Much like Auckland, Wellington rail users have had a hard time of it recently with significant works being undertaken to upgrade the network. They had some great news yesterday with the announcement Alstom will be building 18 five-car battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) trains to for their regional services.
The first fleet of battery-electric trains in the Southern Hemisphere, co-funded by Greater Wellington and Horizons regional councils and the Government, will be constructed by Alstom, a global leader in sustainable rail transportation.
After a worldwide procurement process, Greater Wellington today entered into a Design, Build and Maintenance agreement with Alstom for the Lower North Island Rail Integrated Mobility (LNIRIM) programme.
Greater Wellington chair Daran Ponter says Wairarapa and Manawatū line passengers can look forward to quicker journeys and more frequent trains from 2030.
“From Palmerston North and Masterton to Wellington, the Tūhono fleet will double peak time trains, increase off-peak services and support regional growth,” Cr Ponter says.
“Designed for New Zealand conditions, the new trains switch to batteries on track without overhead power, using technology proven in countries like Japan and Germany.”
Approved by Mana Whenua, the name Tūhono symbolises how the trains will better connect urban centres and regional communities.
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The Tūhono fleet will be manufactured in India by Alstom and decorated with train livery featuring symbols by Māori owned company Indigenous Design and Innovation.
“Tūhono trains will provide climate friendly, comfortable and inclusive journeys, with wheelchair, bike, and pram facilities, as well as accessible toilets, vending machines and water dispensers,” says Pascal Dupond, Managing Director Alstom Australia and New Zealand.
The total contract is for 35 years and is valued at just over $1 billion, but that also includes maintenance over that period, a new depot in Masterton and driving simulator. The government are keen to point out that it is covering around 90% of the costs for these trains with the remaining coming from Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional councils. Alstom won out over Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles S.A. (CAF) and Stadler Bussnang AG. (Stadler)
The trains are based on Alstom’s Adessia (formerly known as X’trapolis) platform and say:
The Tūhono train will be largely based on the Irish Rail DART+ Battery Electric Multiple Unit with the following key differences:
Adaptations to suit New Zealand’s narrow-gauge trackFront detrainment door for evacuation in single bore tunnelsArrangement of Driver’s cab and crashworthiness features to suit New Zealand rail network requirementsAdditional battery capacityRegional seating configuration, including standard and universal toilets, food and drink vending machines and fresh water dispensers.Low floor areas for accessible near-level boarding in intermediate carsCulturally resonant interior and exterior design
The trains will be used to double the number of peak time services – from 1 to 2 on the Manawatū Line and from 3 to 6 on the Wairarapa Line. The are also planned to be additional off-peak and weekend services. There are also expected to be travel time savings of around 15 mintues on a trip from Masterton – bringing it down to around 1.5 hours.
For those wanting stats on the trains themselves, Greater Wellington have a factsheet – there’s also additional information in this programme summary document.
It’s great that they’ve gone for a BEMU option and not the tri-mode option – with additional diesel generator – as initially planned, or with diesel units like former Transport Minister Simeon Brown suggested they consider.
That the BEMU option came out on top is in part because this design has started to become a lot more common and battery technology has improved enough that they can get sufficient range to service those non-electrified areas.
It is noted that the trains will use fast charging to recharge batteries in 20 minutes when they terminate in in Masterton or Palmerston North and will be slow-charged overnight.
The distance off-wire that these trains will be able to achieve is also significant for another reason, a version of these trains that are able to operate off AC would be ideal for the Te Huia service between Hamilton and Auckland. The 80km of non-electrified Manawatu Line is a similar distance to the distance from Pukekohe to Hamilton (87km).
On that I also note they say:
OPTIONS FOR ADDITIONAL BEMU’S
The agreement reached with Alstom means that GWRC have pre-priced options available to enable the following potential key changes to the contract:
the installation of European Train Control System (ETCS) in the units,additional trains,Metro-specific variants.
The agreement also enables other New Zealand public transport authorities to enter into negotiations with Alstom for suitable BEMU’s to suit their needs.
Bring on 2030
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