A brand new fleet of trains is being rolled out on an Australian railway. The Mariyung stock on New South Wales’ intercity line is the network’s first upgrade in nearly two decades.
They have debued on routes like the one between Sydney and Newcastle. They will soon be introduced on the Blue Mountains and South Coast lines.
The rollout of the trains was delayed by five years because they were thought to be too wide, and there were technical disputes.
In addition, modification works demanded by unions cost $1billion. The total cost is $4 billion – which is £1.99billion.
Another complaint raised by The Guardian’s transport reporter, Elias Visontay, is that their speeds “remain stuck in the 20th century.”
Further, there is surprisingly no onboard Wi-Fi, so customers have to use their data and mobile phone hotspots.
It has been suggested that the huge pot of cash used to deliver the new stock would have been better spent upgrading tracks to allow for more express services with fewer stops.
That being said, there are “plenty of other positives”.
The Mariyung trains are quieter and have special areas to store suitcases, luggage, and bikes.
Also, there are roomy bathrooms with sensor taps. The transport expert added that the carriages’ toilets were “clean and comfortable”.
Although he did note that food wrappings were left inside one, and less than a day after the stock entered service, photos of graffitied toilet seats were shared online.
Another impressive feature was the charging facilities.
Even though passengers must share a power source, each double seat has a USB-A and a wall plug socket.
But the Mariyung seats are still “far from a comfortable remote office.” The tray tables, for example, are at a “slightly strange angle” for looking at one’s screen.
This is said to be especially the case if you are tall.
