For the first time, only airconditioned trains were scheduled to run on the Illawarra and Eastern Suburbs rail lines this week.
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While this level of comfort won’t last, a Transport for NSW spokeswoman said there would be ‘‘a higher proportion’’ of airconditioned trains than operated previously.
The improvement followed the withdrawal of non-airconditioned, silver coloured, S-set trains, which have operated for the past 40 years.
A group of enthusiasts, who describe themselves as ‘‘train tragics,’’ gathered at Cronulla station on Friday night to farewell the last of this model train to operate on the Illawarra line.
They adorned the train with banners, streamers, balloons and sparklers.
Rail historian and train driver David Kirkland said it was a sad occasion.
‘‘After 40 years, they continue to perform very well,’’ he said.
‘They are a pleasure to drive”.
The group thanked CityRail for helping them to mark the milestone.
HEADING TO THE FUTURE
Cronulla MP Mark Speakman said ‘‘a very high percentage’’ of trains on the line would be airconditioned for the forseeable future.
‘‘All regular, timetabled services on the Illawarra line at the moment are modern Tangaras or OSCARs, and the Tangaras are being refurbished progressively,’’ he said.
‘‘When Labor left office in 2011, only two thirds of trains on the line were airconditioned.’’
Have you found the trains more comfortable this week? Or click on the comment link below to share your experiences of the S-set trains.
