Not sure if you've all heard the rumors that have been circling but extra carriages for VLine services on the Bendigo look like they will be occurring either next year (2014) or 2015.
Apparently, to be standard along all VLine running lines in the future as Metro Trains is beginning to consider running 9 carriages also.
Would be a good improvement for the line considering how many patrons catch the train to and from Bendigo in the morning peak and afternoon..
So you all know, they can't run 9 carriages on existing VLine platforms along the line as the platform from memory are only 190m Long at most and they need i think about 230m to have the extra room to make the extra carriages viable.

Thoughts on the extra carriages? Velocities currently run 4 or 6?

Not sure if you've all heard the rumors that have been circling but extra carriages for VLine services on the Bendigo look like they will be occurring either next year (2014) or 2015.
Apparently, to be standard along all VLine running lines in the future as Metro Trains is beginning to consider running 9 carriages also.
Would be a good improvement for the line considering how many patrons catch the train to and from Bendigo in the morning peak and afternoon..
So you all know, they can't run 9 carriages on existing VLine platforms along the line as the platform from memory are only 190m Long at most and they need i think about 230m to have the extra room to make the extra carriages viable.

Thoughts on the extra carriages? Velocities currently run 4 or 6?

Just because there will be new Vlocity cars delivered does NOT mean that the maximum length of trains will be extended.  What is more likely is that the extra cars will be used to build up sets to the maximum length, and to replace Sprinters and H sets.

Just because there will be new Vlocity cars delivered does NOT mean that the maximum length of trains will be extended.  What is more likely is that the extra cars will be used to build up sets to the maximum length, and to replace Sprinters and H sets.

Well it would be sort of silly not to use the extended length of platform there adding to 3 stations along the Bendigo line wouldn't it?
It would be a good thing for patronage wouldn't it in the morning and afternoon peak?

I'm sure commuters would prefer the flexibility of an extra peak train over an hourly service running with 9 carriages. Anyway, I thought that VLocities weren't designed to operate with more than 8 cars?

Bear in mind that none of this will happen until new rolling stock enters service with RRL. V/Line do not have any spare carriages in peak times at the present time so any improvements will be a long way off.

Nothing more that a rumour or a silly dream....................

Nothing more that a rumour or a silly dream....................

Not so silly.  In a few years time we will be back to 9 carriage coaches loco hauled.

Regards
Brian

Anything wrong with first 3 coaches as "all the way carriages" that therefore don't need to have platform access on the intermediate stops?

Anything wrong with first 3 coaches as "all the way carriages" that therefore don't need to have platform access on the intermediate stops?

You would have to have proper safety systems to make sure the doors cannot be opened at stops, yet at the same time allow them to be opened in an emergency. We used to have a similar manual system operating on the Traralgon line for Longwarry station until it was extended and despite all the announcements being made, someone would not hear it and get caught out in the rear carriages.

The only line which will get 9 car Vlocitys is Geelong with 2 morning and 2 arvo services and then only when Marshall,Sth Geelong,Geelong and Nth Geelong have thier platforms extended. Southern cross platform 15/16 can handle 9 cars. Cheers

Has the Bendigo line still got short platforms are places like Clarkefield, Riddells Creek and Gisborne ?

I remember a few tears ago riding a 7 car VLocity and the conductor was constantly reminding people that the train was longer then the platforms and If you were getting off the train, make sure there was a platform at the door.

Does the Bendigo line still have the flagship services ?
They were once express all the way, but could now have stops added at Castlemaine and Kyneton.

The flagship now runs Bendigo > Castlemaine > Gisbourne > City. Go figure.

The flagship now runs Bendigo > Castlemaine > Gisbourne > City. Go figure.

Sorry...Gisbourne is in New Zealand...maybe you meant Gisborne

Does the Bendigo line still have the flagship services ?
They were once express all the way, but could now have stops added at Castlemaine and Kyneton.

The Bendigo flagships were never express all the way...though they were initially planned to be so.

Castlemaine has always been a stop for the Bendigo flagship service.

Mike.

Sorry...Gisbourne is in New Zealand...maybe you meant Gisborne

Where in NZ is Gisbourne?  The town at the end of the railway line from Napier is spelled Gisborne, which is hardly surprising since it was named after an early Colonial Secretary, William Gisborne

Has the Bendigo line still got short platforms are places like Clarkefield, Riddells Creek and Gisborne ?

I remember a few years ago riding a 7 car VLocity and the conductor was constantly reminding people that the train was longer then the platforms and If you were getting off the train, make sure there was a platform at the door.

Does the Bendigo line still have the flagship services ?
They were once express all the way, but could now have stops added at Castlemaine and Kyneton.

In NSW, G-sets and OSCARs have "Selective Door Control" to deal with short platforms. It is not known if this is done automatically, or whether it is done manually by the guard.

Short Platforms are marked "SP4" or "SP6", etc, in timetables, booklets, and on internal train destination indicators, and of course announcements by the guard.

On single deck trains, it is easy to walk through from a car alongside a platform to a car that is not. Not so easy with double deck trains, not found in Vic. The newer trains in NSW have inter-car doors that are as wide as possible, and allow two people to walk through at the same time. Are carriages in VIC like this?

Perhaps Gwiwer really means Gisbourne Street in Forrestdale, Queensland
Link: http://www.whereis.com/qld/forestdale/gisbourne-st#session=MTE=

Gisborne NZ, Gwiwer, Gisborne.

Oh, and I am so looking forward to 9 cars on the Geelong line. When I sit in the rear most car, it means that I will be well and truly far away from the hoi polloi who decide to sit up front in the 1st few cars

I am so looking forward to 9 cars on the Geelong line. When I sit in the rear most car, it means that I will be well and truly far away from the hoi polloi who decide to sit up front in the 1st few cars

Why do you think they choose to sit in the first few cars? (serious question) And in which direction is that their choice?

Why do you think they choose to sit in the first few cars? (serious question) And in which direction is that their choice?

Because at Sth Geelong, the station entrance is at the UP end of the station, so most Sth Geelong pax just enter the platform from the station, and stand there and wait for the train, hence the 1st few cars become quite full.
And when the train arrives at Geelong, I am already at the DOWN end of Geelong, and mostly get a fairly quiet carriage.

Reverse happens at Southern Cross.

Thanks for the explanation. I thought it would pretty simple and obvious. People don't like walking, do they?

Why do you think they choose to sit in the first few cars? (serious question) And in which direction is that their choice?

It is probably like they are creatures of HABIT, and do not want to change, then you have the usual dills and dickheads that are so spaced out and oblivious to everything around them...........................................

The only line which will get 9 car Vlocitys is Geelong with 2 morning and 2 arvo services and then only when Marshall,Sth Geelong,Geelong and Nth Geelong have thier platforms extended. Southern cross platform 15/16 can handle 9 cars. Cheers

Well Riddells Creek, Macedon & Kangaroo Flat are receiving works that will extend the both platforms at each stations by approximately 45m+ and with that increase they should be able to run the extra carriage comfortably.
I have sources that confirm this.

Does anyone have a data base of station platform length around the V/Line passenger network ?

Thanks for the explanation. I thought it would pretty simple and obvious. People don't like walking, do they?

Correct.
Even at Southern Cross, at the Bourke Street overpass end of the V/Line platforms, the carriages can be very quiet, yet, the at the Collins Street (buffers) end, people will persist in crowding into already busy carriages, and then whinge about how full the train is!

It will be even more so if 9 car sets come into operation....if a 9 car set is docked up to the buffers at Southern Cross, then we will have at least the front 3 cars extending way beyond the Bourke Street overpass (6 cars fits nicely between the platform buffers and the Bourke St. overpass). And that will mean that the front 3 cars will be predictably empty whilst the rear cars at the Collins St buffers end will be busy.

Does anyone have a data base of station platform length around the V/Line passenger network ?

The information should all be here, http://www.signaldiagramsandphotos.com

Apparently Clarkfield, Riddells Creek, Gisbourne, Macedon and Malmsbury all have platforms slightly over 120m long.

This is the situation  VLP currently run 7 car V/Locities  (made up of 3 + 2 + 2) on Peak Geelong services only. IIRC platforms were extended at Nth Melbourne (5 & 6), Geelong, Sth Geelong and Marshall to handle 7 car trains .  (Nth Geelong & Lara were already long enough).

With a view to operating longer VL consists VLP has trialled selective door opening on longer VL Consists to avoid platform lengthening .  At this time there are no plans to run longer than 6 - 7 cars VL consists, rather in the first instance to run additional peak services once RRL opens.

The current order for 40 extra V/Locity cars will see all remaining 2 car sets built up to 3 cars, plus some extra 3 car sets. This arrives at a standardized fleet of 3 car consists which at least in the medium term will be operated as either 3 or 6 car consists.

With the RRL project IIRC the platforms at Southern Cross (15/16), and at Footscray (New 3 & 4), and Sunshine will be 220m long to allow for up to 9 cars in future if required.  

The only line that really justifies 9 car operation is Geelong where on limited stop trains  Lara is easily extended at the Up end, Nth Geelong at the Down end,  Geelong at the Up end.  Sth Geelong and Marshall would require expensive signalling and track work.

On the Bendigo and Ballarat lines platform lengthening would be required at many locations to operate even 6 car V/Locity consists at all stations . There has been talk of VLP proceeding with slective platform lengthenings at some bendigo line stations to accept 6 car consists .