Be heat smart
When you're travelling on the CityRail network this summer, be heat smart and remember:
- If you start to feel unwell, don't get on a train. Ask a staff member for help.
- If you are on a train and feel unwell, alight at the next station. Ask a staff member for help.
- Always carry a bottle of water with you.
How we're getting heat smart
We're working on a number of initiatives to improve customer comfort and minimise delays caused by hot weather.
Airconditioned trains
Thanks to the new Millennium, Hunter and Oscar trains introduced over the past few years, as at September 2011, 71% of our fleet is airconditioned. This number will increase steadily over the next five years as more airconditioned trains are introduced.
The first Oscar train in a new delivery of 99 carriages entered service in October 2010. All remaining Oscar carriages are expected to be in service by mid 2013. This will increase the Oscar fleet to 221 carriages.
In July 2011, 626 new Waratah carriages began to replace non-airconditioned carriages on the CityRail network. The Waratah trains feature a smart airconditioning system that automatically adjusts to the temperature and number of passengers. Find out more about the delivery of the Waratah trains.
By the time all these new carriages are introduced, we will have made substantial progress towards having enough airconditioned trains to meet normal daily demand.
Cool zones
Stations in the Sydney CBD feature cool zones to help customers beat the heat this summer. These zones are created by using misting fans that blow microscopic water particles through a high-powered fan. Find out more about cool zones.
Infrastructure upgrades
Older-style timber sleepers can expand in very hot weather, causing delays to train services. We're progressively replacing timber sleepers with concrete and today this work is complete on 83% of the RailCorp network.
Overhead wiring, used to deliver power to trains, can sag in hot weather, causing delays to services. We're progressively modernising overhead wiring so it can maintain a constant height in hot weather. This program is now 97% complete.
