worse is that the trains are the wrong gauge.

It is expected that they will arrive in the new operators, Hong Kong's 'MTR' being run in Melbourne as 'MTM', they take over in December after 'Connex' were shown the door recently. 'MTR' livery is Grey and Red.

One just hopes that Blue-beard or Long-john Silver and Co don't get their hands on the trains.

This is an X'trapolis train currently in operation in Melbourne. The new trains will look pretty much like this, but possibly in

This is a Siemens train currently in operation in Melbourne.

Hopefully you guys don't experience the same dramas and issues we deal with.

 

[SouthEastern-465]

But I guess the shipping company is doing the more sensible thing going the long way round,being serious real pirates are a big threat,and demand money for goods and crew they have took hostage and sometimes even murder them.

Hope you get your new units soon,but were they ordered In connex era as they might be sent in Connex livery?
Regards

 

[Aussie_Rail]

True about the pirates and what they can do, but the Victorian Government like to dramatise things to beyond what they might seen. So we'll see what happens.

I believe the first couple might arrive in 'Connex' livery as seen in the first picture above, but as the rest of them arrive the later ones might be 'MTM' livery but only time will tell.