Re: SX sets to go and new 220 class SMUs enter traffic

[Graham Duffin <duffin@dyson.brisnet.org.au>]

"John Boxall" <box@ozemail.com.au> writes:
> How soon are QR canning all the SX sets ? In that free newsletter they hand
> out it was noted they will be totally SMU... by 2002 ...

I asked this question of a senior QR management person about 6 weeks ago
who told me the plan was to keep them in service until the new Citytrain
timetable either January or February 2000.  The EMU/SMU's will operate
some of the SX services on a piecemeal basis but the initial plan with
the new 220 class SMUs is to allow other electric sets to be available for
maintenance as Citytrain has been operating 98% of its electric fleet in
the peak and they want to get it down to the low 90's at least.

The new 220 class SMUs are also operating on some Robina services (usually
operated by IMU's) during the weekends so it is not only SX sets that
are being affected by the arrival of the new 220s.

Graham Duffin,
Salisbury, Qld.