There will be no need for rolling stock transfers between lines. They're
all going to grow in patronage, so each will get additional new stock as it
grows. No line will be in a position to give up stock.

The Western Sydney (Airport) Metro is going to be over 50 km long when it's
completed through to Schofields and Macarthur. That's not short!

Yes, the suburban system will be able to roll out automation as the ETCS is
expanded, but the RTBU (which is represented on the Administrative
Committee of the NSW ALP) will ensure that there's still a driver at the
front, even though he'll only be reading a book during the journey, and
guards to stick their heads out at the back - plus the Fat Controller on
the station to deploy the accessible ramp. And thus this 19th century crock
will reverse into the future.

Tony P

On Monday, 29 May 2023 at 11:03:16 UTC+10 Matthew Geier wrote:

> There is a difference between operating lines independently to

> deliberately making them technically incompatible so that even things

> like rolling stock transfers to balance changing demands are impossible.

>

> The only good thing is that maybe these other two lines will get an

> automation that can properly drive the trains unlike the 'bang-bang'

> controller Alstom has on the NW metro.

>

> I still can't see the justification for making the airport metro 25kv

> AC. Short route, short trains. The route is sufficiently short that

> having 3 phase breaks to balance the load will be an issue, so they may

> have to go to 'converter' substations that take 3 phase from the

> distribution network, turn it into DC and then into single phase AC for

> the overhead. Then each train has to take the single phase AC, step it

> down, turn it into DC and then feed it into a VVVF converter to make 3

> phase for the train motors.

>

> Will the extra complexity offset the 'transmission efficiency' of the

> 25kv OCS ?

>

> I'm waiting for some one to realize that automation could be applied to

> the double-deck stock too. Not to many more years till some one realizes

> the ETCS upgrade for Sydney trains is a precursor to GoA4 on the

> 'conventional' network. The union will not be impressed, but by blocking

> DOO they have made the case for automation stronger.

>

>

>

>

>