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The new plan for the stations looks great!

The new plan for the stations looks great!

The OHW is very clunky and ugly, unlike the Eastern Suburbs Railway and Chatswood station which have elegent smoothed OHW masts.

At Chatswood, Platforms 2 and 3 have been boarded up compared to the opposite sides of their respective island platforms 1 and 4. Seats which were parallel to the tracks have been turned 90 degrees.

According to Railway Digest (Nov), all crossovers at Epping and Chatswood connecting the NWRL Metro and the Cityrail network have/are being removed, plus related signals.

This means that Cityrail trains can no longer terminate at Chatswood whether northbound or southbound.

Will any crossovers between Up and Down NWRL Metro remain?

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If only posting photo's was possible. I would have posted images from the bella vista station invitation day I attended.

According to Railway Digest (Nov), all crossovers at Epping and Chatswood connecting the NWRL Metro and the Cityrail network have/are being removed, plus related signals.

This means that Cityrail trains can no longer terminate at Chatswood whether northbound or southbound.

Will any crossovers between Up and Down NWRL Metro remain?

It was also my understanding from the original EIS that all crossovers and signals between the two systems at Epping and Chatswood would be removed to effectively isolate them from each other.  However, one informed poster on SkyscraperCity did say some time ago that a connection would be maintained on one track to allow access for maintenance vehicles.  Don't know if that's factual or not.

Saw QUBE loco 1103 operating on the Up ECRL line in the short 'tunnel' north of Chatswood station last week. It appeared to be hauling (or shunting?) miscellaneous rolling stock containing heavy rail infrastructure removed to permit NWRL construction.

It was not clear where 1103 had accessed the track. I guess it had used one of the crossovers near Chatswood, rather than having travelled underground from Epping.

It was also my understanding from the original EIS that all crossovers and signals between the two systems at Epping and Chatswood would be removed to effectively isolate them from each other.  However, one informed poster on SkyscraperCity did say some time ago that a connection would be maintained on one track to allow access for maintenance vehicles.  Don't know if that's factual or not.

Some crossovers within the NWRL have been retained, however the "tunnel" is too dark to tell.
* South end of Chatswood P2-P3 trailing retained.
* North end-of Chatswood P2-P3 ?? retained.

The turnback siding at Chatswood and its fence and footpath, etc., have been removed and replace by double track.

Some work has started on the Southern end dive, where the two NWRL tracks will pass under the deviated and raised Down Shore.

One metre approx. high fences have been erected in the "tunnel" between the DSH and DNWRL and between the USH and UNWRL, with gaps for possible gates every so often. The fence uses nice looking "hooped" material. AFAIK, track centres between all four of these tracks are only 3.66m (12 feet), which makes it unsafe to stand between say the fence and the DNWRL. At least you are kept away from moving trains on the DSH.

The gap and steep between the width and height of Tangara trains match the new width and height of standardised post-2000 platforms such as ECRL, Chatswood, Olympic Park, Airport line, etc.

Are the gaps and steps at Metro NWRL similarly compatible?

However, one informed poster on SkyscraperCity did say some time ago that a connection would be maintained on one track to allow access for maintenance vehicles.  Don't know if that's factual or not.

I remember reading in one of the weekly notices that a single trailing turnout would remain at Epping.

However, one informed poster on SkyscraperCity did say some time ago that a connection would be maintained on one track to allow access for maintenance vehicles.  Don't know if that's factual or not.

I remember reading in one of the weekly notices that a single trailing turnout would remain at Epping.

That would presumably have to be the former connection (part of the dive) from the Up North Main to the Up ECRL.
Two crossovers provide connections
* via a trailing crossover to the Up North Main on the straight track from Cheltenham.
* via a facing crossover to the Down ECRL at the city end of the station.

Today's Herald newspaper says that test trains have started running over the whole length of the NWRL line. And under budget.

Are the intermediate crossovers between Epping and Chatswood being retained? What about the section from Epping to NW?
* Chatswood South - trailing crossover visible in picture in today's SMH.
* Chatswood North - facing and trailing crossovers known to be kept
* Lady Game Drive Service Facility (LGDSF) - facing
* Macquarie Park - trailing
* Epping - facing

The section E-C had bidirectional on both tracks. What about the new tracks?

Can the quite new existing signalling equipment made redundant be reused?
* Track Circuiting
* Impedance Bonds
* Colour light signals (mostly tunnel type)
* Train Stops
* Guard's indicators
* Interlocking stuff

Presumably  the Passenger  Information systems on Platforms and Concourses can be reused? Also Opal ticketing?

What about crossovers between Chatswood-City-Bankstown ? Will there be any stabling at the Bankstown end?

The NWRL and North Shore lines currently share a substation north of Chatswood. Will these be separated?

Are the intermediate crossovers between Epping and Chatswood being retained? What about the section from Epping to NW?
* Chatswood South - trailing crossover visible in picture in today's SMH.
* Chatswood North - facing and trailing crossovers known to be kept
* Lady Game Drive Service Facility (LGDSF) - facing
* Macquarie Park - trailing
* Epping - facing

The section E-C had bidirectional on both tracks. What about the new tracks?

Can the quite new existing signalling equipment made redundant be reused?
* Track Circuiting
* Impedance Bonds
* Colour light signals (mostly tunnel type)
* Train Stops
* Guard's indicators
* Interlocking stuff

Presumably  the Passenger  Information systems on Platforms and Concourses can be reused? Also Opal ticketing?

What about crossovers between Chatswood-City-Bankstown ? Will there be any stabling at the Bankstown end?

AFAIK OPAL is still the ticketing system to be utilised on this line.

The gap and steep between the width and height of Tangara trains match the new width and height of standardised post-2000 platforms such as ECRL, Chatswood, Olympic Park, Airport line, etc.

Are the gaps and steps at Metro NWRL similarly compatible?

All metro stations will have zero gap and step along with platform screen doors.

Are the NWRL platforms completely straight? Former Bankstown line platforms are generally island platform with curves, Dulwich Hill being the worst. Wiley Park IIRC has a pair of straight side platforms.

The opening of the NWRL at the Bankstown end will allow the Illawarra Local lines to be extended all the way to Platforms 20 and 22 at Central, but there are no IL platforms at Wolli Creek. How would IL platforms be provided at Wolli Creek given that there is little space  to build extra platforms?

 However, one informed poster on SkyscraperCity did say some time ago that a connection would be maintained on one track to allow access for maintenance vehicles.  Don't know if that's factual or not.

This would certainly make sense and I suspect more true than removing the connection.

Are the intermediate crossovers between Epping and Chatswood being retained? What about the section from Epping to NW?
* Chatswood South - trailing crossover visible in picture in today's SMH.
* Chatswood North - facing and trailing crossovers known to be kept
* Lady Game Drive Service Facility (LGDSF) - facing
* Macquarie Park - trailing
* Epping - facing

The section E-C had bidirectional on both tracks. What about the new tracks?

Can the quite new existing signalling equipment made redundant be reused?
* Track Circuiting
* Impedance Bonds
* Colour light signals (mostly tunnel type)
* Train Stops
* Guard's indicators
* Interlocking stuff

Presumably  the Passenger  Information systems on Platforms and Concourses can be reused? Also Opal ticketing?

What about crossovers between Chatswood-City-Bankstown ? Will there be any stabling at the Bankstown end?

The NWRL is automated, from my observation in Dubai and elsewhere with automated trains there is no trackside signally as the whole thing is run via a computer and hence the trains can run the direction the computer indicates. I've seen in Dubai when they do testing on Friday morning in daylight hours, the only day during the week the Metro is closed until just after lunch I have seen them run two trains in parallel along the line. Why, no idea. The Dubai Metro and what I saw in Vancouver emergency turn-backs are typically faced that should there be an intermediate terminus required, the trains run past the platform then reverse back through the cross over to the other platform. I assume this eliminates the facing points in normal use. I could not see why the NWRL would not be the same.

EDIT: I would imagine there is no reason to separate the power supply from the NWRL or have its own as the NWRL was designed to use the 1500VDC system.

Guards indicators should not be required as no driver or guard

Train stops should not be required as train is driven by computer, not human and no track side signally anyway.

I'm guessing there will need to be some storage of trains at Bankstown, if not for emergency use only and you see this on other systems OS, maybe 1-2 positions. If you look at some auto systems like Dubai, sets are often stored at various locations along the line usually in locations where there is what looks to be emergency set storage, perhaps for broken down sets. Quickly pull them off the line, then back to business and deal with the breakdown when the line is closed to revenue services.

The gap and steep between the width and height of Tangara trains match the new width and height of standardised post-2000 platforms such as ECRL, Chatswood, Olympic Park, Airport line, etc.

Are the gaps and steps at Metro NWRL similarly compatible?

All metro stations will have zero gap and step along with platform screen doors.

Like this

Are the NWRL platforms completely straight? Former Bankstown line platforms are generally island platform with curves, Dulwich Hill being the worst. Wiley Park IIRC has a pair of straight side platforms.

The opening of the NWRL at the Bankstown end will allow the Illawarra Local lines to be extended all the way to Platforms 20 and 22 at Central, but there are no IL platforms at Wolli Creek. How would IL platforms be provided at Wolli Creek given that there is little space  to build extra platforms?

I believe you will see significant rebuilding, the govt will call it "modernising" or "upgrading" of the Bankstown line platforms and potentially track alignment.

Issues at Wolli Creek was discussed in another thread, there is no room to add the platforms on the other tracks and this probably gives up the likely outcome.