NSW TrainLink D Set

The NSW TrainLink D Set also referred to as the Mariyung trains, is an upcoming class of intercity electric multiple units (EMU). Deriving from the New Intercity Fleet Project, D sets are intended to replace the ageing V Sets and to operate in place of OSCAR H Sets, which will be transferred to suburban lines, replacing the last K sets. This project is estimated to cost $2.8 billion and will deliver approximately 550 new carriages. The rollout is expected to start on the Central Coast and Newcastle Line, followed by the Blue Mountains Line and then the South Coast Line. The fleet was intended for delivery in 2020, but entry into service has been pushed back to 2022 due to ongoing union activity.

History
An indicative train design cited by the NSW Government

In May 2014, the NSW Government announced their intention to purchase “65 new state-of-the-art intercity trains” for $2.8 billion. The 520-carriage fleet would derive from existing “off-the-shelf” rolling stock to cut costs and development time.[1] Industry consultation began later in the month, with the government confident in an “enthusiastic response from the private sector”. This was the first time a class of train had been bought "off the shelf" and designed outside of Australia.[2]

In August, Expressions of Interest (EOI) were opened to local and overseas manufacturers. Potential suppliers would be tasked with:[3]


 * The configuration and delivery of the 520-car fleet,
 * Fitting out and operating a maintenance facility, and
 * Maintaining the new fleet including light and heavy maintenance, presentation and cleaning.

By October, several domestic and international manufacturers had responded to the EOI.[4] This was shortlisted to four by July 2015. Namely:[5]


 * Alstom Transport Australia
 * Downer-CNR/CRRC Consortium - Consisting of Downer EDI Rail and CNR/CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles
 * Stadler Bussnang AG
 * UGL/MHI/CSR Consortium - Consisting of UGL Rail, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and CSR Corporation

A Request for Tender was released in September 2015, with each consortium asked to consider various seating arrangements, storage spaces and potential WiFi integration. Designs for shorter and longer train configurations were also requested, as well as a "premium carriage".[6]

Concept Art for the Intercity Fleet in 2015

In August of 2016, the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure selected the UGL/MEA/CSR Consortium, then known as "RailConnect NSW", to manufacture and deliver the fleet from 2019. [7] By this time, CSR Corporation had pulled out of the group due to its merger with Changchun Railway Vehicles. Its role as the builder was fulfilled by Hyundai Rotem, marking the company's first order for the Australian market and its largest overseas contract.[8][9]

In February 2019, it was announced that 42 more carriages were ordered to increase services, with 554 being the estimated number of carriages for the fleet.

The first four D sets (D2, 3, 102, 103) arrived in Port Kembla in December 2019. Testing has been underway for some time and more sets have arrived as well. The fleet was expected to enter service in October 2020 for the Central Coast & Newcastle Line, 2021 for the Blue Mountains Line and 2022 for the South Coast Line. However, no official date for entry to service has been announced and this is dependent on testing, training and crewing agreements being finalised.

Design
The D sets are double-deck electric multiple units of either 4 or 6 carriages. The D sets can run as 4, 6, 8 (4+4) or 10 (6+4) car sets. A full 10 car set will have a seated capacity of 1,312 passengers and will be 204 metres long. The D sets will also be the first 6 and 10 car sets to operate in Sydney since the R sets were in service from 1972 to 2012. Initially, 8 car sets were not allowed to operate outside of a possession area, but this restriction has since been lifted.

They will include accessible toilets and dedicated space for luggage, prams, bicycles, display screens and wheelchairs, wider and taller fixed seats on the upper and lower decks will be in a two by two arrangement. The seating will include cup holders, tray tables and armrests. Each seat will feature charging ports for electronic devices.

The trains are designed for one-person operation, with the driver controlling the doors and the guard replaced with a customer service assistant walking through the train. Similar to the A & B sets, drivers will be able to see the platform through exterior cameras. Due to this arrangement, platform stopping markers have been moved to the front of the train are always on the platform. The trains are fitted with ASDO (automatic selective door operation), meaning the train will automatically disable any doors that are not on the platform.

The carriages will have icons printed on the side that show what features are available in each carriage (e.g. wheelchair space, toilet etc.). Seats will be in a 2x2 layout on both decks, as opposed to the 3x2 layout on other fleets, due to the wider seats. The D sets will also include new interior and exterior PIDS screens that display the full route map and the progress towards each station, much like the Sydney Metro and L2/L3 Light Rail networks.

Sets will be numbered as follows (unlike other trains, the set number will have the prefix written to the side of the number, as opposed to being on top):


 * 4-car sets: D1-56
 * 6-car sets: D101-155

The carriage numbers will follow a new prefix coding system, unlike the OSCAR H Sets and Tangara G Sets before them. Carriages will be coded as follows:


 * 4-car sets: DD97nn - DN85nn - DND83nn - DDA93nn
 * 6-car sets: DD98nn - DNL88nn - DT96nn - DN86nn - DND84nn - DDA94nn

The "nn" represents the corresponding set number. Carriage number prefixes represent the following:


 * DD - Driving trailer car with pantograph & 2 wheelchair spaces
 * DDA - Driving trailer car with ATP technology & 2 wheelchair spaces
 * DN - Motor car with downstairs luggage rack & 4 wheelchair spaces
 * DNL - Motor car with downstairs luggage rack, 2 wheelchair spaces & standard toilet
 * DND - Motor car with downstairs luggage rack, disabled toilet & 3 bike spaces
 * DT - Trailer car with the pantograph, 2 wheelchair spaces, downstairs & vestibule luggage racks

Controversy
The D sets have copped notable amounts of criticism from commuters, unions and transport activists. One notable complaint was the decision to use taller, wider fixed seats with fold-out tables as opposed to the more preferred reversible seating used on V, H and G sets before them, with some people worried at the prospect of staring at someone's face and the compromising privacy. Fixed seating had already copped criticism when it was previously used on the C Set and Tangara fleets, as most commuters do not like to be seated backwards.

Another huge flaw pointed out by activists is the crew cab door is connected to the traction interlocking which will mean the door cannot be left open as the train leaves and the guard will be forced to view CCTV footage from the external cameras instead, making many passengers too worried to travel on the D sets over fears of falling through the gap or being stuck in the doors. This safety flaw was raised further when Martin Stewart, a vision-impaired man who had several body parts amputated after falling underneath a train in Melbourne, addressed the guardless issue by fearing it will cause more incidents similar to his on NSW TrainLink's intercity network. Unions even fear the D sets are an attempt to remove guards from the intercity network altogether, in favour of drivers being forced to look at CCTV cameras.

Rail, Light Rail & Bus Union NSW secretary Alex Claassens also addressed his criticism towards the axing of the guard's ability to check outside the train, saying that the new approach is bad and compromises safety for commuters, and train guards and other workers. The fear was further raised after a boy fell through the gap between the train and platform at Sydenham Station in June 2019, with the lack of guards leading to a rise in similar incidents.

The trains being built overseas in South Korea have also attracted controversy, with criticism labelling the New South Wales government as cutting corners and denying local job opportunities by sending the jobs offshore.

Line Upgrades
The D sets are wider than the V sets they are replacing and require modifications to be made to parts of the Blue Mountains line route, such as tracks, tunnels and stations to create sufficient clearance from adjacent structures, due to the line from Springwood to Lithgow being in the narrow track width class. Transport officials also want to relax safety standards for the minimum distance allowed between trains and tunnel walls, which is currently set at 200 millimetres.

This modification work has been announced for the period of 2nd to 13th September 2019. In November 2019, further upgrade works were done, including the widened diameter of the Ten Tunnels between Bell and Zig Zag. In December 2019, more trackwork to accommodate the D sets was carried out, including the replacement of a bridge between Penrith and Emu Plains.

In addition to this, many intercity stations will also have the platform length extended to fit the full 10-car set and new or moved to stop markers. Short platform categories will also be revised, including the introduction of a new category (SP8) at some stations and the category to apply to the first *insert number* of carriages instead of the rear carriages.

Services
The D sets will operate on all electrified intercity lines:
 * Central to Springwood, Katoomba, Mount Victoria and Lithgow
 * Central to Woy Woy, Gosford, Wyong and Newcastle Interchange
 * Central and Bondi Junction to Wollongong, Kiama and Port Kembla