Latest news with #V-sets
The Age
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Age
‘Sad goodbye': End of era for workhorse of NSW railways
The last V-set passenger train service to Newcastle will pull out of Sydney's Central Station at 9.20pm on Friday, marking the end of an era that has spanned more than five decades. Known by commuters for their purple-coloured seats, the workhorses of NSW's railways have been running on the line from Sydney to the Central Coast and Newcastle since June 1970. Pushed to the limit of their working lives, the double-deck V-sets will finally be completely replaced on the line by the long-delayed new Mariyung train fleet, which has cost taxpayers more than $4 billion. Train driver Ben Heavey, 23, said it would be a 'sad goodbye' when a V-set makes the last run between Sydney and Newcastle on Friday night. 'But we'll be moving forward for our passengers with better safety and access for our disabled people,' he said. 'At the end of the day, I think people will learn to love the Mariyung.' The new intercity trains have extra legroom, high seat backs, tray tables for laptops and charging ports for mobile devices. Heavey, who has had a passion for trains since he was a kid growing up in Macquarie Fields, started as a cleaner on the railways at the age of 18 after leaving school. Within eight months he was a guard, before switching 18 months later to become a driver of V-sets and newer train types. Now also training drivers, Heavey found it more rewarding to complete a long-distance trip driving a V-set because they required greater focus. 'You feel like you have to use your brain more,' he said.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Sad goodbye': End of era for workhorse of NSW railways
The last V-set passenger train service to Newcastle will pull out of Sydney's Central Station at 9.20pm on Friday, marking the end of an era that has spanned more than five decades. Known by commuters for their purple-coloured seats, the workhorses of NSW's railways have been running on the line from Sydney to the Central Coast and Newcastle since June 1970. Pushed to the limit of their working lives, the double-deck V-sets will finally be completely replaced on the line by the long-delayed new Mariyung train fleet, which has cost taxpayers more than $4 billion. Train driver Ben Heavey, 23, said it would be a 'sad goodbye' when a V-set makes the last run between Sydney and Newcastle on Friday night. 'But we'll be moving forward for our passengers with better safety and access for our disabled people,' he said. 'At the end of the day, I think people will learn to love the Mariyung.' The new intercity trains have extra legroom, high seat backs, tray tables for laptops and charging ports for mobile devices. Heavey, who has had a passion for trains since he was a kid growing up in Macquarie Fields, started as a cleaner on the railways at the age of 18 after leaving school. Within eight months he was a guard, before switching 18 months later to become a driver of V-sets and newer train types. Now also training drivers, Heavey found it more rewarding to complete a long-distance trip driving a V-set because they required greater focus. 'You feel like you have to use your brain more,' he said.
