NSW TrainLink V Set

The V set or DDIU (Double Deck Inter-Urban) is a class of electric multiple unit operated by NSW TrainLink. These stainless steel double deck trains operate on the NSW TrainLink intercity network, serving the Blue Mountains and Central Coast lines. There were a total of four batches of V sets produced for the then State Rail Authority.

The sets will be gradually phased out starting in 2022 for scrapping, with their successors, the D sets, to commence service on the Central Coast and Newcastle Line, with the Blue Mountains Line to follow later. A four car set will be preserved for use at heritage events.

First Batch
In 1968 the New South Wales Government Railways placed an order for the first batch 16 cars, with Commonwealth Engineering. Described at the time as the 'most luxurious commuter stock in the world', they set new benchmarks for passenger comfort in Sydney. The cars made a first run from Sydney to Gosford on 10 June 1970, targeted as F111. This 4-car train was the first set to operate in revenue traffic from 22 June 1970, and all 16 cars were in operation by September of the same year.

These cars had many similar features to the later-built cars, including the one-piece moulded fibreglass front in royal blue & grey livery, semi-automatic doors, electronically controlled brakes and double-glazed windows. They did not have ditchlights (as they were considered unnecessary at the time), and had a different style of headlights. There were numbered as follows: The configuration of these cars was unsuccessful. The cars were fitted with AEI equipment, and the electrical equipment was split between the motor and trailer car. The cables were not able to provide the power needed to operate the train as proposed. This resulted in many failures of the train to operate and also failures in the air-conditioning system.

One class travel was introduced in September 1974, so the seating was all "economy class". This led to the refurbishment of the DDIU sets with the original luggage racks above the seating in the single deck section being removed. During this time the sets were targeted as U sets, the plates used on the then current single deck interurbans.

With the arrival of further V sets in the late 1970s and early 1980s, an excess of motor cars resulted and the decision was made to convert the 1970 cars to trailers and make them compatible with the later cars, thereby solving the reliability problems. The cars were rewired at Elcar Workshops, and the driver's compartment was removed and replaced by passenger toilets and luggage space. The cars were subsequently renumbered:


 * DCF 8001–8008 > DMT 9201–9207 (7 cars remained after writing off DCF 8004)
 * DDC 9001–9004 > DDT 9208–9211
 * DTF 9011–9012 & DTC 9021–9022 > DFT 9212–9215

Second Batch
During 1977, the second batch of DDIUs arrived, with many differences from the first batch. The electrical equipment was all mounted on the motor car, using Mitsubishi Electrical Equipment; they had stainless steel underframes; and they were fitted with vacuum retention toilets, used for the first time in NSW. These cars were the first of the "V sets", with the V showing that they were installed with vacuum retention toilets. They operated separately from the 1970 cars, as the two types were not compatible with each other. The cars built were:


 * Motor Cars - DCM 8021–8036
 * Driving Trailer Cars - DCT 9031–9044.

The driving trailers were not used much, due to driver complaints about an uncomfortable "kick" when the motor car started to push the trailer. The controls in the DCTs were gradually stripped and replaced defective ones on the DCMs. However, during the "Citydecker" refurbishment by Goninan, DCT 9031–9036 were recabbed and recoded DTD. At the same time, the DCMs were refurbished, receiving destination indicators and ditchlights. The refurbishment also saw the installation of air-conditioning in the driver's cabs of the DCMs: their lack of air-conditioning resulted in a union ban on using them as leading cars. DCM 8032–8036 were modified to have wheelchair seating, and recoded as DTM cars. The DCMs that had destination indicators eventually had them removed and replaced with a metal blanking plate, after a decision not to use them on interurban runs.

Third Batch
The first V sets were a success, and in 1982 DIM motor Cars were introduced. There were no more driving trailers built, but new trailers, coded DIT, was built. These cars had increased seating compared with the 2nd batch, up from 88 to 96 for the motor cars, and from 92 to 112 for the trailers. The cars built were:


 * Motor Cars - DIM 8037–8092
 * Trailer Cars - DIT 9101–9184

DIM 8037-8068 were built with a wood paneling interior and without ditchlights. These were the last cars to be delivered in the 'Blue Goose' livery. They were eventually fitted with ditchlights during refurbishment. DIM 8069-8092 were built with a slightly different style of interior arrangement, and newer air conditioning technology. These can be distinguished from the earlier DIMs by the air-conditioning grille cover and were delivered with ditchlights.

DJM and the rest of DIT cars
Advancements in technology saw a thyristor chopper system (also used on C Sets and Tangara T Sets) fitted to the next batch of motor cars, coded DJM. The chopper cars gave a smoother and quieter ride. The chopper cars can be distinguished from the earlier "camshaft" cars by a large open grille at the pantograph end of the motor car, and by different hatch coverings over the driver's side of the motor car. DJM 8123–8137 had even larger open grilles on the pantograph end. These cars were the first V sets to be painted in the State Rail "Candy" Livery and were delivered with the rest of the DIT trailer cars. Motor car DJM 8101 had its "Candy" livery repainted into a Sydney Trains blue and yellow scheme in 1990 to form a special set, with the commemorative wording "celebrating 20 years of double-deck intercity services to Gosford" applied near the driver's cab window. In 2009 DJM 8101 was repainted into standard 'Intercity' livery.

Final Batch
The final V sets were introduced in 1989, and they were the last cars to come out from Commonwealth Engineering Granville Plant. These cars were coded DKM and DKT and are permanently coupled. There were several changes: the cars were finished in corrugated steel, instead of the previous inserted Budd fluting. Seating had separate seatbacks. Instead of the push-pull doors inside the previous V sets, the DKs were fitted with an electronically operated vestibule door, and no door was installed at the gangway. This was done so that passengers could access the toilets more easily and the DKM and DKT cars were permanently coupled in 2-car configuration with another 2-car chopper V set, forming a 4-car set. 14 cars were built:


 * 7 Motor Cars - DKM 8139–8145
 * 7 Trailer Cars - DKT 9185-9191

There was a proposal for 50 more to be built, but that order was never placed. Recently the DK Sets have had their vestibule doors fixed with a new button to open them but due to unavailability of parts these doors still fail to function and is a rare sight to find one that works, however, DKT 9189 has a working vestibule door. In 2013-14, DK series cars were given the NSW TrainLink livery and replaced the old DK seats with the regular DIM, DIT and DJM seats.

Design
The V set is designed slightly differently to other trains. The doors are at the very ends of each carriage and need to be manually slid open (to encourage passengers to check for short platforms). There is a small space between the doors and the gangway, which contain two very small toilets on one side of the trailer carriages, and a luggage space in other positions. There is a door dividing this small vestibule and the seating space, preventing the airconditioning from leaving the train. The single deck area of this train is much longer than other trains and has 2x2 seating, instead of the longitudinal seating found on most other trains. Some trains have one or two seats removed in this area as a wheelchair space or for a luggage rack. There are stairs at the end of this area going to the upper and lower decks. There is also an alarm button located in this area, a primitive version of the emergency help point found on newer trains.

As these trains were designed for long distance operation, there are a few more features that are not found on other trains, such as coathooks between the windows, footrests, and armrests. Some passengers also report that the seats are more comfortable than other trains. The seats are in a 2x2 configuration on both the upper and lower decks. The sets have carried a number of different liveries over their lifetime, most recently carrying the CityRail livery, which was replaced with the NSW TrainLink livery with the 2013 RailCorp reshuffle. At the same time, the interiors were refreshed.

They are the only EMUs in the state that have the narrow width classification, meaning that they can run on all lines in the RailCorp network.

Service
In the past, V sets have operated on all electrified parts of the intercity network in various configurations of 2, 4, 6 or 8 cars. All V sets now operate in 4 and 8 car configurations on the following lines:


 * All electric services
 * Most Sydney-Newcastle express services

V sets are maintained at Flemington Maintenance Centre.

Y sets
Six cars from the third batch have been retained by RailCorp and converted into test trains to test/trial the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) and the Digital Train Radio (DTRS) systems across the Railcorp network. They were formed into two 3-car sets numbered Y1 and Y2. They are marshalled as Y1: DJM8121 DIT9127 DJM8134 and Y2: DJM8127 DIT9131 DJM8128. They are fitted with computers and test equipment, several CCTV cameras and small kitchens in the trailer cars.

Y2 was stripped for parts in 2019 as replacement parts are getting harder to obtain (because the trains are so old) and there is no longer a need for a DTRS test train. Y1 was made into a four car train.

Withdrawal
In 2005, it was revealed that first batch of V sets had some corrosion in the underframes. Some extra OSCAR H sets had been ordered to replace the withdrawn sets including some 2nd batch ones. Due to this, V sets were withdrawn from the South Coast Line, and were replaced by the H sets. The addition of the OSCARs to the South Coast services also allowed them to operate from Bondi Junction on the Eastern Suburbs Line as opposed to Central Sydney Terminal, allowing space at the latter to run more services on other intercity lines.

The rest of the sets are due to be withdrawn by 2024, with the government spending $2.8 billion on purchasing new off-the-shelf intercity train sets manufactured in South Korea to replace them. The first V sets to be retired will be from the Central Coast and Newcastle line, followed by the Blue Mountains line. Their replacement (coded D sets) will start rolling out in 2021.

Accidents
See Glenbrook train disaster
 * On 2 December 1999 at 8:22 am, on a curve between Glenbrook and Lapstone on the Up (towards Sydney) Main Western railway line, a V set collided with the rear wagon of the Indian Pacific. Seven passengers were killed and 51 passengers were taken to hospital with injuries. The Indian Pacific was authorised to pass a failed automatic signal at Glenbrook and stopped at the next signal, which had also failed. The V set was also authorised to pass the same signal and shortly after collided with the Indian Pacific. The main causes were:
 * Most locomotives at the time were not fitted with the correct radio to communicate with the signaller
 * The lineside phone that the driver of the Indian Pacific attempted to use was missing a part, leading the driver to believe it didn't work
 * The driver of the V set accelerating too much after passing the first failed signal
 * The Indian Pacific was stopped on a sharp curve, meaning there was limited visibility of the stopped train

Trivia

 * V sets are the only class of train that can run with both chopper and camshaft motor cars in the same consist. This is normally not possible as it makes the ride uncomfortable, which is negated by the longer carriages of the V set.