{"id":645524,"date":"2026-05-02T20:01:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T20:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/645524\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T20:01:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T20:01:20","slug":"first-look-at-the-next-gen-trains-replacing-least-reliable-fleet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/645524\/","title":{"rendered":"First look at the next-gen trains replacing least reliable fleet"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Metropolitan commuters will get a taste of the future when the new X\u2019Trapolis 2.0 train operates it first passenger service on the Upfield line on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The state government has made a $1.6 billion order for 50 X\u2019Trapolis 2.0 trains to roll out on the Upfield, Cragieburn and Frankston lines over the next four years to replace the Comeng fleet \u2013 some of which are almost 40 years old, and recognised as the oldest and least reliable fleet.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe first X\u2019Trap 2.0 at Flinders Street on Friday. Penny Stephens <\/p>\n

The first X\u2019Trapolis 2.0 passenger service will depart Flinders Street Station at 9.06am on Sunday and make the return journey from Upfield at 9.53am.<\/p>\n

The Department of Transport and Planning\u2019s head of rolling stock and ticketing, Ben Phyland, said the biggest difference for passengers would be comfort, accessibility and reliability.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally this is about getting the right type of train for the future: that\u2019s more of a metropolitan style, fast on-and-off [service],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The new trains are larger, boasting 423 seats and accommodating 1225 passengers, compared with Comeng\u2019s 420 seats and capacity of 1135 passengers.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe interior of the X\u2019Trap 2.0. Penny Stephens <\/p>\n

Phyland said some trade-offs had been made in the new models. The seats have high backs to improve comfort and safety, but are squished closer together, meaning overall seating space is smaller.<\/p>\n

But this change has made for a much wider aisle (80 centimetres versus 50 centimetres on the Comeng) so that two people can comfortably stand side-by-side, while letting a third passenger pass.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s always feedback that you have a massive wide seat but can\u2019t get down the aisle, so we\u2019ve tried to find the right balance between those,\u201d Phyland said.<\/p>\n

The seats are also fixed to the side of the carriage rather than the floor, making more room under seats for bags or other belongings.<\/p>\n

Similar to the High-Capacity Metro Trains (HCMTs) operating through the Metro Tunnel, the X\u2019Trapolis 2.0s have large areas around the doors with fold-down seats, as well as 20 wheelchair spaces and \u201cmixed-use\u201d spaces for prams and bicycles.<\/p>\n

Wider and faster doors should also speed up boarding times, improving on-time performance.<\/p>\n

The X\u2019trap\u2019s doors open with the push of the button. Commuters will be glad to learn that a maddening feature on the Metro Tunnel\u2019s HCMTs \u2013 an override that locks the doors for a few seconds if a passenger presses the button before it turns green \u2013 has been removed.<\/p>\n

The train is one continuous set, so passengers can walk from end to end.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot of feedback, particularly where there\u2019s the two carriages, where at the rear train set people sometimes don\u2019t feel safe because they can\u2019t see who else is on the train,\u201d Phyland said.<\/p>\n

Clearer passenger information displays and audio announcements, as well as an air suspension system, would also make journeys easier and more comfortable, he said.<\/p>\n

\"DepartmentDepartment of Transport and Planning\u2019s Ben Phyland said seats were closer together to free up aisle space. Penny Stephens <\/p>\n

Comeng trains were commissioned in 1979 and built over seven years at Dandenong\u2019s Commonwealth Engineering factory. All of Metro\u2019s 570 carriages (190 three-car sets) were produced during this period. The 50 new X\u2019Trapolis 2.0 trains will be assembled at Alstom\u2019s factories in Ballarat and Dandenong, using a mix of imported and locally produced components.<\/p>\n

Phyland said another major asset was that while Comengs experienced a fault that could impact services every 15,000 to 20,000 kilometres on average, the new trains should last closer to 70,000 kilometres.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s three times better with the modern trains\u201d he said. \u201cWe can have more trains in service more often, and we don\u2019t need as many spares. This will be much more reliable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Premier<\/a><\/p>\n

Six more X\u2019trap 2.0s have been built and are in the testing and commissioning phase in Newport, and a seventh is almost completed. The next four are under construction.<\/p>\n

Last week, the state government announced a $673.6 million order of 25 additional train sets, bringing its total on order to 50 \u2013 enough to replace all remaining Comengs in service.<\/p>\n

Phyland said it would be a gradual rollout, starting with a single train on Sundays for a number of weeks operating in addition to the usual timetable on the Upfield, Cragieburn and Frankston lines.<\/p>\n

It will take a few months to build up confidence that the new trains can operate as a regular timetabled services.<\/p>\n

The first 25 would probably enter service over the next 18 months, but it would probably take until about 2030 for all the Comengs to be replaced, Phyland said.<\/p>\n

The new trains had 58 design changes based on feedback, including anti-train surfing exteriors and alterations to wheelchair fittings, hand holds and straps requested by accessibility advocates.<\/p>\n

The Transport Department\u2019s chief accessibility advocate, Tricia Malowney, said the seemingly small design changes would make a huge difference for people with disabilities, as well as elderly passengers and people pushing prams.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s much easier to transverse and much easier to get on and off,\u201d said Malowney, who uses a wheelchair. \u201cI grew up on Comeng trains, and it\u2019s no comparison.\u201d<\/p>\n

Public Transport Users Association spokesman Daniel Bowen said the modernisation of the fleet should deliver big improvements for passenger experience and network reliability.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce they\u2019re finished, the entire fleet will be from this century at least, which is good,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a big jump from 1980s trains to 2026 trains.\u201d<\/p>\n

Start the day with a summary of the day\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

CORRECTION<\/p>\n

An earlier version of this story said the first passenger service would depart Upfield at 10.30am. It will depart Upfield at 9.53am and arrive at Flinders Street Station at 10.30am.<\/p>\n

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\"PatrickPatrick Hatch<\/a> is transport reporter at The Age and a former business reporter.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":645525,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-645524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=645524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/645524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/645525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=645524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=645524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=645524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}