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39-891: The A-series trains are a class of electric multiple unit built by Walkers Limited in Maryborough, Queensland for Transperth between 1991 and 1999. When introduced in 1991, the A-series trains became the first electric passenger trains to operate in Western Australia and until 2004, were the only type of train in use on the Perth suburban rail network. Studies for the electrification of Perth's suburban rail network began in 1984 and in 1988 43 two-car electric railcars were ordered from Walkers Limited , Maryborough . Prior to this, Perth's rail transport network consisted of three railway lines radiating from Perth and operated by

78-477: A collision between sets while shunting at the train depot at Claisebrook , meant that some sets were mixed while their other half underwent repairs. Several months in 1993, for instance, saw the pairings of AEA226 and AEB339, and AEA217 and AEB326. When repairs were completed the original set combinations were restored. Additionally, a number of teething troubles soon presented themselves, such as braking problems which meant that trains would sometimes fail to stop in

117-627: A mixture of diesel railcars and diesel locomotive hauled trains. In 1979, one of these lines, the Fremantle line , was closed but reopened in 1983 following a change in State Government . The trains were transported across the continent on standard gauge bogies and converted to Western Australia's 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) gauge standard locally. The first set, set 01, arrived in September 1990 and immediately became

156-483: A motor-driving car or power-driving car. On third rail systems, the outer vehicles usually carry the pick up shoes with the motor vehicles receiving the current via intra-unit connections . Many modern two-car EMU sets are set up as twin or "married pair" units. While both units in a married pair are typically driving motors, the ancillary equipment (air compressor and tanks, batteries and charging equipment, traction power and control equipment, etc.) are shared between

195-626: A passing loop at Claremont , it was duplicated in 1896/97. A dedicated freight line was later added on the western side between Cottesloe and the Leighton Marshalling Yard . On 22 October 1898, the railway line was extended south to Robbs Jetty , on 1 July 1903 via Cockburn to Coogee and on 19 December 1955 via Woodman Point to Kwinana . The Coogee to Woodman Point section closed on 16 September 1973, followed by Robbs Jetty to Coogee in February 1986. In July 1926,

234-444: A red signal and slows trains that drive too fast. These systems will be replaced by an automatic train control system, likely a communications-based train control system. The Fremantle railway line has one all-stops service pattern. All stops services run every 15 minutes during the day from Monday to Sunday, every 10 minutes (six trains per hour) during the weekday peak period, and every half an hour or every hour at night. When

273-404: A six-car train, although common practice is to operate them only as either two- or four-car set consists. There are currently 48 two-car A-series trains in operation. Originally, the majority of A-series trains featured two inward-facing rows of bench seats either side of the car forward of the front set of doors and to the back of the rear set of doors, with two-seat rows running down each side of

312-417: Is simpler as no provision is needed for exhausting fumes, although retrofitting existing limited-clearance tunnels to accommodate the extra equipment needed to transmit electric power to the train can be difficult. Multiple unit train control was first used in the 1890s. The Liverpool Overhead Railway opened in 1893 with two-car electric multiple units, controllers in cabs at both ends directly controlling

351-448: Is the annual patronage of Fremantle railway line from 2010 to 2011 financial year. Figures are provided as total boardings, which includes all fare-paying boardings and free travel on stations within the free transit zones as well as transfers between stations. The figures for rail replacement and special events services are not included in the total. The Fremantle line featured in the 2006 film Last Train to Freo . During hot weather,

390-757: The ADG class railcars entered service in 1953, services on the Fremantle line were operated by steam locomotives. Some peak-hour services continued to be steam hauled until the arrival of the ADK/ADB class diesel multiple units in 1968 resulted in the end of steam haulage. When the line was electrified in 1991, A-series electric multiple units took over. B-series electric multiple units have been used irregularly (for example, for special events services to West Leederville ). Two three-car B-series trains were introduced on regular weekday peak services from 21 July 2019. Below

429-779: The China Railway High-speed in China, ICE 3 in Germany, and the British Rail class 395 Javelin. The retired New York–Washington Metroliner service, first operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad and later by Amtrak , also featured high-speed electric multiple-unit cars, known as the Budd Metroliner . EMUs powered by fuel cells are under development. If successful, this would avoid

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468-710: The Fremantle Railway Bridge over the Swan River was partly washed away in a flood, with one line restored in October 1926 and the second in April 1928. In the 1960s, as part of the standard gauge project , the section south of Cockburn was replaced by the Kwinana line on a different alignment. One of the lines north of Cockburn to the container terminal at North Quay and Leighton Marshalling Yard

507-432: The A Series has had many upgrades, Those include new External Destination Indicators (EDI) and Internal Passenger Information Displays (PID), Passenger Emergency Intercom (PEI), USB Charging and Onboard Public Address System for controlling Announcements which were designed and supplied by COMRAIL. Upgrades to the traction/brake traction controllers were made by retrofitting the fleet with a controller similar to those found in

546-679: The B Series. The controllers improved operation comfort and control reliability, as the older controller design caused discomfort to the driver if used for long periods of time and suffered from a very "Notchy and inconsistent" feel when changing between traction and brake levels. The A-series trains mainly runs on the Fremantle , Midland , Armadale and Thornlie lines. Until late-2016, the Yanchep and Mandurah lines were also serviced by 12 two-car A-series trains at high-demand periods, coupled together to make 4 cars. They are now exclusively serviced by newer B-Series trains. While still operating on

585-512: The Joondalup and Mandurah lines, the A-series railcars were noted to have suffered an increased occurrence of traction motor flashovers due to the sustained high operating speeds. C-Series trains have also been made and are servicing these lines as well. In early-2016, A-Series Sets 43 and 44 were fitted by COMRAIL with USB charging ports as part of a 6-month trial which was deemed successful. The USB port were designed and built by COMRAIL for

624-705: The PTA to handle the harsh conditions and were tested to rail specifications. They are located at the wheelchair bays, on the exterior of the door housing alongside the priority seats and beside the inter-carriage gangway door. Electric multiple unit EMUs are popular on commuter, and suburban rail networks around the world due to their fast acceleration and pollution-free operation, and are used on most rapid-transit systems. Being quieter than diesel multiple units (DMUs) and locomotive -hauled trains, EMUs can operate later at night and more frequently without disturbing nearby residents. In addition, tunnel design for EMU trains

663-421: The batteries are charged via the electric pickup when operating on electric mode. EMUs, when compared with electric locomotives , offer: Electric locomotives, when compared to EMUs, offer: Fremantle railway line The Fremantle line is a suburban railway and service in Western Australia that connects the central business district (CBD) of Perth with Fremantle . The railway on which

702-453: The car in between the doors. In this configuration each car has the capacity to carry 72 seated and 82 standing passengers, giving unmodified the A-series trains a total capacity of 308. However, since 2010, all sets have been reconfigured with two inward-facing bench rows running the entire length of the car. This reduces the number of seats available but increases standing room capacity. Each car has 1-2 wheelchair spaces available. Over time

741-601: The commuter services on the Perth network, but their success was marred by project delays and a number of early accidents. Some of those accidents involved collisions with motor vehicles at unprotected level crossings, the increased speed and quieter operation as opposed to the older, slower and louder, diesel trains being considered as a contributing factor. In three accidents within the first twelve months of operations three fatalities - all in motor vehicles - were suffered. Other accidents did not involve loss of life and some, such as

780-485: The construction of electric traction railways and trolley systems worldwide. Each car of the train has its own traction motors: by means of motor control relays in each car energized by train-line wires from the front car all of the traction motors in the train are controlled in unison. The cars that form a complete EMU set can usually be separated by function into four types: power car, motor car, driving car, and trailer car. Each car can have more than one function, such as

819-481: The creation of a harmonic vibration from the train's bogies which caused nausea in otherwise healthy passengers. The trains entered revenue service on the 28 September 1991, running Perth Royal Show specials and by April 1992 had virtually taken over the suburban network timetables, with only a very limited number of services still operated by the older diesel trains. The last entered service on 30 October 1992. Some sets have been named: The new trains revolutionised

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858-638: The existing Yanchep line tunnel is only 75 cm (30 in). The new tunnel could be built to a smaller diameter by using a conductor rail, allowing for an increased clearance between the two. The new tunnel opened on 18 July 2013. With the privatisation of Westrail in 2000, responsibility for the Perth to South Beach section passed to the Public Transport Authority and the South Beach to Cockburn Junction section to Arc Infrastructure , although operational responsibility for

897-426: The first generation trains were then progressively updated to bring them inline with the more recent units. All are scheduled to be replaced by B-series from 2023, however have not been done yet due to the platforms being too short. Each set consists of two semi-permanently coupled cars, designated AEA and AEB, both of which have a driver’s cab and powered bogies . Up to three sets may be coupled together to make

936-600: The line. As part of the Subi Centro project, Subiaco station and 900 metres (980 yd) of the line were sunk in 1998. Between 2011 and 2014, the Fremantle line was sunk between Lake Street and the Horseshoe Bridge in the Perth CBD to allow for the redevelopment of the area. Perth station's former Fremantle to Midland platform became an island platform, with an additional platform and track built on

975-416: The need for an overhead line or third rail . An example is Alstom ’s hydrogen -powered Coradia iLint . The term hydrail has been coined for hydrogen-powered rail vehicles. Many battery electric multiple units are in operation around the world, with the take up being strong. Many are bi-modal taking energy from onboard battery banks and line pickups such as overhead wires or third rail. In most cases

1014-605: The north side. Platforms west of the Horseshoe Bridge were demolished. In June 2011 a $ 237 million cost blow-out was revealed, added to a 2009 project estimate of $ 500 million. The new tunnel is the first in Western Australia to use a rigid overhead conductor rail instead of overhead wires , the same system as used on the Madrid Metro . With overhead wires, the clearance between the new tunnel and

1053-553: The outer end of the pair, saving space and expense over a cab at both ends of each car. Disadvantages include a loss of operational flexibility, as trains must be multiples of two cars, and a failure on a single car could force removing both it and its partner from service. Some of the more famous electric multiple units in the world are high-speed trains: the Italian Pendolino and Frecciarossa 1000 , Shinkansen in Japan,

1092-478: The port. Later when a narrow gauge link was constructed from Cockburn to North Fremantle, trade unions had placed a ban on working on dismantling any track or equipment. The service was reinstated on 29 July 1983 following a change of government which saw Brian Burke and the Australian Labor Party (ALP) come to power. During the closure of the rail line, patronage dropped by 30%. For

1131-582: The railway reserve into a busway , citing figures which showed a loss of $ 1.14 per passenger-journey on trains versus a loss of $ 0.26 per passenger-journey on buses. The closure of the line was opposed by Friends of the Railway (FOR), which submitted a petition of 100,000 signatures and prepared a 98-page report arguing for its retention. The railway was kept in working order despite the closure, initially because narrow gauge freight trains still used it to access Fremantle, there being no other narrow gauge access to

1170-487: The same time. Having been disused since 1987, the three stations were demolished in September 2018. During 1990, work commenced on building a new North Fremantle station , 800 metres (870 yd) north of its original location, which opened for service on 28 July 1991. Leighton station, which was 700 metres (770 yd) further north, was demolished during the electrification of the line. Regular electric services started in September 1991. Today there are 17 stations on

1209-466: The service runs opened on 1 March 1881 as the first suburban railway line in Perth by William Robinson . It originally operated as the Eastern Railway and ran between Fremantle and Guildford , via central Perth . In March 1884, the railway line was extended via Midland Junction to Bellevue and later to Clackline , York and Northam . The railway line opened as a single track with

Transperth A-series train - Misplaced Pages Continue

1248-555: The space required and thus not be correctly positioned at the station platforms. These problems were eventually overcome and the type has provided stable service ever since. In April 1997, a further five were ordered, entering service in 1998/99. These sets introduced longitudinal seating and the current green Transperth livery to the fleet, and with detail improvements including internal information panels, extra security cameras and quieter wheel motors, were subsequently dubbed 'second generation' sets. They are externally identical. Some of

1287-487: The staging of the 1987 America's Cup , stations south of Fremantle were erected for use by special trains at The Esplanade , Success Harbour and South Beach . The Hotham Valley Railway operated a daily service on this section of the line with a W class steam locomotive as the Spinnaker Run between October 1986 and February 1987. The narrow and standard gauge lines were rebuilt as a single dual gauge line at

1326-646: The standard gauge line is with Arc Infrastructure. A new bridge over the Swan River is scheduled for completion in 2025. This will carry the Fremantle line with the existing bridge retained for use by freight trains to Fremantle Harbour . Transperth operate services on the line from Fremantle through the Perth CBD to Midland on the Midland line . Freight services operate from Kewdale and Forrestfield to North Quay . Until July 2015 these were operated by Aurizon when SCT Logistics took over. Until

1365-484: The subject of industrial action at Westrail 's Midland Railway Workshops over a pay dispute and the impending one-man train operation which the new trains would ensure. Testing of the new trains began soon afterwards and mostly on the Armadale line while the electrification process continued. While the trials were largely successful a number of negative points were noted, not the least of which were braking issues and

1404-423: The tracks can distort. As a result, train speeds are reduced by approximately 20 kilometres per hour (12 mph) when the air temperature is above 37 °C (99 °F), and by an additional 10 kilometres per hour (6.2 mph) when the air temperature is above 41 °C (106 °F). The Transperth network currently uses fixed block signalling and automatic train protection , which stops trains that pass

1443-568: The traction current to motors on both cars. The multiple unit traction control system was developed by Frank Sprague and first applied and tested on the South Side Elevated Railroad (now part of the Chicago 'L' ) in 1897. In 1895, derived from his company's invention and production of direct current elevator control systems, Frank Sprague invented a multiple unit controller for electric train operation. This accelerated

1482-426: The two cars in the set. Since neither car can operate without its "partner", such sets are permanently coupled and can only be split at maintenance facilities. Advantages of married pair units include weight and cost savings over single-unit cars (due to halving the ancillary equipment required per set) while allowing all cars to be powered, unlike a motor-trailer combination. Each car has only one control cab, located at

1521-461: Was converted to standard gauge. The Fremantle Railway Bridge was converted to dual gauge . A marshalling yard was built at Robbs Jetty . In 1966, the eastern railway metropolitan passenger services were curtailed to terminate at Midland . Passenger services on the Fremantle line were suspended on 1 September 1979. The decision was based on three one day counts in 1971, 1975 and 1977. The Liberal government of Charles Court planned to convert

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