TRV167 - Sydney Suburban Electric Trains 2020 (DVD)
Excluding the 'driverless' Sydney Metro trains (which are covered in a separate presentation "Sydney Metro"), the manned Sydney suburban electric train fleet consists of five different types of rail vehicle sets.
The oldest are the K Sets, 160 carriages of which were manufactured by A. Goninan & Co in the 1981/1985 timeframe. They feature fluted stainless steel sides, flat ends, reversible seating and were the first suburban carriages to have air conditioning. Delays in the design of the Tangaras saw an additional 56 similar carriages delivered by A. Goninan & Co in 1986. Known as C Sets, they featured a moulded fibreglass nose on the cab ends of the driving cars which gave them a much more streamline appearance, but they introduced the unpopular fixed (non reversible) seating.
In the timeframe 1988/95, A. Goninan & Co delivered 455 Tangara type carriages which can operate as 4 or 8 car sets, and these effectively replaced all of the remaining 'red rattler' single deck carriages which had been in service since the 1920s. They too featured the unpopular fixed seating. The first 375 carriages were known as T Sets, configured for suburban type operations, and the last 80 were G Sets, configured more for longer distance interurban operations needing toilet and luggage facilities. With the delivery of the Oscars (Outer Suburban Cars) the G Sets received significant de-modification to return as T Sets.
The latest suburban electrics have been the 35 Millennium 4 car M Sets delivered by EDI Rail in 2002/05 timeframe (these can operate as 8 car sets), and 78 Waratah 8 car A Sets and 24 Waratah 8 car B Sets delivered in 2011/14 and 2018/19 timeframe respectively by a Downer Rail and CRRC joint operation. All 3 types look very similar in appearance and feature AC traction. The later deliveries feature improved air conditioning, extensive LED lighting, upgraded computer systems, new information display screens, improved internal and external closed circuit TV cameras and improved digital voice announcement systems.
We see all types in operation across the electrified system.
Approximate run time: 107 minutes.