GW/MET-G-10/59 Metlink News
Metlink News
Metlink News
- No tags were found...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Q: What are the rules for bikes on the new trains?<br />
A: We’re still working on a policy for bikes on the new<br />
trains. There are no separate compartments, such as<br />
the dog box on the Ganz Mavags, for bikes. But there<br />
is a special section for bikes in the low floor area of the<br />
trailer car. The number of bikes to be carried will also<br />
be determined in the new policy. Changes to the policy<br />
may exclude carriage of bikes during peak times.<br />
Q: Are there toilets on the new trains?<br />
A: The new trains will not have toilets. This is best practice<br />
for metro trains in cities all around the world. Some<br />
stations have toilets and the new station buildings at<br />
Paraparaumu and Waikanae will have toilet facilities.<br />
New door controls on the Matangi trains.<br />
Q: What will happen to the other trains when the<br />
Matangi are here?<br />
A: When there are sufficient numbers of Matangi trains in<br />
service, the entire English Electric fleet – which are 50<br />
– 70 years old – will be retired. Work has begun on the<br />
refurbishment of a Ganz Mavag unit, at KiwiRail’s<br />
Woburn workshops. The refurbishment is expected to<br />
be finished early next year, and after a full assessment,<br />
a decision will be made to either refurbish or replace<br />
the Ganz Mavag fleet. The new trains will make up half<br />
of the fleet running during peak times.<br />
Q: Will there be new timetables for the<br />
new trains?<br />
A: Yes, there will be new timetables – for all trains<br />
as well as the buses they connect with. These timetables<br />
are being developed and will take effect towards the<br />
end of the year. More details will be available soon.<br />
Real time<br />
information pilot<br />
Real time information for <strong>Metlink</strong> buses and trains has<br />
moved a step closer with the completion of a monthlong<br />
pilot of the system.<br />
Real time information will enable you to find out<br />
(through the internet, texting or signage at stops and<br />
stations) exactly when your bus or train will arrive,<br />
based on the actual location and progress of the bus<br />
or train, which is monitored through Global Position<br />
System (GPS) vehicle tracking.<br />
The month-long pilot involved 25 GO Wellington<br />
buses running on the No.14 (Wilton to Kilbirnie) route.<br />
Implementation of real time information is expected<br />
to begin in October this year and be completed in 12<br />
months time. The system will be rolled out on all buses<br />
in the region, followed by trains.<br />
City Safari 20<strong>10</strong><br />
A record number of about 560 people took part in<br />
this year’s <strong>Metlink</strong> City Safari, on Sunday 16 May.<br />
The safari is an orienteering event which allows you<br />
to compete in teams and you can use <strong>Metlink</strong> buses,<br />
trains, the harbour ferry and Wellington Cable Car<br />
to get to control points.<br />
Congratulations to Bill Edwards and Yvette Baker,<br />
winners of the six-hour course, and Florence and<br />
Martyn Reynolds, who won the three-hour<br />
competition. Full details are at www.citysafari.org.nz<br />
<strong>Metlink</strong>’s all a-twitter<br />
You can follow <strong>Metlink</strong> on Twitter,<br />
at www.twitter.com/metlinkwgtn.<br />
Get the latest information on your<br />
bus, train and harbour ferry services<br />
and find out about everything that is<br />
happening in the world of <strong>Metlink</strong>.<br />
Keeping<br />
on track<br />
You can also view copies of<br />
<strong>Metlink</strong> <strong>News</strong> on the website.<br />
For <strong>Metlink</strong> timetables and further<br />
information about public transport<br />
services in the greater Wellington<br />
region, visit the <strong>Metlink</strong> website or<br />
contact <strong>Metlink</strong>.<br />
04 801 7000<br />
0800 801 700<br />
txt: BUS (287)<br />
txt: TRN (876)<br />
info@metlink.org.nz<br />
www.metlink.org.nz<br />
This service is brought to you by:<br />
<strong>GW</strong>/<strong>MET</strong>-G-<strong>10</strong>/<strong>59</strong><br />
<strong>Metlink</strong> <strong>News</strong><br />
Issue 13, June 20<strong>10</strong><br />
It’s now only about three months until the first<br />
of our new Matangi trains arrives! <strong>Metlink</strong> <strong>News</strong><br />
answers all your questions about the new trains<br />
– when you’ll get to ride on them, their special<br />
features – and lots more.<br />
In this issue<br />
Our new trains<br />
Real time information pilot<br />
City Safari 20<strong>10</strong><br />
<strong>Metlink</strong>’s all a-twitter
Our new trains<br />
The first of our 48 new Matangi trains is<br />
due to arrive late August. Then trains will<br />
begin arriving regularly from October.<br />
You may see them running along the line<br />
as they get tested thoroughly. Hutt Valley<br />
passengers should expect to have a ride in<br />
the new trains before the end of the year.<br />
As we await their arrival, here are some<br />
answers to commonly asked questions<br />
about the new trains.<br />
Q: Will the new trains look different from<br />
the outside?<br />
A: Yes, they are distinctly different from the English<br />
Electrics. The Matangi trains have a shiny, stainless<br />
steel exterior with a navy blue trim at the top. The<br />
front of the driver’s cab is yellow; the doors of the<br />
low floor area are bright green and clearly marked;<br />
other doors are blue.<br />
Q: What kind of branding will the new trains have?<br />
A: They will have the <strong>Metlink</strong> and Tranz Metro brands<br />
on the exterior, and <strong>Metlink</strong> on the interior.<br />
Q: When will the new trains run on my line?<br />
A: The first Matangi trains are expected to begin running<br />
on the Upper Hutt Line before the end of the year,<br />
followed by Johnsonville around March next year.<br />
The new trains will be running on all three lines<br />
by June 2011.<br />
Q: What is a two-car unit?<br />
A: Each train is made up of a motor car and a trailer<br />
car. This is called a two-car unit. Two-car units can<br />
be configured in 2, 4 or 6 car sets. The motor car is the<br />
“power house” of the unit; it carries all the motor and<br />
electrical equipment. The trailer car has no motors but<br />
still carries some equipment and has a driver’s cab.<br />
Q: Are the cars completely separate?<br />
A: No, you’ll be able to walk between both cars of<br />
a two-car unit. As well as creating a more spacious<br />
feel, you’ll be able to move to the next carriage if<br />
your one is full and the other has spare seats. You will<br />
not, however, be able to walk the full length of the<br />
train if there are two or more two-car units connected<br />
to each other.<br />
Q: What kind of flooring will the new trains have?<br />
A: The floor will be lino, not carpet. Lino is easier<br />
to clean, and keep clean.<br />
Q: What kind of sets will the trains be<br />
comprised of?<br />
A: Off-peak trains will run generally as a two car unit,<br />
i.e. a motor car and a trailer car. Peak hour trains will<br />
run as six car sets. The new trains will not be able to<br />
be coupled with Ganz Mavags. They will run as<br />
separate trains.<br />
Q: Why have many of the station platforms needed<br />
to be changed for the new trains?<br />
A: The height and width of station platforms around the<br />
region varies quite considerably. It has not been too<br />
problematic with the current trains but the new trains<br />
are slightly wider so some platforms have had to be<br />
altered, or in some cases, completely rebuilt. The trailer<br />
car of the new trains – each train is made up of a motor<br />
car and a trailer car – has a low floor area. There is no<br />
step up to the inside of this carriage. Because platform<br />
heights are variable, there may still be a gap between<br />
the floor of the car and the platform but boarding for<br />
wheelchairs and buggies will be greatly improved,<br />
compared to access on the existing trains.<br />
Q: What is the low floor area?<br />
A: The low floor area is located between the doors of<br />
the trailer car. There is no step up to the inside of this<br />
area of the car and a ramp built into the floor can be<br />
unfolded by onboard staff for wheelchairs. There are<br />
eight flip up seats in this area so if the space is not<br />
needed for people in wheelchairs or buggies, other<br />
passengers can sit down. The area is spacious, providing<br />
a substantial amount of room for people to stand.<br />
Q: How will the doors work?<br />
A: The doors of each car are operated manually, but are<br />
controlled centrally by the train manager. If you are<br />
the only person getting off, you’ll need to press a<br />
button to open the doors. This means that unless<br />
the doors need to be opened, the air-conditioned<br />
temperatures are not disturbed, making the journey<br />
more comfortable.<br />
Q: What about the windows?<br />
A: The familiar clunk, clunk of windows shutting quickly<br />
as a tunnel looms, will be a distant memory with<br />
the new Matangi trains. All the windows are sealed<br />
because of the air-conditioning and this should also<br />
make the train journey quieter.<br />
Q: Will the new trains be air-conditioned?<br />
A: Yes, the Matangi trains will have air conditioning<br />
which will make them cool in summer and warm in<br />
winter and add to a comfortable train experience.<br />
The manually operated doors, which will open only<br />
when people are getting on or off, will also help<br />
keep the temperature more even.<br />
Q: Why don’t the new trains have a dogbox?<br />
A: The dogbox area takes up valuable passenger space.<br />
Q: Will the new trains carry more passengers?<br />
A: Yes. Currently the Ganz Mavag units, i.e. 2 cars can carry<br />
296 people in all, which includes seated and standing<br />
passengers. The number of seats in the Matangi is<br />
approximately the same but there is substantially more<br />
room for standing passengers.<br />
Q: Are there luggage racks on the new trains?<br />
A: Yes, there are luggage racks in all parts of the train<br />
except the low floor area of the trailer car. There will<br />
also be more storage space underneath the seats<br />
as they are cantilevered, i.e. they don’t have legs<br />
at both ends.<br />
The first new Matangi train in Korea.