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$140m Matangi trains for Wellington

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Newtown-Fella
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« on: August 23, 2012, 05:20:09 pm »


FLASH FLEET: Greater Wellington regional council plans to spend $140 million on 35 Korean-made Matangi trains.

Wellington's entire commuter train fleet, except Wairarapa trains, looks set to be replaced by Korean-made Matangi trains costing $140 million.

Greater Wellington regional council chairwoman Fran Wilde said the proposal to buy 35 new Korean-made Matangi trains was expected to be signed off by council on September 26.

Then detailed negotiations could begin to get the new trains at a total cost of about $140 million.

They would add to the 48 Matangi trains already bought, the final three of which were due in Wellington next weekend.

The move to buy new trains, instead of refurbishing the 44 existing Ganz Mavag trains, meant Lower Hutt's Woburn railway workshops would miss out on work.

''They have got a full book. They will be maintaining the Matangi [trains],'' Ms Wilde said.

Buying new trains would have about the same impact on rates and fares as refurbishing the Ganz Mavag fleet because the debt would be spread over a longer period.

The council originally planned to refurbish the Ganz Mavag fleet but after it got a ''competitive'' offer from Hyundai Rotem, which makes the Matangi trains, new trains made more financial sense. A refurbished fleet - essentially ''lipstick on a pig'' - would still need to be replaced in about 15 years, whereas the new trains had a life expectancy of about 35 years.

''The key issue is that if we refurbish the Ganz trains we still would have to purchase replacements for them at the end of their life in 15 years at whatever the price is in 2027.''

The New Zealand Transport Agency would pick up half the tab of the new trains.

While it was not expected the new trains would increase fares, the council aimed to increase revenue from all public transport fares by three per cent each year.

Each train is made up of two cars. The first order of Matangi trains was for 48 trains, or 96 cars. The new order is for 35 trains, or 70 cars. When all the new Matangi trains are operating in mid-2016, Wellington would have 83 trains, or 166 cars.

Of the 44 Ganz Mavag trains, some were already pulled from service, meaning there would be a similar number of trains in 2016. The Matangi trains hold more people.

The Wairarapa line is not electrified so cannot handle the Matangi trains.

The council expects to keep about 20 Ganz Mavag units to fill gaps if there was an unforeseen demand for trains. It was not decided what would happen to the rest.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7535782/140m-Matangi-trains-for-Wellington
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Kiwithrottlejockey
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« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2012, 05:36:13 pm »


Wellingtonians in love with Matangi trains

By MICHAEL FORBES - The Dominion Post | 6:35AM - Tuesday, 25 September 2012

PEEK A BOO: A Matangi in a tunnel near Johnsonville. — CRAIG SIMCOX/Fairfax NZ.
PEEK A BOO: A Matangi in a tunnel near Johnsonville. — CRAIG SIMCOX/Fairfax NZ.

WELLINGTONIANS are in love with their new Matangi trains and buying more of them is a "no-brainer", according to a survey.

Last month, Greater Wellington regional council announced it was considering buying up to 35 more Matangi trains rather than refurbishing its old Ganz Mavags.

The council has already spent $235 million on 48 Matangi trains, which are being phased into service this year, but it needs at least another 26 trains to cover peak hour services.

The council will decide whether to buy more Matangi trains at a meeting tomorrow.

But the results of an online survey on the proposal show the public is overwhelmingly in favour.

Of the 136 people who responded to the survey that ran from August 23 to September 14, all but one (99.3%) thought the idea was a "no brainer", a great idea, and made sound economic sense.

The one person who was unhappy with the decision said the new trains should be made in this country rather than South Korea.

Seven people (5.2%) supported the proposal on the condition that the new trains came with more comfortable seats, or a policy that allowed bikes on all peak services.

Two others expressed concern about how the expanded fleet would be replaced in its entirety in 30 to 35-years-time.

One person was in favour of the new trains but wanted "modern ticketing" and "modern infrastructure" to accompany them.

A report on the survey will be tabled at the council meeting tomorrow.

It says the proposal was also discussed with a number of key stakeholders and there was no opposition.

Last month, Greater Wellington chairwoman Fran Wilde said the council had originally planned to refurbish the Ganz Mavags but got a "competitive" offer from Matangi maker Hyundai Rotem, which made more financial sense.

The council said it could not release details of the deal at this stage, citing commercial sensitivity.

But it predicted it would make a $228m cost saving over the 35-year life of the new Matangi trains as the refurbished Ganz fleet would still need to be replaced in about 15 years.

The New Zealand Transport Agency would pick up half the tab, Ms Wilde said.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7724612/Wellingtonians-in-love-with-Matangi-trains
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« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2012, 11:10:45 pm »


Council unanimously votes for more trains

By MICHAEL FORBES - The Dominion Post | 12:39PM - Wednesday, 26 September 2012

MORE UNITS: Greater Wellington Regional Council has unanimously decided to purchase 35 new Matangi trains. — CRAIG SIMCOX/Fairfax NZ.
MORE UNITS: Greater Wellington Regional Council has
unanimously decided to purchase 35 new Matangi trains.
 — CRAIG SIMCOX/Fairfax NZ.


WELLINGTON is on track to get 35 more Matangi trains after the regional council voted unanimously to pursue the purchase this morning.

Greater Wellington predicts it will save about $228 million in the long run by ordering 35 Matangi trains, or 70 cars, to cover all Tranz Metro services on all lines except Wairarapa.

The other option would be refurbishing its 44 existing Ganz Mavag trains, which would still have to be replaced in 15 years. The Matangi trains have a life expectancy of 30 to 35 years.

Last month, Greater Wellington chairwoman Fran Wilde said the council was leaning towards buying new trains after it received a "competitive" offer from Matangi maker Hyundai Rotem, which made more financial sense.

The council has not released details of the offer, citing commercial sensitivity. But councillor Daran Ponter said at this morning's council meeting that it was a "$70 million-odd dollar decision".

The council will now negotiate the deal before preparing a business case and making a final decision on the purchase.

Public Transport Group general manager Dr Wayne Hastie told councillors the public was overwhelmingly in favour of the move after an online survey showed 135 of 136 respondents thought it was a "no brainer", a great idea, and made sound economic sense.

Several councillors questioned whether the recent announcement by KiwiRail that it will cut 20 per cent of its infrastructure and engineering workforce, with the loss of 158 jobs, would affect its ability to safely maintain and operate the Tranz Metro service.

Chief financial officer Bruce Simpson said the council had received an assurance from the state-owned rail company within the last few days that the level of service would not be affected.

Councillor Peter Glensor, chairman of the economic wellbeing committee responsible for public transport, said he had investigated rail services in Australia and officials over there would "give their eye teeth" to have an entire fleet of just one type of train.

"I have real confidence in the wisdom of this decision," he said.

The council has already spent $235 million on 48 Matangi trains, which are being phased into service this year, but it needs at least another 26 trains to cover all peak hour services.

Matangi trains can hold more passengers than the Ganz Mavag trains but they cannot run on the Wairarapa line because it is not electrified.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7731771/Council-unanimously-votes-for-more-trains
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« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2013, 07:43:00 pm »


Train deal a ‘win-win’ for commuters, ratepayers

By MICHAEL FORBES - The Dominion Post | 5:00AM - Monday, 17 June 2013

NEW TRAINS have been confirmed for Wellington, while the old ones are to be shipped off to South Africa, in a deal that has been described as a "win-win" for commuters and ratepayers.

Greater Wellington Regional Council says it has come to terms on deals to buy another 35 two-car Matangi trains and sell 42 of its ageing Ganz Mavag fleet.

It plans to sign both contracts next week.

Angus Gabara, the council's rail operations manager, said the deal with Matangi manufacturers Hyundai-Rotem was "in the region" of $160 million, with the NZ Transport Agency paying half.

The deal included $10m worth of upgrades for the 48 Matangi trains already in operation, which will see them fitted out with automatic couplers and LED lights with 30 times the life.

The new couplers will speed up the linking process and remove the need for KiwiRail staff to do the potentially dangerous job, while the new lights will reduce the minor network delays that can happen when bulbs are blown.

"There's been some advances in technology since we bought our first Matangi, and we're taking the opportunity to make the entire fleet more operational efficient, safe and flexible."

The new Matangi will be built in Korea but the upgrade work with be done locally, which could see some jobs created, Mr Gabara said.

The first shipment of new trains will arrive in mid-2015.

Mr Gabara said the deal made good economic sense, as the alternative of a refurbishing the Ganz Mavag fleet would only give them about 15 years, whereas the new trains had a life expectancy of about 35 years.

The budget for refurbishment was $90 million but would have likely crept a lot higher, he said. "The cost benefits of this deal are clear-cut."

Meanwhile, Mr Gabara said the council had also managed to offload all of its Ganz Mavag fleets, bar one, which it intends to keep for "historical purposes".

Fifteen Ganz Mavags have already been withdrawn from service and another 28 will become surplus to requirements when the new Matangi replace them.

Mr Gabara was keeping quiet on the sale price until the deal was finalised. But he said the buyer was from South Africa and intended to keep the trains running there.

Greater Wellington chairwoman Fran Wilde called the deals a win-win situation as commuters would get state-of-the-art trains to ride in, and the council would be able to minimise its operational costs.

"It's going to provide a real step-change for rail in Wellington when the entire fleet is up to date and modern."


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/8802769/Train-deal-a-win-win-for-commuters-ratepayers
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« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2015, 02:42:33 pm »


from The Dominion Post....

New Matangi trains arrive in Wellington from Korea

1:35PM - Sunday, 24 May 2015

A new Matangi train rolls off the assembly line in at Hyundai-Rotem's factory in Changwon, South Korea earlier this year. The first of the new batch have now started arriving in Wellington.
A new Matangi train rolls off the assembly line in at Hyundai-Rotem's factory in Changwon, South Korea
earlier this year. The first of the new batch have now started arriving in Wellington.


WELLINGTON's newest trains rolled off a boat from Korea on Sunday, the first of 35 two-car units due to arrive by mid-2016.

As the new Matangi trains, made by Hyundai, arrive in stages the remaining Ganz Magav units will be phased out. The new trains look just like the first 48 Matangis that arrived in 2010, but will have in-built sound dampeners to reduce wheel squeak.

Wellingtonians overwhelmingly preferred the new trains to the old, Greater Wellington Regional Council chairwoman Fran Wilde said.

“This is the final step on the way to having the single, modern, electric train fleet the region's commuters deserve,” she says. “And it can't come soon enough. If you stand on a platform today you can still hear a collective groan when the old units come into view instead of one of our new Matangi.”

“It will be a good day for Wellington commuters when we've got the new fleet fully in place. From that day on every journey will be a smooth and comfortable one and I'm sure Wellingtonians will continue flocking to trains as a result.”

The council is splitting the total project cost of $170 million with the New Zealand Transport Agency. The deal with Hyundai-Rotem also includes $10m worth of upgrades for the existing Matangi trains to fit them with auto-couplers and new lights.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/68803343/new-matangi-trains-arrive-in-wellington-from-korea
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« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2016, 07:36:44 pm »


from The Dominion Post....

Ganz Mavag train makes last trip on Friday
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