Re: New Newcastle fleet

["Chris Downs" <cvdowns@ozemail.com.au>]

James C. <james_ccj@optusnetdotcomdotau> wrote in message
3abc80a8$0$25486$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au">news:3abc80a8$0$25486$7f31c96c@news01.syd.optusnet.com.au...
>
> "> Carl Scully was in Newcastle yesterday to announce the calling of tenders
> > for a new fleet for Hunter Valley DMU services. Seven two-car sets are to
> be
> > built at a cost of $50 million, tenders being called within six months,
> > contracts signed within eighteen and trains running by 2005.
>
> 7-2 cars sets=14 carriages  50$m means 3-4$m average/carriage....slightly
> expensive.
>
> Hopefully it will be able to keep local manufactury survive Downer/EDI
> Rail's Cardiff plant will finish its order list by 2003/2004.
>
> So...the end of the 620/720 class railcars is near  or is it?
>
> Cheers
> James

As Newcastle services apparently don't justify 4 car Endeavours but some 2 car
Endeavours are overcrowded this sounds like the perfect opportunity to design
these cars (with the aid of multifunctional couplers at both ends like
some/all [?] QR ICE cars) so they can be run as 2, 3, 4 etc. car sets.

Or maybe the Adelaide STA approach of some double ended cars to allow single
car operation at quiet times (skip the dunny?) and 3 car operation of some
peak services.

And let's hope they can MU with Endeavours.

Chris