Sophie, 8, chuffed with train's launch

By CLAIRE TREVETT

When your mother talks, lives and breathes railway trains, it seems only fair you should be there for the grand welcoming of one of the beasts to its new home.

So 8-year-old Sophie Perrins got a day off school yesterday to help her mother, Christine Perrins, cut the ribbon on the first newly refurbished SX train to take up residence in Auckland.

Mrs Perrins is the acting director of transport for Auckland Regional Council, and was the rail project manager when the council first unearthed the 40-year-old carriages in the Zig Zag Railway Museum near Sydney.

The initial four-year lease of the six SX carriages was an enterprising short-term solution to an expected increase in train use until an electric train system is introduced.

The council expected more people to use trains, attracted by the opening of the Britomart centre, longer running hours, more trains at peak times, and the refurbishment of 10 of Auckland's existing trains.

Built in the early 1960s, the SX carriages were used on Australian railways, including on the Zig Zag tourist railway in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, until they were retired in 1993.

But those expecting a train ride to be a nostalgic trundle down memory lane will be disappointed - a $1.8 million face-lift has ensured they look much like any other train.

Mrs Perrins said she had seen them in their original state - replete with brown and orange furnishings and ratchety, draughty windows - and the "after photo" was definitely more flattering.

Since then, the traditional flipper seats have been re-upholstered, the walls and ceilings relined, the floors carpeted and the exterior freshly painted and polished.

New lighting, air conditioning and heating was installed.

Safety concerns were addressed by replacing the original open-shut windows with fixed tinted windows so children could not poke their arms and heads outside.

The wheels and brakes were upgraded and the walkways between cars changed to meet New Zealand standards.

Each train can carry 320 passengers, with seating for 158 and space for two wheelchairs.

The trains also have the tick of approval from the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind.

Chris Orr, project development manager for the foundation and adviser on train and platform design, said the old trains had cramped aisles, small doors and "the chewing gum on the floors would stick to your dog's coat".

He said having better trains was a boon for people who could not use cars.

The second train was due to arrive on Saturday and they would start their twice daily peak-hour runs from Papakura to the Strand station on July 7 to coincide with Britomart's opening.

Sophie Perrins admitted she did not use trains - she lived in Devonport, so ferries were more her style.

She thought it was quite nice but, despite the hype, was still not convinced they come up to the standards of her favourite train - the Hogwarts Express of Harry Potter fame.