Transperth B-series train
Encyclopedia
The Transperth B-series trains are the newest model of electric trains that run on the Transperth
Transperth
Transperth is the brand name of the public transport system in Perth, Western Australia. It is operated by the Public Transport Authority.-History:...

 metropolitan transit system in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

.

The new trains run in configurations of 3 or 6 carriages. Each 3 car set is semi-permanently coupled together and consists of two opposing drivers' carriages, and a third middle carriage dedicated to passengers.

History

Perth's first electrified trains, the A-Series, commenced service in 1990. The new B-series was introduced on 4 October 2004 as part of the New MetroRail
New MetroRail
New MetroRail was a division of the Public Transport Authority in Western Australia. It was responsible for managing extensions to Perth's railway network...

 project. The trains were bought to service the Joondalup Line and Mandurah Line at a cost of A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...

 8 999 999 each (≈$9 Million), and are stored
and cleaned primarily at the Nowergup railway depot.

The B-series trains are capable of service on the Midland, Armadale/Thornlie and Fremantle lines and have been used occasionally during special events (e.g. football matches). However the stations on these lines are not capable of handling double (6 car) sets as the platforms are not long enough, and there are problems with the acceleration/deceleration systems with the closely spaced stations. Platforms at the original stations on the Northern Suburbs line had to be lengthened to accommodate the 6 car trains, as did Platform 1 at Showgrounds and both platforms at West Leederville. The Mandurah line stations, along with Clarkson, Currambine and Greenwood on the Northern Suburbs were built with longer platforms to fit for the double trainsets.

Improvements

  • Mounting of traction motors to the sprung body of the railcar rather than to the bogies, resulting in less noise and vibration
  • Faster operation with running speeds of 130 km/h, but are capable of speeds up to 142 km/h (however they are not designed to, but could be upgraded in the future) compared with the older sets, which have a maximum of 110 km/h.
  • Regenerative braking
  • Distinctive styling, with a more contoured exterior
  • Other minor aesthetic alterations
  • New automatic onboard announcement system (AOA)
  • Auxiliary secondary communication via floor to air (FTAC)

New sets

Public Transport Authority have purchased 45 extra new railcars (15 sets) to accommodate greater capacity on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines. The purchase cost is $A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...

160 million, with the delivery of completed rollingstock starting in early 2009 through to 2011. Like the older B-Series sets, these trains will only be used on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines for regular timetables services, and will displace the A-Series trains currently operating on these lines. On 28 June 2009, the first of these were introduced into regular service, with some of the older A-series trains being transferred to the Fremantle-Midland line at the same time. These sets feature an upgraded communication system and brighter destination screens than the original B-series sets.

Accident at Nowergup Depot

On 23 August 2006 at approximately 6pm, two B-series sets (numbers 53 and 60) were involved in a head-on collision at Nowergup Depot.
Cars from both sets were damaged badly enough that they were sent to the EDi/Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....

 facility in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

 for repair.
The cost of the repairs was expected to be A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...

1,240,000.
Undamaged cars from both sets were re-combined to fix set 60, which was then put back in service.
The damaged cars were fixed and returned to service (as set 60) in time for the opening of the Mandurah Line in December 2007.

See also

  • Interurban Multiple Unit (160 Series) (Citytrain)
  • Suburban Multiple Unit (260 Series) (Citytrain)
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