Division of Melbourne Suburban Trains // What Does It Mean For Passengers?
Vložit
- čas přidán 2. 06. 2024
- This video looks at how Melbourne's four current types of electric suburban train are divided up, how they ended up like that, and what it actually means for passengers.
Want to help support the channel, get early access to new content and exclusive behind the scenes videos? Join me on Patreon: / taitset
My voiceover in this video was recorded with the assistance of my brother Cian, who happens to be a sound recordist and musician. Check out his music here: hyperfollow.com/cianbennetmusic
Chapters:
00:00 - Why are we here?
00:22 - The four types of train
01:04 - Where do they run?
01:47 - The two odd lines out
02:04 - Why are they split up like that?
04:51 - What does it mean for me? / Our old trains are pretty good actually
08:02 - The end bit
#melbourne #trains #railways #transport
A few extra notes:
-Since publishing this video, HCMTs have now started running a handful of runs on the Sunbury line. I expect this will increase as more are delivered, up towards their full takeover of that line when the Metro Tunnel opens.
-A few people are pointing out other details that I "forgot" to include - it was never the aim of this video to list every single difference between the train types, only to provide some key examples. You are of course welcome to discuss other differences here in the comments!
Some extra reading/watching on this topic:
Two great articles about the ridiculous politicisation of the Frankston line X'trap in 2014:
By Daniel Bowen: danielbowen.com/2014/10/22/frankston-line-xtrapolis/
And by Marcus Wong: wongm.com/2016/01/filthy-trains-and-frankston-line-pork-barrelling/
And Reece Martin on why older trains aren't necessarily a bad thing:
czcams.com/video/d7adaFZDPuw/video.htmlsi=_wLlEW-GGiY6lWGj
And a random plug for my Patreon, because why not: www.patreon.com/Taitset
I remember that one x-trap going on the Frankston line. The Liberal's loved spruiking the hell out of it too, when everyone from almost the start could see it was a political stunt. From memory it had to have two drivers too. They just wanted to make it look like they were doing something for public transport because they were copping a lot of crap over the East West Link, when in reality all they did was the Bayside Rail Upgrade (not that upgrading the nuts and bolts of the system isn't good, but in reality most of it has been superceeded by the LXRA's work on the line) and that one X-Trap in the morning peak. They focused on the sandbelt because they won seats out there in 2010, and if you remember the 2010 election was dominated by Public Transport because the reliability of the system had got so bad.
Sunbury is one of the lines going through the new Metro, so that's probably why.
From my experience the comeng trains are the best for pretty much every reason you described. Sound awesome, rides well. You can tell that they were made with quality in mind.
The seimens trains have terrible suspension by comparison and certain lines make this more than obvious. And the X'trapolis trains are beyond pathetic. They should never have been designed.
The HCMT only shows up on smooth lines from what I've experienced so they seem good for now.
I'm a Melbourne train enthusiast, I live in a line entirely run by X'traps too, the Lilydale line, I cannot get over the bumpy ride every time I need to go out to Southern Cross to change for a V/Line country train to somewhere that I want to go to, I'd take an EDI Comeng on my line everyday if they served there, shows how we need to keep the old trains in service.
Im a simple guy, I see a Taitset video, I click. Always entertaining always so informative, love your work :)
Thankyou, glad you're enjoying them 🙂
I always listen to them at least a dozen times over the next week
Interesting, well researched, clearly explained, dry humour and great editing. I’ve said it before; I have no real interest in trains but I love your videos. I live in Melbourne so that’s what gets me to start watching, but I always watch the whole thing. Thanks!
Agreed!!! Great work Taitset.
Same too, especially V/Line ones, I'm more of a train enthusiast, when I'm getting on a train, I can tell what type it is just of a glimpse of the front cab of the train, like "Noice that's an EDI Comeng." or "Aww c'mon why does our line have X'trampolines every time." or "Oh nice a Sprinter." or "Oh yes my favorite, an N set." or "Noice a VLocity."
I'll always remember when you called the Xtrapolis the Xtrampoline in a different video
as much as I love the Comeng, every so often they have an incessant high-pitched ringing, and once you notice it, the noise somehow becomes more deafening. otherwise they're legendary. great video as always.
I think that sound comes from the Motor-Alternator set - I assume it's a maintainance issue given they don't all do it. Agree it's a very annoying sound!
Sit in the t car. Will be much less noticeable
Yeah the sound is unbearable sometime I really wish they would fix it, if it wasn't for this sound the comeng would be arguably the best train
@@stormofzairT car?
@@TheMatsushitaMan the 'trailer' car, i.e. the unpowered car in the middle of each 3-car consist. On a 6-car Comeng train, it'll always be the second car in from either end of the train.
As a daily train user for the last 5 years I gotta say this channel is the greatest find of 2023.
Holding out for some Vline content though!
Lots of people asking for some v/line content, I'd better get started!
@@TaitsetGippsland line first 😅
I'm glad the Northern group are my local lines. Much prefer seeing a Comeng or a Siemens appear rather than an x'trampoline
Your lucky!
I think they changed the sususpension on the new models
I live in the East :(
Same
cries in mernda
I love the Comengs the most, their tri-tone horn being one of the reasons why
For anyone that's interested in the technical reason why airbags are better than fixed springs for suspension (at least on trains), it's all to do with the difference in weight between empty and full.
When designing for maximum comfort, the engineer will have to choose a spring that's not too stiff (as this will cause more vibrations to be transmitted through to the body), but not too soft either (this will cause too much wobble). The choice is largely a mathematical one, but the main influence on that mathematical choice is the mass of the train body. That mass will vary greatly depending on if the train is empty or if it has a crush load in it for example, and everything in between.
With fixed springs (like in the X'Trapolis 100's) you effectively have to choose a compromise of spring stiffness that does an ok job for most circumstances, but never that good at any one time (since it's not optimised for it). With airbags though, you can control the amount of air in them and therefore how "stiff" they are. Computers or other electronics can do this calculation as the weight of the train changes, thereby optimising it for the exact weight at the time.
It's also worth noting for the XTrap in particular that it was an "off the shelf" model from Europe, and they tend to have much better track quality than here in Melbourne. So that's certainly an influence on why they are so bouncy, but not the main reason.
I haven't really noticed the "bounciness" much, as my main concern is jerkiness and it never felt jerky.
I'd never really given it that much thought, Floyd. However, back in 2010, I got my 5" gauge Maxitrak Planet and at the time it wobbled around quite a lot. I'd installed a deep cycle battery, which weighs 17kg. When Maxitrak saw a video of my loco running, they asked what battery I was using. It turns out that in the UK, they tend to use smaller car batteries - which weigh about 10kg and that's what the installed springs were designed for. They recommended I tried some stiffer springs, which I did. And it then ran much better, with all the wobble gone. :)
Most of the Melbourne network is brand new, welded track on concrete sleepers. So many crossings have been removed and trenched, and the sky rail, most of it is new. I dont have a problem with ride quality.
@@tubester4567 Not really, once you get into the inner city sections of the tracks where they removed level crossings decades ago. The track between Camberwell Station and Richmond for example is really bumpy on the Xtraps.
@@chickennoodle6620 Most of the network is new though, Frankston line, Pakenham line, all the way to the city is brand new. There might be a few sections of old track in some lines They are still removing crossings on the Glen Waverly line, and most lines,
UK rail enthusiast here, visiting AUS (Sydney & Melbourne) for the first time in April '24. Your video's are a godsend for anyone researching the subject and will certainly help me enormously when taking 'days out' for rail photography. Great production/post production and superb V/O's. Thanks you so much for all your hard work!🚇😁
Glad you're finding them useful, hope you have an enjoyable visit!
heres a quick melbourne survival guide:
- dont go to frankston
- if you see anyone with mostly adidas clothing being pretty loud and obnoxious, stay away from them (we call em eshays)
- if you're travelling on trams, get the tramtracker app on your phone (very helpful)
- dont take any form of public transport between the hours of 10pm - 5am, you'll run into the junkies
also don't do or say any sterotypes you hear around the world (riding kangaroos, chuck shrimp on the barbie, etc.) because you will most likely get bashed if someone hears.
i'm joking, hope you have a good time down here, it's not a bad city tbh.
@@comengshit’s a good city unless you’re in Frankston 😂
@@comengshAs a Frankstoner I agree. Don't go here, otherwise you have a 4/9 chance of a junkie trying to eat you.
I’ve always lived on the Belgrave/Lilydale line and thought the x’traps were awesome every time I walked out of one at Southern Cross. Looking at all those northern line comengs and laughing at the poor old thing. Now I live on the craigie line and i much prefer the trains here. they’re so spacious and smooth.
I too used to think we had a bad deal with only Comeng and Siemens, but looking back it's definitely a case of be careful what you wish for cause the x'traps aren't as good as you think
I like the Comeng, Xtrap and even the older grey trains that were still around in 2005. The Siemens are my least favourite. I'm not sure why. Maybe they were just too quiet and smooth for me. It didn't feel like I was on a train.😮
@@tomsmith6513 I much prefer the ride of the siemens, since their braking issues were fixed they've proven to be a very comfortable and reliable train (there are a few things that could be better on them but they are still better than the x'traps to me). The x'traps are reliable but were built very cheaply. You can see it in the hand rails, they'll often be missing paint and showing rust, plus that big circular hand rail near the doors blocks a lot of the PID's and I still don't know why they put those seats right next to the drivers door. They also have poor traction control thus they slip like mad in the wet, and god their suspension is terrible. I hope the 2.0's are better.
@@aidanthomas2510 I used to take the Glen Waverley train, as it was close to where I lived (until I moved 5 years ago). I have taken trains on different lines at different times. The Belgrave/Lilydale line had X'Traps as well. I didn't notice the defects.
I encountered the Siemens trains a few times when going to Caulfield for exams.
Trains are machines and I think there's a point where they become so quiet and smooth that they don't feel like trains. It's like going from a petrol car to a fully electric car. You're used to the noise a car makes when it accelerates. For me it's the same with trains.
The Siemens trains do make sound, but it just doesn't sound distinctive. When the Siemens trains slow down or speed up, you hear a ringing sound from the outside. I think it's the wheels, not the motors. They are slipping slightly on the tracks, making that metallic sound.
The X-Traps make an audible and distinctive sound when accelerating and braking. That's what I like about both the Comengs and X-Traps -- the distinctive sound they make when changing speed.
@@tomsmith6513 I personally don't know how you didn't notice that damn suspension, the train bounces like mad over the bumpy bits of the track, which as we all know Melbourne does not have a good history when it comes to track maintenance. That makes it even worse.
As a Belgrave…Ian. I’m sick of X-Trampolines, but it does mean if I go to say Southern cross, it’s sick looking at all the new trains, and the older ones.
Naturally the HCMTs are my favourite, the information displays have everything neatly display at varying points in the train. Including the train line and even what side the doors will open (since some passengers still don't have platforms memorised). As someone who lives on the Sunbury line I'm eagerly awaiting the metro tunnel to make my entire line only have HCMTs
I just love the HCMTs. The displays that show the entire stopping schedule, the seats that don't face each other in akward sets of four where there's not enough legroom when the seats are full like all the other train types, and I just love the way they look! So sleek and pretty. Watching them come into the station is so exciting!
It is nice to know about the types of trains and usability on each line. There are a couple of other things.
-The X'trapolis 100 trains were tested on the Sandringham, Sunbury line in the past
--Some go to Westall depot today.
-The Siemens trains were tested on the Glen Waverley and Belgrave lines.
-The HCMT has a somewhat higher armrest at the window.
-The Siemens trains were fitted with FANCIER passenger information display systems (a screen with helvetica on it)
-The Siemens are rumoured to be withdrawn from Cranbourne, Pakenham and Sunbury lines when the HCMT takes over. So they will either go to the Werribee, Williamstown and Sandringham line afterwards.
The new X'trapolis 2.0 trains you left out are going to either run on the Cragieburn and Upfield lines. Their mockup has passenger information screens, standing room, exterior sliding doors and their seats look like they were taken from a Vline train.
Very few Comeng trains have been tested in Alamein and Mernda in recent years.
As an access-ability factor, both trains should be retrofitted with poppy-outie gap fillers at the doors, similar to the new trains on Aucklands train system.
As somebody who is used to the rough ride of the X'trapolis 100 trains, what would a refurbishment program look like for them? Will they have open gangways, airbag suspension and information screens?
There are a couple of things that could happen in future but lets wait and see.
I haven't seen any suburban train on the Pakenham or Cranbourne lines that weren't HCMT
the gap filler thingys they have in auckland won't work here in melbourne, considering almost every single platform is at a different height from the train.
I've never gone on a Siemen's before, and last time I went on a Comeng was well before I realised how cool they are!
i've always been one of those people that hated that my train line doesn't have "the fancy trains" but this video changed my perspective entirely. comeng ftw! 🤘🏻
You’ve made me rediscover my childhood love for trains, love the content!! Although I live regionally, I go into the city for uni nearly daily and I love pointing out every train I see to my friends who I think at this point are finding it annoying how much I’m learning about trains 😂
That's fantastic!
welcome to the club ;))
I always wonderd why when I change from the Sanduringham line to the Lilydale line it feels like I am enturing a different Australian state because of how different each type is. Well now I know and I got to say my favorite train type is the Comeng specificly the Alstom refurbished Comeng as they have more modern information displays and for some reason the seat fabric feel a bit thicker and more comfortable then the EDI referbished Comenges.
Side note: My least favourite train type is probably the X'Trapolis because the seats can be a bit small even for most people and the information displays suck because you can’t even see them and it also feels like they have too many windows. Now yes natural light is good but Its anoying being on a train that when you sit anywhere the sun will always be frying your eyes espetially in the mid morning and late afternoon. Also the suspention is very bad and very noisy when traveling at speed espetially in places like Burnley or Richmond junctions.
Overall I love watching your videos and this one is no exception.
As a newly sprung train enthusiast, this channel is a great find! Sad to know we'll eventually stop seeing the High Capacity train in the city loop tho
when i first moved to melbourne, i lived on an xtrap line and would resent catching comeng trains cus they felt ugly and old in comparison. but as time went on i realised xtraps are always a pain when it rains, comeng are just so reliable in terms of passenger experience… i’ll miss them when they eventually go
I think the reason for the Xtrap's behaviour on wet tracks might have to do with computer-controlled motors. Let's suppose some of the wheels slip in the rain and spin faster. Maybe the computer detects slippage and temporarily reduces power to the wheels until they return to the actual speed. Maybe it's a bit like how anti-lock braking works, but more like anti-slip acceleration.
The Comeng trains being older wouldn't have anti-slip detection, so if the wheels slip, they slip and it doesn't matter.
Not all of the wheels will slip at the same time, so you're not likely to notice when they do. The Xtrap trains might just be trying to make sure all the wheels are spinning at the same speed.
I love the Comeng fleet. Brings back so many memories from 2004 when I lived in Coburg (taking the Upfield line)
I live on the Upfield line so I usually get Comeng trains, and I actually don’t mind them. I agree with your comments about comfort, although I wish it was an open train to walk through. The worst part is the manual doors though, it’s always uncomfortable opening them and they’re not very accessible.
When the X’Trapolis 2.0 join the network, I’d like to see those join the network on lines with only older trains, but keep the Comeng in service. Having the extra trains on hand could help get all suburban lines to all day 10 minute frequency, or mean we have enough electric trains for when the Wyndham Vale and Melton lines are electrified
This makes me feel a little better knowing I'm on a line with the oldest yet best thought out trains
We do something similar here in Perth, but we only have two types of trains- A Series and B Series. You will only ever find the A Series on the Armadale/ Thornlie, Fremantle and Midland lines, with trains on the Fremantle line through running onto the Midland line. These lines are called the legacy lines as they were all built in the 1800's, but were electrified in 1991, which is also when the first A Series trains entered service. The B Series trains (which first entered service in 2004) are the only trains that you will find on the Joondalup line (opened in 1992, the first new line in over 100 years) and the Mandurah line (opened in 2007) with both lines having through running with each other.
The reason for this is because the A Series are 2 car EMU sets and the B Series are 3 car EMU sets. During peak periods 2 A Series sets are joined together to form a 4 car set and 2 B Series sets are joined together to form a 6 car set. You do occasionally see a 3 car B Series train on the legacy lines, but almost never a 6 car because most of the stations have platforms that are only long enough to accommodate 4 car trains (they do occasionally run 6 car B Series express trains for special events but only to Showgrounds Station on the Fremantle line or to Stadium Station on the Armadale/ Thornlie line) and because we also only have 48 A Series sets. We also have an Airport line which was opened just last year which is serviced exclusively by 3 car B series trains. The Airport line is a spur that breaks off of the Midland line at Bayswater (which is about the halfway point of the line) and runs through tunnels to the airport and beyond to the terminus at High Wycombe. Airport line trains also run down the Fremantle line to Claremont (which is also bout the halfway point) where they turn around and come back. All 3 stations on the Airport spur have platforms that can fit 6 car trains. The A Series don't run on the Airport line because they have not been certified for the tunnels. Many years ago, A series trains were also used on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines (usually as a 4 car train, but there were a few rare times that 3 A Series sets were joined together to make a 6 car train) but that was before all 78 B Series sets entered service. The main reason the A Series trains don't run on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines now is that the speed limit on sections of these lines is 130 km/h and the A Series max out at 110 km/h. Soon our first 6 car C Series set will enter service on the Joondalup and Mandurah lines (we have ordered a total of 41 sets), and as more C Series sets enter service, more B Series sets will be pushed onto the legacy lines and eventually all the A Series sets will be retired.
Never thought the Stony Point line would get a cameo on this channel but I was forever hopeful
Maybe it will get its own video one day!
A major issue with the Comengs is that their air-conditioning is insufficient on days of extreme heat. When Melbourne's weather reaches the high 30s (celsius), it wreaks havoc on the timetables of Comeng-run lines.
It used to be a big problem, but not nearly so much since they got new AC units about 10 years ago.
You are brilliant. As someone who catches PT everyday, I appreciate your video. Thank you mate!
Thankyou, glad you're enjoying the videos. :)
As someone whos never been to Australia, i desperately want to go to Melbourne to trainspot the comeng and HCMT, they're some of my favorite looking trains ever.
I love this channel, it gives me a blast from the past of catching the trains from Box Hill to Croydon stations back in 2007
it makes my weeks when you upload taitset, absolutely love your work ♥︎♥︎
Excellent work! You have answered a question I’ve wondered about for years…
thank you for making the best and most informative videos on my favourite topic. i absolutely adore your work and you're such an inspiration to me!
Thankyou, very glad you're enjoying them!
It's a good day when I see a Taitset video pop up on CZcams! Love to see it :)
I appreciate that you talked about how the X-trapolis is not the best compared to some older models. I grew up with them and they suck when it's full. Getting stuck in the standing area near the doors is bad because there aren't enough things to hold on to. The handles at the ceiling are hard to reach unless you're a tall man. I way prefer the older ones. New high capacity ones are nice too though
Wow this is so cool always wondered why? Thank you so much and I appreciate your channel 😊
As a Craigieburn line commuter I personally think we’ve got the best selection between Comeng and Siemens trains :). Great video, it’s just amazing that this type of content even exists - especially for Melbournians haha.
Always, the best, most informative and interesting VLOG's when it comes to Melbourne and regional Victoria's railways........thank you mate.
"Listen to the sound that Comeng made" definitely outs you as a serious train nerd 😂😂 Let's hope they get a few more decades out of them.
Your photography is so amazing! I love how informational your videos are too. Always excited when you upload
Thankyou, glad you're enjoying it!
I love Comeng especially when the air conditioning is pumping during the summer, not to mention some of them have tinted windows.
Do the Comengs have the most powerful AC?
Love the content as a fellow Melbournian~! I was fortunate enough to see much of the HCMT Testing on non standard lines! usually running through platforms 1-2 at richmond down the Sandringham line~
got so excited seeing this come up in my feed as I knocked off, wicked watch mate !
you are my favourite youtuber you always hook me in and interest me. I live in Melbourne and because of all these videos you make I can now understand a lot about our train network. I really enjoyed you Broadmeadows runaway train video please continue making these amazing videos.
I hope you have a great day
Thankyou, very glad you're enjoying the channel!
Great video as always!
Thanks for making this video! I'm on the Mernda line, can't remember the last time I caught anything other than an X'trap!
I’ll definitely miss the day when the last Comeng set is run through Melbourne, that will be a sad day.
It’s been a model which I weirdly feel emotionally attached too, as it’s always been apart of the landscape growing up.
Nonetheless, another great video 👍👍👍
Wow. This video is soo good. Man, took CZcams a while to tell me about you, glad it finally did.
my aunt (who was a driver until recently) is a pretty big comeng fan which i find pretty interesting
and yeah comengs sound awesome i will never get sick of that
Another great video mate!
i think its great how they are on some lines it just makes melbourne transit more interesting i always try and get on a comeng on the frankston line also good job on the video tait we need more melbourne transport like you and straya
Those Comeng seats & ride quality are soo much more comfortable as you stated. Those Seimens seats are really bad, I will miss the Comeng trains when they eventually go.
My friends and I love watching your videos :)) you have taught me so much about public transport and from that, It has created one of special interests :) thank you!!
I'm very glad to hear that!
@@Taitset Keep posting and thriving! 😌👍
The Taitset vidoes are come out quick and fast! (but still amazing quality as always)
I've surprised myself how quickly I've got the last few out haha
The handrail blocking the displays on the X'trap trains drives me insane. The X'traps always felt like a collection of oversights... Comeng is the daddy.
Love the Comengs, workhorses of Melbourne for 40 years now
awesome video! its helpful as I was just in melbourne this weekend for paul mccartney's show and I was near southern cross station and saw all the different types of trains which confused me as in Perth we have 2 types A and B series (only difference is A is older thus runs on the heritage lines)
Love the old trains on the craigieburn line, makes me nostalgic for my 90s childhood growing up in Broadmeadows and seeing the same trains.
Interesting video, great commentary - everything else has been mentioned several times. BRAVO & LIKE
Great video as always Martin - As someone from the Clifton HIll and Burnley group lines, I hate tje X/trapolis. They just have no character and when you get used to them that's the end of the enjoyment. I'd much rather live on the lines that have Comengs and HCMTs
Just got off a comeng. Agree its more comfortable than semens or xtrap. Never been on htmc so can't make a comparison.
In other cities this can be done for other reasons
In New York a number of trains have been swapped between lines to allow for a new moving block signal system to be installed. The R46s running in Jamaica yard were swapped with R160s based at Coney Island yard. (In New York City, lines and services are discontinuous and every mode is generally tested on the entire system before entering service, usually only one line at a time, and trains typically are assigned to a specific yard which serves multiple lines)
In Chicago, when the 5000 series cars were delivered, which was shortly after the brown line was given a capacity expansion project to allow 8-car trains to run on it (previously only 6-car trains could be used), 3200 series cars on the orange and yellow lines were initially seemingly all moved to the brown line. The Yellow line got the older 2600 series cars interim before getting 5000s. The red line at the time mostly ran 2600 series trains which were moved to the orange and blue lines. The blue line had 2200 series cars that were replaced by 2600s from other lines. When the pink line was split from the blue line in 2006, it got 2200 and 2600 series cars that ran on it when it was part of the blue line. It then got 5000s. The Green Line only ran 2400 series cars which were directly replaced by 5000s. Initially some of the 2400 series cars were moved to the orange line, which ended up being the last line they ever ran on as a scheduled service. The 3200 series cars previously on the orange line I’m guessing were moved to the brown line to allow for 8-car trains. I’m not sure where they came from elsewhere as there were 714 5000 series cars but only around 350 2200 and 2400 series cars, all of which were replaced by 5000s as well as a small number of 2600s that were in really bad condition. Later on, to help capacity some 3200s on the brown line were moved to the blue line, while in exchange an equal amount of 2600s were moved to the brown line.
7:22: Happily Agree. Would be great for Comeng to return on the Hillside group
Did a little rail journey this past Saturday and coincidentally ended up on every type of train in the metro fleet (not you stony point sprinter) though the majority of the time I was on a Siemens/HCMT and the two comengs I was on were at standing room only (thanks metro for funnelling cranbourne/pakenham lines onto frankston services from Caulfield to the City). The X'Trapolis I was only on for 2 stops. I must say I have a HCMT bias due to it being my local line and the passenger information displays being extremely useful. But the siemens I was on was still quite an enjoyable ride.
The cutting apart of the map had me lolling. The sticking it backwith tape had me rofling
Glad you enjoyed it, had to raid my son's craft supplies!
Legend, Realy well put together Video, I've always digged the comengs, they got more soul than an x trap, if only they kept the Hitachi Fleet in service and that Tangara 2000 one, hopefuly Comengs stick around for a decade longer, I also like the look of the V line Bombardiers
Thankyou for Broadcasting such Cool info
Salute*
Out of all the fleet, my favorite train is the Siemens Nexas, even though I've riden it only once. They are very quiet and smooth, and they make very little rattling noise. And they have very clear voice announcements.
Dandenong lines are my current local but I’ll be switching to the Frankston line as it’s a similar distance for me and will get me to my transfer station easier once metro tunnel opens. Going to miss the HCMTs but it will be good to experience more comengs and Siemens!
thanks mate for the video. good to see a Aussie on YT
I can still remember Comeng's right up until like 2018 on the Burnley Group being a rare occasional treat. It's now strange since I'm now on the Bayside groupings and have had so many Comeng's I've forgotten my XTrap roots.
Another informative video! My son jude says thanks for the great video! (He has ASD and loves trains 🚊)
Very glad you're enjoying the videos Jude!
7:19 as someone who also lives on a line dominated by entirely one type of train (pakenham line) i whole-heartedly agree. hell, i'd want to travel on any type of spark that isn't a HCMT. though (as you can probably guess by my name) i'd prefer comengs the most. good video martin!
I’m on the Cran/Pak line and I do see the occasional Comeng roll into my station. While I’m fine with any train, having the HCMT’s is just so nice. They are a lovely train. Even nicer when you the the one with the indigenous artwork on it!
Yes I've been wanting to get some photos of that one, I've only glimpsed it a few times.
Don't forget the superior climate control - especially just cause of the door automation. Sometimes it's nice to be spoiled :D
went on a comeng for the first time to go to the show, best train ride ever. after that ride ive felt so uncomfortable on xtraps. plus i love the manual opening doors.
I recently saw your video doing a walk-through of St Kilda and you mentioned the old St Kilda station. I got really interested in Victoria’s abandoned stations and actually drove down to Langwarrin to find the site of the old train station out there. I managed to find the site and it was really interesting to speculate where things would have been. I’d love to see an in-depth video about former / abandoned / demolished / stations around Victoria!
That's great! Not a huge amount left of Langwarrin from memory! It would definitely be a good topic for a future video.
lol, I got notified of this video while on a train. How perfect.
I’m in the west and get the Frankston and Werribee lines city bound and outbound respectively. I always wondered why there were different trains each day, even at the same time so this was really interesting!
Speaking as someone with severe anxiety- Why does no one ever mention how all the seats on the XTraps face each other and it being super uncomfortable to sit across from noisy strangers? One of the best things about HCMTs is that the seats mostly face one way and theyre higher so there's slightly more privacy.
Now THIS was the video I was looking for. Every time I find a video on Melbourne trains it sadly reminds me just how few games there are about them that I can find here in the US :(
having the Caulfield group as my local lines is great because I see every type of train :]
My personal order of trains goes Comeng>HCMT>Siemens>X'trapolis
Something you probably also mention are the doors on each train, unless you did and I'm just completely blind.
one of my gripes with the HCMTs is that the button to open the door provides zero tactile feedback that you have in fact pushed it
Really good explanation. I'm curious to know more about the Siemens trains. They barely got a mention in this video. They've always "seemed" more modern to me despite actually being older than many xtraps. They're quiet, spacious and comfortable (to me) but elusive. I can only imagine what a modern version of that would be like.
Totally agree the window seats on the Comeng trains are the best.
The only problem with the window seats is the floor curve against the wall. It makes it almost impossible to get a comfortable foot/leg/back position for a half hour journey.
Can you do a similar video but for Melbournes Tram Network!
Great Video as always
The rough ride of the xtraps are so real. One time i got up to get off at southern cross immediately after i fell over bad lol
When the X'Traps go over the crossing between Heyington and Burnely the ride becomes *super* bouncy! Haha, tonnes of fun!
ur vids r great
Thanks for making me feel so much better about the comeng on craigieburn line 😊I always thought we were just hard done by because Melbourne is prejudiced against the north and west 😂 but you’re right I enjoy riding in them and even have my favourite seat
I like the bad suspension on xtrapolis trains, it's like a rollercoaster sometimes which can be fun. Also I remember somewhere near rushall station last year the train would shake sideways a lot every time on that specific part of the track which was fun.
Lovely video! I was curious to see if id been inside all the types of trains that are in circulation and it turns out i have! Some more than others though haha
One thing that REALLY annoys me about the hcmts is the door opening buttons are those touch sensitive ones and not actual buttons and it feels unnatural and weird for it not to press in.
Oh yes i don't like them either! And there's the weird thing how you can't hold the button before they open.
@@TaitsetI thought it was just me that missed that efficiency 😂
Same story up in Sydney, everyone loves a V set or K set, or even a Tangara but hate everything else newer than that😅
Wow! I’ve always thought the X’trapolis trains just dominated every line. Maybe when I come down to Melbourne I will ride the lines without them lol. Anyways great video as always! 😃
7:23 i know that feeling. I've been a common user of the Alamein line since the 2000's when i was a little kid, and i can remember the connex days when comengs were still a common sight on the clifton hill and burnley lines. I genuinely wish comengs would return back on those lines, as it is a bit repetitive getting x'trapolis after x'trapolis, and especially since the comengs are coming to the end of their working lives.
as a Werribee/Altona loop line user, couldn't believe my eyes the daywear got X'tapolis trains.
Though I'll agree with you the Comeng fleet is underrated.
i love the old comegs have been riding them for years. Though I do get upset seeing only some of the "newer" trains only run on lines that always have the richer people on them.
I had my first trip on an HCMT and everyone on board was either teens from some uppy private school or some dude in a fancy suit talking about stocks for the entire time.
Though I do have my problems with the newer trains as well, seating on the HCMT feels so cramped compared to the comegs and just so much empty space I know its for standing but it feels so cold in that train. Still would want them on my line tho cool train.
Cranbourne/Pakenham is a bit of a mixed bag to be honest, there are some wealthy suburbs, but the outer parts are very working class.
I have the same problem that you do Martin, as my local lines are the Belgrave and Lilydale lines, and I hate how little variety of train type we have in the eastern suburbs.
worst thing about the xtrapolis trains is the display is completely useless especially on the lilydale/belgrave lines w all the variations of expresses. doesnt even tell you what the next stop is 😭
7:18-7:27 right on brother 👍 though I'd also throw on some Siemens trains onto the lines that they don't run on.
I used the train a lot from Aspendale to Flinders Street when the Commeg was in its prime with the Hitachi as the other main train.. I have used all but the newest train (I moved away from Melbourne before it came into service) and the red rattler (they were being phased out and retired when I was early primary school), and the Commeg was by far the best.. I had many a sleep on the Commeg with my arm on the window, it was the perfect width and height for it and the sound was good to fall asleep too 😆
I lived near the railway line so I would fall asleep to the sound of the trains at night or I would listen and try to guess which type was coming through, the Commeg was definitely my favourite 😊 It’ll be a sad day when the final one retires, the newer ones are no where near as good, comfortable or reliable in my opinion
Nice to see that there is level boarding, even if some stations just seem to have a raised lump of concrete at one end of the platform. And space to turn a wheelchair once on board.
Yes every station (except one: Heyington) on the network is wheelchair accessible, even if some aren't quite up to modern standards. Some stations do have those lumps, but at most the driver gets out and puts down a ramp.
@@Taitset The driver? Doesn't that cause delays?
@@Jules_Diplopia Yes, it does. But usually by only a minute or so, so not too much of an issue.