New train whistles past motorway cars on test run

By ALEXIS GRANT


Train users can expect a smoother ride, bike racks, more seats and wheelchair spaces, and air-conditioning this month.

A new driving cab with increased passenger capacity and fuel efficiency is due on the tracks after driver training.

On Wednesday the first of 10 new trains passed cars on the nearby motorway during its test run from the Britomart station. With only one engine - compared with the two now used by Auckland's trains - the new train is more fuel-efficient. It uses a "push-pull" method where the engine can be at either end of the train.

"We're excited that the technology was developed and built in New Zealand," said Elena Trout, director of the Auckland Regional Council's rail project.

The driving cab also uses brake technology that reduces lurching, said Lloyd Major, general manager of engineering for Toll NZ, the company designing and manufacturing the trains.

The project is part of a major overhaul of Auckland's rail system, which the Government financed last year with $61 million. Each of the new trains cost $1.4 million.

"While there are many opinions about the final solutions, this is here now and it's going to provide," Mr Major said.

The driving cabs, made from the skeletons of old British carriages, will increase the number of people who can ride on the train; the cab seats 49 passengers, or 37 passengers, four wheelchairs and two bikes. The increased capacity will help to alleviate crowded trains.