Tag: Rail

Electric Train Fleet Grounded [updated]

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This Saga is fast becoming intolerable

 

I was going to do a post in follow-up to Transport Blog’s Why are the electric trains so slow? in light of Stuff’s article yesterday: New Auckland trains can’t speed up

There is no point doing that post any more when you see this:

 

I will give credit to Alex on Twitter who first raised the situation earlier this morning. I did notice when I went past the Westfield Yard on my way to Britomart this morning that all Diesel DMU’s were out which I thought would only happen if we lost another Electric Train again (see Our New Electric Trains Breaking Down in Peak Services? [Updated])

Well it was not a single EMU being out of service but the entire fleet ground due to issues I have recently raised on this blog and have been mentioned by others here: http://www.bettertransport.org.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2460&start=2760

Also check here for the latest: http://www.bettertransport.org.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1653&start=3520 in which is quoted:

The EMUs have been withdrawn from operating services indefinitely as of yesterday, due to ongoing problems with the overhead line power supply fluctuating and causing the trains to shut down.
ADLs have been operating most services on the Onehunga line since Sunday

Note: I have been told by a few people know that only three of the five (or six) substations needed to run the Electric Train fleet in Auckland were ever bet. I wonder if this shortcoming has bearings on the EMU faults and subsequent grounding

 

NewsTalk ZB have also picked up on the issue

Temporary replacement for faulty Auckland trains

By: Anna Cross, Latest News | Wednesday July 23 2014 13:27

Aucklandâ s new electric trains are being temporarily replaced by diesel trains on the Onehunga Line.

Auckland Transport says what appears to be an intermittent power fault has occurred twice in 24 hours.

Chief Operations Officer Greg Edmonds stresses there are no safety issues associated with the incidents.

He says they want to ensure services run reliably while they get to the root of the issue.

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Source: http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/1539253294-temporary-replacement-for-faulty-auckland-trains

 

[Update] From TVNZ

Fault prompts electric train replacement on Auckland network

Published: 1:15PM Wednesday July 23, 2014 Source: ONE News

A power fault has led to Auckland’s new electric trains being replaced on the Onehunga Line.

Auckland Transport has stressed the faults had not resulted in any safety issues.

The power fault has occurred twice in the last 24 hours and while it could take several days to fix timetables will remain unchanged.

Auckland Transport chief operations officer Greg Edmonds says the organisation intends to get to the root of the issue.

“So as not to inconvenience customers we have decided to run diesel units,” he says.

Mr Edmonds also says issues such as this are expected while phasing in a new train fleet.

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Source: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/fault-prompts-electric-train-replacement-auckland-network-6036157

Such an issue was expected while the fleet was running in revenue service? I thought that was what the tests were for so that we did not have the cancellations and fleet muck arounds that we have now…

 

More as it comes to hand

 

Our New Electric Trains Breaking Down in Peak Services? [Updated]

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I thought tests were meant to eliminate this?

 

I caught this Tweet last evening during the PM peak services:

 

I do expect faults to come up during electric train testing. I somewhat expect maybe one spitting the dummy in the peak services. But I do not expect two EMU’s to break down with apparently similar faults inside Britomart during the peak evening services (or morning if it was morning) causing the issues that happened (cancellations and apparent bus replacements).

 

So the question is Auckland Transport what will be done to prevent this kind of failure again. Especially as such failings or near failings have been noted as seen here: http://www.bettertransport.org.nz/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2460&start=2760

The last thing you want is two EMU 6-car sets fully loaded with 750 passengers each breaking down with that same traction fault but this time on the Southern Line (the busiest of all lines) during the peak services…

 

Come on Auckland Transport let’s get this sorted while the EMU’s are still on the Onehunga Line

 

[Update] Diesel Unit (and ADL Class) Replacing Electric Train for Onehunga Service tonight

It seems we are still beset with issues with the electric trains that should have been sorted in testing.

This from earlier this evening:

Looking at the replies to the Tweet it seems an ADL diesel unit (the predecessor unit that plied the Onehunga Line before the Electrics went into service late April) has been replacing the EMU’s on Onehunga runs owing to no Electric unit available.

September is when the Manukau Line is meant to get the electric trains running revenue services. I hope by then the issues are sorted…

 

 

MIT Open Day NEXT Saturday

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Blessing for MIT was on Monday

 

From MIT via Scoop

MIT Manukau Blessed ‘Te Waonui O Te Mātauranga’

Inside MIT Atrium on Monday morning at sunrise. I can’t credit the photo as none was provided in the Scoop piece

MIT Manukau Blessed ‘Te Waonui O Te Mātauranga’
17th June, 2014

At sunrise on Monday morning the 16th of June, Mana Whenua blessed MIT’s new ‘smart’ Campus in Manukau.

About 120 people attended the Blessing from MIT, Hawkins Construction, Architects Warren & Mahoney, local Iwi and Kāhui Ariki, Ngaire Lasika (Muru) represented the Māori King, Tuheitia Paki.

Manukau Institute of Technology Kaiākau, Kūkupa Tirikatene invited Mana Whenua to bless the Campus by quoting The Tapestry of Understanding.

THE TAPESTRY OF UNDERSTANDING TE WHĀRIKI KIA MOHIO TĀTOU KI A TĀTOU

The Tapestry of Understanding E kore e taea e te whenu kotahi
Cannot be woven by one strand alone ki te raranga i te whāriki
kia mōhio tātou ki a tātou.
It takes the working together of strands Mā te mahi tahi o ngā whenu
The working together of weavers mā te mahi tahi o ngā kairaranga
To complete such a tapestry. ka oti tēnei whāriki
When it has been completed I te otinga
Let us look at the good that comes from it me titiro ki ngā pai ka puta mai
In time take a look at those dropped stitches Ā tana wā me titiro i ngā raranga i makere
For there is a message there also. nā te mea he kōrero anō kei reira

 

MAORI NAME
From the beginning of Semester Two, in mid-July, MIT Manukau will be home to the Faculty of Business & IT and School of Logistics which represent MIT’s fastest growing study areas and NZ’s most needed skills & in-demand vocations.

The revolutionary cloud-based, ‘flipped-learning’ campus can accommodate up to 5,000 students and connect 20,000 wireless devices at any one time.

The wide range of courses to be taught at MIT Manukau – free community computer lessons right through to post-graduate degrees – plus its position in the heart of Manukau were two important considerations when giving it a Maori name.

‘Te Waonui O Te Mātauranga’ was chosen, translated it means ‘The Forest of Learning’.

The Maori poutama or ‘staircase of knowledge’ has been integrated into the building design by Architects, Warren & Mahoney.

MIT Senior Lecturer Peter Boyd and Artist Matt van Sturmer led the art project and say the concept for the designs originate from the Campus’ kaupapa or themes.

“We put together the three important strands; people, environment and knowledge. The carved steel and glass lintel above the main entry is based on the creation of knowledge and the graphic application in the wind lobby below, Haumihiata, “Fragrance of the Dawn or Dawn Chorus – welcomes you into a learning environment”, says Peter Boyd.

“The ground floor represents Tangata Whenua. The dark colours symbolise earth and as you go up the levels there’s a change to the greens and blues of water and air until it turns to magenta at the top which signifies the spiritual realm. Moving up through the levels also moves one through all the communities who will use ‘Te Waonui o Te Mātauranga’ and the knowledge systems they bring with them”.

The huge, screen-printed art panels mounted as wall elements in the teaching areas were designed by MIT Creative Arts Lecturers, Deborah Crowe and Emma McLellan and the third was designed by graduate, Sheree Stone.

“These panels also talk about the natural world, people and knowledge”.

OFFICIAL OPENING & PUBLIC OPEN DAY

Minister of Tertiary Education, Steven Joyce and Auckland Mayor, Len Brown will officially open MIT Manukau this Friday.

On Saturday the 28th of June it will be open to the public. With the new Manukau Train Station directly under MIT, Auckland Transport have announced they will provide free tickets for anyone wanting to attend the Open Day Festivities by train.

—ends—

Source: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1406/S00086/mit-manukau-blessed-te-waonui-o-te-matauranga.htm

 

I might go along to the open day and have a look. Nice for Transdev and Auckland Transport to have free trains going to and from the Manukau Station on the open day. A real bugger that the Manukau South Rail Link is not built yet (being worked through the final hoops in Council with a public announcement due later this year) to serve around the 67% of the expected patronage levels for Manukau Station…